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Variations in spelling of the Mullarkey name

Spelling Variations

Below is a table listing all variant English spelling versions of the clan name found in the 1891 Census for England, Scotland and Wales, together with details of the the number of persons reported for each version . This should be taken as just a rough guide as to the frequency of each variant form.

The census was compiled from returns prepared by officials. The information itself was obtained from the public and recorded initially in pencil in handbooks. Hence, the accuracy of the census was dependant not just on the honesty of the public, but also on the spelling, and transcription abilities of the officials.

In a period in which illiteracy amongst the public was quite high, the result was to maximize the number of variations in spelling of more unusual Irish names, such as our clan name, in the Census records.

It must be remembered that the number of Irish Gaelic speakers and first generation English speakers living in England in 1891.would have been significant. The table gives a guide as to the perceived pronunciation of the name, the variations to which may be significant.

Additionally, the tables include a number of variants which are thought to be extreme variations but which may be derived from similar names. Possible variants have also been included in the tables pending further research. The tables indicate whether the variation is probable or possible.

The English administration as part of its attempt to enforce English values in Ireland attempted to eradicate all vestiges of Gaelic culture. The fervour with which this with prosecuted varied over the course of history and from region to region. One can see in the 16th and 17th official papers and parliamentary laws views expressed which show naked race hate, which is reflected in both the ethnic cleansing approach to the natives and their culture. Gross injustices were enshrined in legislation not only against the free practice of religion, but also to suppress the Gaelic language, through an official policy to anglicize all parts of Irish society. English was the only official language and this was manifest in the anglicizing of both place names and surnames. Latter there was an attempt to standardize the English spelling of Irish surnames.

In the British census of 1891 the total number of spelling variations of the clan name amounts to 53. This is significant especially when the top 4 variants amount to 50% of the total returned. Hence though standardization of anglicized Irish names was well advanced it was not total, reflecting the lack of knowledge of English, spoken or written amongst respondents of the survey. The possibility should not be lost of three other explanations, namely :-

• That respondents may have traditionally spelt their names in a way to locally distinguish between families with the same surname. Hence one family may have spelt their surname Mullarkey whereas a neighbouring family may have spelt it Mularky, or

• Possibly we are looking at either different names which have a similarity of sound when converted to English, or

• That the same name has independently emerged in several different locations in Ireland, where accent differences have caused the name to be standardized differently in each region.

Finally, the following similar names have been excluded as not variants of the name but separate names with their own derivation: Mullasky, MacLuckie, McLatchie, McLechy, Mullherricke and Mullarty.

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