McNulty facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids McNulty Family Name
Meaning	"son of the Ulsterman"
Region of origin	Ulster, Ireland
Language of origin	Irish
Popularity	Behind the Name
Wikipedia articles	All pages beginning with McNulty

McNulty is a well-known Irish family name. It comes from the old Irish Gaelic words Mac an Ultaigh, which mean "son of the Ulsterman." An "Ulsterman" was someone from Ulster, a province in the north of Ireland.

Many people believe the McNulty family came from a powerful ruling family called Mac Duinnshléibhe (also known as MacDonlevy). This family was part of the Dál Fiatach group. They lived in a place called Ulaid (which is now part of Ulster). After a group called the Normans took over Ulaid in 1177, some of these families moved to Ailech (in what is now County Donegal).

However, some studies of family DNA show that McNultys might also come from other old Irish families from Ulster. After a big battle called the Battle of Kinsale in 1602, some MacDonlevys and McNultys moved to a different part of Ireland called Connacht. That's why you can find the McNulty name there today too.

Where the McNulty Name Began
McNulty Families Around the World
Famous McNultys
Fictional McNulty Characters
Places Named McNulty
McNulty Rhyolite Rock
Nulty (A Similar Name)
See also

Where the McNulty Name Began

The name McNulty is thought to have started with a group from the ruling Ulaid family, the MacDonlevys. They moved to what is now County Donegal after John de Courcy took over Ulaid in 1177. Some of these MacDonlevys were given the nickname Ultagh or Ultach, meaning "Ulsterman."

But old records from the 1600s and 1800s show that many McNultys lived in parts of Ireland where the MacDonlevys were not common. Also, DNA studies suggest that McNultys might have come from other Gaelic families who moved from Ulaid, not just the MacDonlevys. The nicknames Ultagh and Mac an Ultaigh were only used for those who left Ulaid, not for those who stayed.

The first time the McNulty name was written down was in a historical book called the Annals of the Four Masters. In the year 1281, a person named "Murtough Macan-Ulty" was mentioned as someone important who died in a battle at Desertcreagh, which is now in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland.

The change from Mac an Ultaigh to McNulty can be seen around 1601. For example, "Morris Ultagh" was recorded as "Morris m'Nich Ultagh." The "m'Nich" part seems to be an English mistake, confusing the female family prefix Nic with the male prefix Mac.

Other ways the name McNulty has been spelled include McNaulty, McNalty, O'Nalty, Nolty, McNult, McEnulty, and McKnulty.

In County Clare and County Tipperary in southwest Ireland, you might hear names like Connoulty and Kinoulty. These are believed to be English versions of Mac an Ultaigh.

McNulty Families Around the World

Many McNulty families have moved from Ireland to other countries over the years. This is called the "diaspora."

In 1980, nearly 20,000 people with the surname McNulty lived in the United States. It was the 2,332nd most common name there.
Some of the first McNulty immigrants arrived in Philadelphia and New York City in the early 1800s.
Many more came between 1840 and 1860, especially during the Great Famine in Ireland, when many people left their homes looking for a better life.

About 421 people named McNulty live in Australia.
One of the first McNultys to arrive in Australia was Denis McInulty. He came from Scotland in 1846 on a ship carrying prisoners, serving a 10-year sentence.

In the United Kingdom, about 7,318 people share the McNulty surname. It is the 1,472nd most popular name in the country.

Famous McNultys

Many people named McNulty have become famous in different fields.

Actors

Amybeth McNulty, an Irish-Canadian TV actress.
Christina McNulty, a Canadian silent film actress.
Clare McNulty, an American actress.
Geraldine McNulty, an English actress.
Jennie McNulty, an American actress.
Kevin McNulty (actor), a Canadian actor.
Marguerite McNulty, an American actress.
Mariana McNulty, an American actress who used the stage name Penny Singleton.
Matthew McNulty, an English actor.
Neil McNulty, a Scottish actor.
Owen Patrick Eugene McNulty, an Irish actor known as Dennis Day.
Patricia McNulty, an American actress.

Musicians

Ann McNulty, a stage, radio, and recording artist.
Chris McNulty, an Australian jazz singer.
Daniel McNulty, an Irish composer.
Mal McNulty, an English musician.
Mario J. McNulty, an American music producer.
Paul McNulty (piano maker), an American piano maker.
Thomas Francis McNulty, an American composer.

Military Heroes

F. Lynn McNulty, an American CIA agent.
James F. McNulty (rear admiral), an American Navy rear admiral.
John McNulty (U.S. Marine Corps), an American marine.
John J. McNulty, III, an American soldier.
John R. McNulty, an American soldier.
Richard R. McNulty, an American Navy rear admiral.
William A. McNulty, an American soldier.

Politicians

Anthony F. McNulty, an American member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.
Caleb J. McNulty, an American politician.
Clifford McNulty, an American member of the Florida House of Representatives.
Des McNulty, a Scottish politician.
Francis McNulty (Kansas politician), a former state Representative.
Francis McNulty Jr., an American politician.
Francis J. McNulty, a former Delaware state Representative.
Frank McNulty (Colorado legislator), an American politician.
Frank Joseph McNulty, an American politician.
James McNulty (Canadian politician), a Canadian politician.
James Barrett McNulty, an American politician.
James F. McNulty Jr., an American politician.
John F. McNulty, an American politician.
John J. McNulty, an American politician.
John J. McNulty Jr., an American politician.
Joseph McNulty, an American politician.
Justin McNulty, an Irish politician and Gaelic football player.
Mark McNulty (politician), an American politician.
Martin McNulty Crane, an American politician.
Michael R. McNulty, a former US Representative.
Paul McNulty, an American politician.
Peter H. McNulty, an American politician.
Raymond J. McNulty, an American politician.
Tim McNulty (politician), an American politician.
Thomas F. McNulty, an American politician.
Tony McNulty, an English politician.
William McNulty Brodhead, an American politician.

Sportspeople

Arthur McNulty, an English football player.
Bill McNulty, an American baseball player.
Billy McNulty, a Scottish football player.
Brandon McNulty, an American cyclist.
Carl McNulty, an American basketball player.
Dave McNulty, a British swimming coach.
Enda McNulty, an Irish Gaelic footballer.
Geoff McNulty, a Canadian lacrosse player.
Jimmy McNulty (footballer), an English footballer.
Jim McNulty (ice hockey), a Canadian ice hockey player.
Joe McNulty, an Irish footballer.
Joe McNulty (skier), an American skier.
Joel McNulty, an American hurdler.
John McNulty (American football), an American football coach.
John F. McNulty Jr., an American athletics coach.
Josh McNulty, an English rugby player.
Marc McNulty, a Scottish footballer.
Mark McNulty, an Irish/Zimbabwean golfer.
Mike McNulty (boxing manager), an American boxing manager.
Pat McNulty, an American baseball player.
Pat McNulty (footballer), an Australian rules football player.
Paul McNulty (American football), an American football player.
Peter McNulty (Gaelic footballer), an Irish Gaelic footballer.
Steve McNulty, an English footballer.
Tim McNulty, an Irish rally driver.
Thomas McNulty (footballer), an English footballer.

Writers and Journalists

Bernard McNulty, an Irish-American writer.
Charles McNulty, an American journalist.
Edward McNulty, an Irish novelist.
Faith McNulty, an American author.
Fran McNulty, an Irish journalist.
John McNulty (journalist), an American journalist.
John K. McNulty, an American legal expert.
Phil McNulty, an English sports writer.

Other Notable People

David L. McNulty, a U.S. Marshal.
Deborah McNulty, an American make-up artist.
Eileen McNulty, an American tax commissioner.
Elizabeth McNulty, an American beauty pageant winner (Miss Louisiana USA 2007).
James McNulty (Irish activist), an Irish republican.
James A. McNulty, an American priest.
James F. McNulty (chief executive), an American businessman.
James J. McNulty, an American businessman.
John McNulty (artist), an Irish artist.
John McNulty (bishop), an English priest.
John McNulty (steamboat captain), an American sailor.
John L. McNulty, an American priest.
Kathleen McNulty, an Irish-American computer programmer.
Kevin McNulty (judge), an American judge.
Mary McNulty, an American beauty pageant contestant.
Michelle McNulty, an American TV producer.
Patrick J. McNulty, an American judge.
Peter McNulty (film editor), an American film editor.
Robert W. McNulty, an American dentist.
Roy McNulty, a Northern Irish businessman.
Sallie Keller McNulty, an American statistician.
William McNulty (relief organization founder), who started a disaster relief group.
William Charles McNulty, an American artist.
William N. McNulty, a Roman Catholic priest and hero of the 1880 Garret Mountain May Day riot.
Amanda McNulty, a nurse.

Fictional McNulty Characters

Thelma Ritter (1902–1969), as Ellen McNulty
from the trailer for The Mating Season (1951)

The actor Ray Milland played Professor Ray McNulty in the TV series Meet Mr. McNulty.

The McNulty name has also appeared in many movies and TV shows!

Jimmy McNulty is a character on the HBO drama The Wire.
- His ex-wife Elena McNulty and their sons, Sean James McNulty and Michael Barnes McNulty, also appear on The Wire.
Liam McNulty is a character in the BBC Scotland soap opera River City.
Middenface McNulty is a science fiction character.
In the animated TV series Rugrats, there are seven McNulty characters:
- Five McNulty brothers (Timothy, Todd, Ty, Teddy, and Terry).
- Their grandfather Conan.
- Their mother Colleen.
Lt. Ray McNulty and his son Van McNulty are characters in the TV series Smallville.
Meet Mr. McNutley was a popular CBS TV show from 1953 to 1955. The main character's last name was changed to "McNulty" in the second episode. The show was later renamed The Ray Milland Show, with Ray Milland playing Professor Ray McNulty. Phyllis Avery played his wife, Peggy McNulty.
The wrestler Oreal Perras used the ring names Red McNulty "of Dublin, Ireland" and Ivan Koloff "The Russian Bear."
Stephen Graham (actor) played Peter McNulty in two episodes of the TV series Jump.
Thelma Ritter won an Academy Award for her role as Ellen McNulty in the 1951 film The Mating Season.
Actress Gene Tierney played Maggie Carleton McNulty in The Mating Season (1951).
There's a McNulty character in the movie Trancers and its sequel Trancers II, both played by actor Art LaFleur.
The singer Maggie Cline became famous for singing Irish songs, including "How McNulty Carved His Duck."
There's a character named McNulty in the "puppies" set of Moshi Monsters.
Patrick McNulty is the main character in The Twilight Zone episode "A Kind of a Stopwatch".
Lt. Nulty, a police detective, is a character in Raymond Chandler’s detective novel Farewell, My Lovely.
In 23 episodes of the NBC TV show E-Ring, Dennis Hopper played Colonel Eli McNulty, a decorated soldier and Vietnam War veteran.

Places Named McNulty

McNulty Hall, which is Seton Hall University's Technology and Research Center.

The McAnulty School of Liberal Arts building at Duquesne University.

Several places around the world are named McNulty, often after important people from the family.

McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts at Duquesne University.
McNulty Gulch is a valley near Leadville, Colorado, in the U.S.
McNulty Campus at the United States Merchant Marine Academy in King's Point, New York. It's named after Vice Admiral Richard R. McNulty, who was very important to the Academy.
McNulty Hall, a student residence at Johnson and Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island. It's named after Lieutenant Colonel John F. McNulty, Jr., who was the Dean of Students for almost 30 years.
McNulty Hall, which is Seton Hall University's Technology and Research Center. It's named after Monsignor John L. McNulty, the University's 13th President.
McNulty Lake is a lake in Lee County, Arkansas.
The community of McNulty, Oregon is named after John McNulty, an early settler. The McNulty Water Association and McNulty Way in Oregon are also named after him.
McNulty Reservoir Dam in Eagle County, Colorado, is named after the McNulty family cattle ranchers who settled there in the 1880s.
McNulty Reservoir (Malheur County, Oregon), also named after the pioneer John McNulty.
Downtown McNulty Station in St. Petersburg, Florida, is named after John T. McNulty, who became the Chief of the St. Petersburg Fire Department in 1913.
Upper McNulty Reservoir in Oregon, US, is also named after the pioneer John McNulty.

McNulty Rhyolite Rock

McNulty rhyolite is a special and rare type of rock that is found in only one place on Earth: McNulty Gulch near Leadville Colorado. It's a beautiful rock that can be used like a gem. This rock is even mentioned in the official U.S. Department of Interior's list of geological names.

Nulty (A Similar Name)

"Nulty" is another way to spell or say McNulty. Here are some people with that name:

Mark Nulty (born 1967), a former Irish cricketer.
Thomas Nulty (1818-1898), a Bishop of Meath, Ireland.