This interesting surname of Irish origin with variant spellings Mulvey, Mulvy, Mulveagh, Mulvie, etc., is an Anglicized form of the Gaelic O' Maoilmhiadh aigh "descendant of the devotee of (St.)Miadhach", a byname meaning "honourable". The main Sept has long been important in County Leitrim. The surname dates back to the mid 18th Century, (see below). Further recordings include one George, son of John and Bridget Mulvey, who was christened on June 10th 1758 at Lying in Hospital, Endell Street, London, Hugo son of Caroli and Joannne Mulvey, was christened on July 12th 1761 at Lincolnshire Inn Fields, Holborn and Mary, daughter of matthew and Elizabeth Mulvie, who was christened in on January 3rd 1762 at St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Westminster. One Patt Mulvey, aged 21 yrs., a famine emigrant, sailed from Liverpool aboard the "Lawrence" bound for New York on April 17th 1846. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of John Mulvey, (witness the christened of his daughter Catherine), which was dated 1753 - Lying in Hospital, Endell Street, London, during the reign of King George 11, known as "The Last Warrior King", 1727 - 1760. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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