McNulty

McNulty is a surname of Irish origin. It is an Anglicized form of the Gaelic Mac an Ultaigh, meaning “son of the Ulsterman” or “descendant of Uladh.” The name is historically associated with Ulster and is found in counties such as Donegal, Derry, and Tyrone, though it spread across Ireland and into the Irish diaspora.

Today, McNulty is common in Ireland and in nations with large Irish communities, including the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, and Australia. The spelling has several variants, including MacNulty, McNolty, and Nulty, which reflect regional pronunciations and anglicization practices.

Notable people with the surname are numerous across politics, sports, and the arts, and the surname features in fiction as well. A well-known fictional character is Jimmy McNulty, the detective featured in the television series The Wire, created by David Simon.

See also variants of the name such as MacNulty and Nulty, which may appear in different records and genealogical sources. The name’s distribution and spelling variants can reflect historical migrations, regional dialects, and changes in English orthography over time.