McNulty (surname)
Origin
McNulty is an Anglecized version of the original Gaelic: "Mac an Ultaigh" which is an Irish byname literally meaning 'son of the Ulsterman'. Ulster is an historical region and ancient kingdom of northern Ireland. Largely annexed by the English Crown during the reign of James I, it is now divided between Ireland and Northern Ireland (which is today often called Ulster).
The spelling "Mhac an Ultaigh" has been found as early as 1431. This might have been a literal patronymic byname; however, this example appears to be a clan affiliation byname, understood to mean "member of Clan Mac an Ultaigh". Misspellings
Arms
Most modern families are almost certainly not entitled to a Coat of Arms according to the College of Heraldry. In reality, Arms were generally awarded to individuals, not families, and were not always passed down. Even when they were passed to the heir, they were almost certain to be changed in some way.
So that the average American today has about as much chance of actually being entitled to arms as he does being hit by a bus, but that hasn't stopped a whole multi-million-dollar industry from forming around the idea that just because you have a certain last name, someone can go look up a coat of arms that once belonged to someone with the same last name, and say, "Hey, look, you have a 'family crest'!"
So while the Coat of Arms shown may not be the Clan's legal entitlement, it did once belong to some McNulty somewhere, the Clan likes it, and it's pretty, and that is good enough for them!
Red Hand of Ulster
The red hand on the shield is known as 'the red hand of Ulster' and has a fascinating (albeit apocryphal) story behind it: The image originates on the O’Neill coat of arms, the crest of a warrior clan said to have crossed Lough Neagh to County Tyrone. In the story, the O’Neill and his companions "agreed that he would be king who first touched Irish soil... As they strove, a chieftain, The O’Neill, with a courage that has marked many of that name, drew his sword, severed his own hand at the wrist, and hurled it far and away to the strand with his remaining hand. The O’Neill claimed and won the kingship."
Noteworthy McNulty's
- XXXX, (b. XXXX),
