Mulder History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Netherlands
Wales

Etymology of Mulder

What does the name Mulder mean?

The origins of the Welsh name Mulder go back to the ancient Celtic culture that existed in the hills and Moors of Wales. The forbears that initially held the name Mulder once lived in or near the settlement of Mogridge in the southwestern English county of Devon. The surname Mulder belongs to the category of habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Early Origins of the Mulder family

The surname Mulder was first found in Breconshire (Welsh: Sir Frycheiniog), a traditional county in southern Wales, which takes its name from the Welsh kingdom of Brycheiniog (5th-10th centuries), where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Mulder family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Mulder research. Another 75 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Mulder History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mulder Spelling Variations

There are relatively few surnames native to Wales, but they have an inordinately large number of spelling variations. Early variations of Welsh surnames can be explained by the fact that very few people in the early Middle Ages were literate. Priests and the few other literate people were responsible for recording names in official documents. And because most people could not specific how to properly record their names it was up to the individual recorder of that time to determine how a spoken name should be recorded. Variations due to the imprecise or improper recording of a name continued later in history when names originally composed in the Brythonic Celtic, language of Wales, known by natives as Cymraeg, were transliterated into English. Welsh names that were documented in English often changed dramatically since the native language of Wales, which was highly inflected, did not copy well. Occasionally, however, spelling variations were carried out according to an individual's specific design: a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations could be indicated by minor variations. The spelling variations of the name Mulder have included Muggeridge, Mugeridge, Mugridge, Moderidge, Modridge and many more.

Early Notables of the Mulder family

More information is included under the topic Early Mulder Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mulder World Ranking

In the United States, the name Mulder is the 8,546^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1 However, in Netherlands, the name Mulder is ranked the 11^st most popular surname with an estimated 40,955 people with that name. 2 And in South Africa, the name Mulder is the 889^th popular surname with an estimated 7,825 people with that name. 3

Mulder migration to the United States +

During the latter half of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, the people of Wales journeyed to North America to find a new life. They made major contributions to the arts, industry and commerce of both Canada and the United States, and added a rich cultural heritage to their newly adopted societies. A look at the immigration and passenger lists has shown a number of people bearing the name Mulder:

Mulder Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Cornelis Stevens Mulder, aged 21, who arrived in New York in 1660 4
Joshua Mulder, who landed in Virginia in 1673 4

Mulder Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Balthasar Mulder, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1787 4

Mulder Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Clara Mulder, aged 4, who landed in New York, NY in 1847 4
Aaltje J Mulder, aged 55, who arrived in Baltimore, Maryland in 1847 4
Agathe Mulder, aged 28, who landed in New York, NY in 1847 4
Gertrude Mulder, aged 43, who landed in New York, NY in 1847 4
Lucas Mulder, aged 48, who arrived in New York, NY in 1847 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Mulder (post 1700) +

Richard Dean Mulder (1938-2022), American politician and family physician, Member of the Minnesota House of Representatives from 1995 until 2002 5
Leland E. Mulder (b. 1925), American Democratic Party politician, Member of Wisconsin State Assembly from La Crosse County 2nd District; Defeated, 1956; Elected 1958; Candidate for U.S. Representative from Wisconsin 3rd District, 1986 5
John B. Mulder, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Michigan, 1908 5
Enrique Mulder (b. 1856), American politician, U.S. Consular Agent in Vigo, 1897-98, 1900-16 5
Eldon Mulder, American Republican politician, Member of Alaska State House of Representatives 23rd District, 2001 5
Benjamin A. Mulder, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Michigan, 1900 (alternate), 1936 5
Arlene J. Mulder, American politician, Village President of Arlington Heights, Illinois, 2005-09 5
Grant R. Mulder, Major General in the United States Air Force
Dave W. Mulder (b. 1939), American politician, Iowa State Senator
Tyler Mulder (b. 1987), American track and field athlete
... (Another 38 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Mulder Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Dat deus incrementum
Motto Translation: God gives increase.

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Most Common Last Names in Netherlands." Forebears, https://forebears.io/netherlands/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in South Africa." Forebears, https://forebears.io/south-africa/surnames
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 27) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html