Ballymullan, County Down

Origin

Ir. Baile Maoláin ‘townland of the low rounded hill’

Background

A number of the historical spellings lack the final –n and this may have come about as a result of a contraction for an n in an early manuscript being omitted by a scribe, and this error was in turn copied by other scribes. Other possible Gaelic origins for this place-name are Baile an Mhuilinn ‘townland of the mill’, and Baile Uí Mhaoláin ‘(O’)Mullan’s townland’.

References

Hannan R. J. (1992): Place-Names of Northern Ireland vol. 2 p. 158

Additional Information

Historical name form

Old Form	Ref. Date	Reference
Ballemulle	1603	Ex. Inq. (Dn) 2 Jac. I
Ballemulle	1604	CPR Jas I 38a
Ballemulle	1605	CPR Jas I 72b
Ballimulle al Ballimullen	1605	Inq. Ult. (Down) §2 Jac. I
Ballymullen al Ballymulla	1623	Ham. Copy Inq. [1623] xxxi
Ballemullan or Ballemulla	1630	Ham. Patent [1630] xi
Ballimullen	1630	Ham. Patent [1630] xx
Ballemullen al Ballemulle	1645	Inq. Ult. (Down) §104 Car. I
Ballemullen	1659c	Census 1659 94
Ballemullen	1661	BSD 127
Ballemullen al Ballemule	1662	Inq. Ult. (Down) §23 Car. II
Ballymullan	1830c	Wm. Map (OSNB) No. 54
Ballymullan	1830c	Bnd. Sur. (OSNB) No. 54
Baile an Mhulláin "town of the little hill or summit"	1834c	J O'D (OSNB) No. 54

Barony: Castlereagh Lower
Parish: Bangor
Parish in 1851: Bangor
Townland: None
Place name ID: 6606
Place name type: T