de Mullett

This interesting name is of early Medieval French and Flemish origin and has two possible derivations. The first of these is from the Old French "mule", (he)mule, used either as a nickname for a stubborn person or as a metonymic occupational surname for someone who was in charge of mules, a driver of pack-animals. The ultimate derivation is from the Latin "mula", mule. The modern surname "Mullet" is also found as an English name, being the diminutive form of "Mule" in both French and English. The second possible derivation is from the Old French "Mulet", a nickname for a mussel-seller. In modern days the mussel-sellers of Normandy are known as "Moulettes". The name "Mullett" is recorded heraldically in Rietstap's Armorial General, as of Tournai, a town in Western Belgium on the French border Arras. The arms are a quartered shield, the first and fourth green with a chevron in gold, between three Eagle's heads in white, the second and third an Eagle with two heads displayed in green and white. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Johannes Mullet, which was dated circa 1680, Tournai, Flanders, during the reign of William, "Prince of Orange", "Stadtholder", 1672 - 1702. 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.