Data report · Updated October 2026
Mullet statistics: the second most-searched haircut on Google, behind only the bob
Search data, state rankings, social media counts and contest numbers behind the mullet's comeback.
The mullet is the second most-searched haircut on Google since 2004, behind only the bob[1]. Pinterest searches for "mullet hairstyle" grew 190% in 2021[2], and in a 2021 Google Trends analysis it was the most-searched men's style in four US states[3].
#2
most-searched haircut on Google since 2004, after the bob[1]
+190%
growth in Pinterest searches for "mullet hairstyle" (2021)[2]
4
US states where the mullet was the most-Googled men's style (2021)[3]
877,209
Instagram posts tagged mullet in a 2021 count[4]
258
entrants at Australia's Mulletfest in 2020, up from 143 in 2018[5]
By Jessica Hamilton, Editor · Published · Updated · Free to reuse with credit (CC BY 4.0)
Key findings
- Google's 2023 Year in Search quiz named the mullet the second most-searched haircut since Google Trends began, after the bob and ahead of the undercut, pixie and box braids[1].
- Pinterest's 2022 trend report, released in December 2021, said searches for "mullet hairstyle" grew 190%[2].
- In a 2021 Google Trends analysis of men's styles by state, the mullet ranked second nationally and led four states: Montana, New Hampshire, Oklahoma and Washington[3].
- In an October 2020 analysis of Google search volume for more than 170 hairstyles, the mullet was Australia's most popular hairstyle, while the bob led 52 countries[6].
- A 2021 count of Instagram hashtags found 877,209 mullet posts, more than the buzz cut's 530,552 but well behind the fade's 2,032,953[4].
- Australia's Mulletfest grew from 143 entries in 2018 to 169 in 2019 and 258 in 2020[7][5].
- Hundreds of people enter the USA Mullet Championships each year; in 2022 the entry fee was $10 and the winner received $2,500[8].
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How popular is the mullet?
By Google's long-run measure, the mullet is one of the most searched haircuts there is. In its 2023 Year in Search quiz, which drew on searches since Google Trends launched in 2004, Google listed the five most-searched haircuts as the bob, mullet, undercut, pixie and box braids[1]. Of those five, the mullet and the undercut are the two most closely tied to men's hair.
Search volume is not the same as the number of people wearing a cut. The mullet is a style people look up out of curiosity, for photos, for jokes and for contests, as well as before a barber visit. Survey data on who actually wears one is scarce. Neither the 2025 Hims survey of US favorites nor the 2025 Remington poll of UK men listed the mullet among their top five styles[9][10].
| Rank | Haircut |
|---|---|
| 1 | Bob |
| 2 | Mullet |
| 3 | Undercut |
| 4 | Pixie |
| 5 | Box braids |
When did the mullet come back?
The clearest numbers on the revival come from 2021. Pinterest's annual trend forecast, released December 7, 2021, reported that searches for "mullet hairstyle" grew 190% on the platform[2]. The same report grouped the mullet with other "rebel hair" looks: searches for "shaved head dye designs" grew 12-fold, "short hair mohawk" doubled and the "octopus haircut" doubled[2].
Google's list of top hair searches for 2021 included the wolf cut, a shaggy cousin of the mullet, though Google gave no numbers for it[2]. Our guides to the modern mullet and the wolf cut explain how the two differ.
Show the numbers
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| Shaved head dye designs (12-fold) | 1,100% |
| Mullet hairstyle | 190% |
| Short hair mohawk (doubled) | 100% |
| Octopus haircut (doubled) | 100% |
Which US states search for the mullet most?
Shane Co. used 12 months of Google Trends data to find the men's hairstyle each state searched most, published in November 2021[3]. The mullet ranked second nationally, topping four states: Montana, New Hampshire, Oklahoma and Washington[3]. Only the undercut led more states, with six[3].
The four mullet states have little in common geographically, spanning New England, the Plains, the Mountain West and the Pacific Northwest. For every state's top men's search and survey favorite, see our haircut by state report.
| Style | States led | Mullet states |
|---|---|---|
| Undercut | 6 | |
| Mullet | 4 | Montana, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Washington |
| Buzz cut | 3 | |
| French crop | 3 | |
| Curly undercut | 3 | |
| Afro fade | 3 |
Is the mullet popular in Australia?
Yes, more than anywhere else in the data. Insurance provider Protectivity analyzed Google Keyword Planner search volumes for more than 170 hairstyles as of October 2020[6]. The bob was the top hairstyle in 52 countries, including the UK, USA, Belgium and Germany, but Australia's most popular hairstyle by Google searches was the mullet[6][11].
Australia also has the best-documented mullet contest. Mulletfest, held at the Chelmsford Hotel in Kurri Kurri, New South Wales, drew 143 entries at its first event in 2018 and 169 in 2019[7]. The 2020 event had 258 entrants, according to a February 2021 report[5].
Show the numbers
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 143 |
| 2019 | 169 |
| 2020 | 258 |
How many mullet posts are on Instagram?
A 2021 study by Tajmeeli, reported by Hairdressers Journal, counted Instagram posts by hairstyle hashtag. The mullet had 877,209 posts and ranked 10th of 25 styles[4]. Among styles usually worn by men, it trailed the undercut (2,668,621), mohawk (2,248,874) and fade (2,032,953), and beat the buzz cut (530,552)[4].
That puts the mullet ahead of far more common everyday cuts on social media, which fits its status as a statement style people like to photograph and share.
Show the numbers
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| Undercut | 2,668,621 |
| Mohawk | 2,248,874 |
| Fade | 2,032,953 |
| Mullet | 877,209 |
| Buzz cut | 530,552 |
How does the mullet compare with other men's cuts online?
On Google, the mullet sits just behind the bob and ahead of the undercut in all-time haircut searches[1]. In a 2020 snapshot of monthly worldwide searches across more than 170 hairstyles, the undercut was the highest men's cut in the top 10, at 51,060 searches a month, while the mullet did not make that top 10[6]. That gap suggests the mullet's long-run search strength comes from spikes of attention rather than steady month-to-month demand.
On Instagram the mullet had about 1.65 times as many tagged posts as the buzz cut (menhaircuts.net calculation: 877,209 ÷ 530,552), but well under half the fade's total (877,209 ÷ 2,032,953 = 0.43)[4]. At state level in 2021, it led more states than the buzz cut, French crop or afro fade, and trailed only the undercut[3].
How big is the USA Mullet Championship?
The USA Mullet Championships pick winners by online voting, and its 2022 finalists included a kids' division[8]. CBS Minnesota reported in August 2022 that hundreds enter each year, the entry fee was $10, donations went to the Michigan Wig Foundation for kids, and the winner received $2,500[8].
Kids' entries feature heavily in that coverage. If you are growing one out, our guide to the baby mullet and soft mullet covers shorter versions that are easier to keep tidy at work or school.
Do people actually wear mullets, or just search for them?
The data favors searching. The mullet ranks near the top of Google's all-time haircut searches[1] and leads four states' men's searches[3], yet it did not appear among the top five favorite men's styles in the 2025 US Hims survey, where the fade (14%), buzz cut (12%), classic boy cut (10.5%), long layers (8%) and side part (7%) led[9].
In the UK, the 2025 Remington poll of 2,000 men listed buzz cuts (16%), clean-shaven heads (12%), crew cuts (9%), side partings (7%) and high skin fades (4%) as the top styles, again with no mullet[10]. Shares for styles outside those lists were not published, so the exact share of men with a mullet is unknown. Because the lists stop at 4% (UK) and 7% (US, apart from the 3% pompadour), the mullet can be no higher than those levels in either survey, a menhaircuts.net inference from the published rankings.
Frequently asked questions
Is the mullet the most searched haircut?
How much did mullet searches grow?
Which states search for the mullet most?
Which country loves the mullet most?
How many people enter Mulletfest?
Methodology and limitations
All sources were opened and read on October 15, 2026. Google's ranking comes from its December 2023 Year in Search quiz. Pinterest figures come from Glossy's December 2021 report on the Pinterest Predicts 2022 forecast. State data was read from Shane Co.'s November 2021 Google Trends map graphics. Country data comes from Protectivity's study as reported by Hairdressers Journal (May 2021) and The Olive Press (November 2020). Instagram counts are from Tajmeeli via Hairdressers Journal (September 2021). Contest figures come from the Newcastle Herald, The Leader and CBS Minnesota. The Pinterest multiples were converted to percentages by menhaircuts.net (doubled = +100%, 12-fold = +1,100%).
Limitations
Most mullet data measures search and social interest, not how many men wear the style. Google's quiz gave ranks without volumes or a stated region. Pinterest growth figures are relative changes on one platform over one year. The Shane Co. map is from 2021 and did not list its search terms. Protectivity's study covered all hairstyles, not only men's, and the Australian result is reported without a volume. Instagram hashtag totals mix men and women and include old posts. Mulletfest entry counts after 2020 were not found, and no national survey publishes the share of men wearing a mullet. A widely quoted Yelp figure on mullet searches was dropped because its source page could not be opened.
Every figure on this page links to its source. Numbers are reported as published; any menhaircuts.net calculation is labelled and shows its inputs. Spotted an error? Tell us and we will check it.
Sources
- Quiz: How well do you know the most-searched trends?, Google (The Keyword blog) (2023). Accessed October 15, 2026.
- Space buns and shaggy cuts: Online searches predict 2022 hair trends, Glossy (Pinterest Predicts data) (2021). Accessed October 15, 2026.
- The Most Popular Hairstyle in Every State, Shane Co. (The Loupe) (2021). Accessed October 15, 2026.
- Instagram reveals the world's most popular hairstyles, Hairdressers Journal International (Tajmeeli data) (2021). Accessed October 15, 2026.
- Mulletfest taking Australia to the world, The Leader (2021). Accessed October 15, 2026.
- Revealed: the world's most popular hairstyle, Hairdressers Journal International (Protectivity data) (2021). Accessed October 15, 2026.
- International competitors heading to 2020 Mulletfest, Newcastle Herald (2020). Accessed October 15, 2026.
- 4 youths from Wisconsin, Minnesota are finalists in USA Mullet Championship, CBS Minnesota (2022). Accessed October 15, 2026.
- This is the most popular men's hairstyle in every state, Hims via Stacker (republished by KTVZ) (2025). Accessed October 15, 2026.
- Leicester is the moustache capital of the UK, where most men boast their hair, Yorkshire Post (Remington / OnePoll data) (2025). Accessed October 15, 2026.
- From bobs to buns and mullets to mohawks: which is Spain's favourite hairstyle?, The Olive Press (2020). Accessed October 15, 2026.
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This report, its charts and its infographic are free to reuse under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. Credit menhaircuts.net with a link to this page.
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Hamilton, J. (2026, October 15). Mullet Statistics 2026: Searches, Trends and Facts. menhaircuts.net. https://menhaircuts.net/stats/mullet-statistics/
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<a href="https://menhaircuts.net/stats/mullet-statistics/">Mullet Statistics 2026: Searches, Trends and Facts</a> (menhaircuts.net, CC BY 4.0)Share the headline number
#2: most-searched haircut on Google since 2004, after the bob (Google (The Keyword blog), via menhaircuts.net/stats/mullet-statistics/)
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Related data
- 23states where the fade is the favorite men's haircut (2025 survey)Most Popular Men's Haircut by State
- #2 and #3the mullet's and undercut's rank among most-searched haircuts since 2004Men's Haircut Trends Over Time
- 16%of UK men wear a buzz cut, the most common style (2025)Most Popular Men's Haircuts by Country
- 211,370hair-related Google searches for Zayn Malik, the top male celebrity (2026 study)Celebrity Haircut Search Trends 2026
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