2010
#128,249
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 133
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Bul
A surname derived from the Albanian word for "bull", possibly referring to a stocky or strong person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Bul. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bul surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Bul in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bul, the largest self-reported group is Black at 43.8%. The next largest groups are White (39.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (13.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bul
The surname Bul has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "bula," which means "bull" or "bullock." This suggests that the name may have been initially used as a nickname or occupational name for someone who worked with cattle.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bul can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Lincolnshire, a census-like record compiled in 1273. Here, a person named Walter Bul is mentioned as residing in the village of Caistor.
In the 14th century, a variation of the name, "Bulle," appeared in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire, indicating the presence of individuals with this surname in that county. The Subsidy Rolls were tax records, and the inclusion of the name Bulle suggests that it was a well-established surname by that time.
The Bul surname also has a connection to place names. For instance, there is a village called Bulwick in Northamptonshire, which may have derived its name from the Old English words "bula" and "wic," meaning "bull village" or "cattle farm." It is possible that individuals from this area adopted the surname Bul.
One notable individual bearing the surname Bul was John Bul, a 14th-century English poet and author of the allegorical romance "The Boke of Cupide." Born around 1330, his works provide insight into the literary culture of the time.
Another prominent figure was Sir Walter Bul, a 15th-century knight who served as Sheriff of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire in the late 1400s. He played a role in maintaining law and order in the region during a turbulent period of English history.
In the 16th century, the Bul surname appeared in various forms, including Bulle, Bull, and Bole. One example is William Bole, a English Protestant martyr who was burned at the stake in 1558 during the reign of Queen Mary I for his religious beliefs.
Moving into the 17th century, we find John Bull, a renowned English composer and musician. Born in 1562, he served as the organist and Master of the Children at the Chapel Royal under Queen Elizabeth I and later became a Gentleman of the Chapel Royal under King James I.
The 18th century saw the rise of Henry Bull, a noted English designer and architect. Born in 1713, he is best known for his work on Radcliffe Observatory in Oxford, which he designed in the neoclassical style.
These examples illustrate the diverse backgrounds and achievements of individuals bearing the Bul surname throughout history, highlighting its enduring presence in England and its potential connections to occupations, places, and notable figures.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bul
Among Census respondents with the surname Bul, the largest self-reported group is Black at 43.8%. The next largest groups are White (39.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (13.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Bul bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Bul surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American43.8% · 53
- White39.7% · 48
- Asian and Pacific Islander13.2% · 16
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bul
Bul appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-12 bearers (-9.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,060 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #128,249 | 133 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | -12 bearers (-9.0%) | Down 13,060 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Bul surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #128,249 | #141,309 | -10.2% |
| Count | 133 | 121 | -9.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -19.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bul bearers went from 133 to 121 (-9.0% change). The surname moved down 13,060 positions in the national ranking, going from #128,249 to #141,309.
FAQ
Bul surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bul?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Bul. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Bul?
Bul ranks #141,309 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 121 people with the surname Bul. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Bul.
Has Bul become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bul went from 133 recorded bearers to 121. That is a decrease of 12 (-9.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #128,249 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Bul?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bul, the largest self-reported group is Black at 43.8%. The next largest groups are White (39.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (13.2%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Bul in the 2020 Census, accounting for 43.8% (53 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bul appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (43.8%), White (39.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (13.2%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Bul (2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Bul mean?
A surname derived from the Albanian word for "bull", possibly referring to a stocky or strong person. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Bul (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Bul?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Bul, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.