2000
#124,109
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Bulas
A surname possibly derived from the Polish word "bula" meaning a papal bull or decree.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Bulas. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bulas 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Bulas in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bulas, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.7%) and Two or More Races (5.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bulas
The surname BULAS has its origins in the Slavic regions of Eastern Europe, particularly in present-day Poland and Ukraine. The name likely emerged sometime during the early medieval period, around the 11th or 12th century.
One possible origin of BULAS is from the Old Slavic word "bula," which means "bull" or "ox." This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive nickname for someone with a strong, bull-like physique or a profession related to cattle or farming.
Another potential source is the Slavic word "bul," which means "white" or "pale." In this case, BULAS could have been a name given to someone with a fair complexion or light-colored hair.
The earliest documented instances of the BULAS surname can be traced back to medieval records and manuscripts from the regions of Galicia, Volhynia, and Podolia, which were part of the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania at the time.
One of the earliest known individuals with the BULAS surname was Jan Bulas, a Polish nobleman and landowner who lived in the 15th century. Records show that he owned estates in the region of Galicia and was involved in local politics.
In the 16th century, there was a notable Polish scholar and writer named Maciej Bulas (c. 1520-1587), who was known for his works on history, theology, and philosophy.
Another prominent figure with the BULAS surname was Karol Bulas (1677-1743), a Polish military commander who fought in the Great Northern War against Sweden.
During the 19th century, a Ukrainian writer and poet named Petro Bulas (1830-1892) gained recognition for his works that celebrated Ukrainian culture and traditions.
One of the most recent historical figures with the BULAS surname was Volodymyr Bulas (1913-1997), a Ukrainian artist and painter who was known for his landscapes and portraits depicting life in rural Ukraine.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bulas
Among Census respondents with the surname Bulas, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.7%) and Two or More Races (5.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Bulas 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 Bulas surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.4% · 104
- Hispanic or Latino6.7% · 8
- Two or more races5.0% · 6
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bulas
Bulas appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-18 bearers (-14.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 25,286 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+9 bearers (+8.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 6,607 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #124,109 | 128 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | -18 bearers (-14.1%) | Down 25,286 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.2%) | Up 6,607 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 Bulas 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 | #149,395 | #142,788 | 4.4% |
| Count | 110 | 119 | 8.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bulas bearers went from 110 to 119 (+8.2% change). The surname moved up 6,607 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #142,788.
FAQ
Bulas surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bulas?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Bulas. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Bulas?
Bulas ranks #142,788 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 119 people with the surname Bulas. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), 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 Bulas.
Has Bulas become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bulas went from 110 recorded bearers to 119. That is an increase of 9 (+8.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #149,395 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Bulas?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bulas, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.7%) and Two or More Races (5.0%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Bulas in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.4% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bulas appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.4%), Hispanic (6.7%), Two or More Races (5.0%). 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 Bulas (2000, 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 Bulas mean?
A surname possibly derived from the Polish word "bula" meaning a papal bull or decree. 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 Bulas (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 Bulas?
You can see how many people are called Bulas on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.