Find out how popular the last name Bulkeley is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Bulkeley.

Bulkeley, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Bulkeley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bulkeley in America

Bulkeley is the 87335th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bulkeley surname appeared 213 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Bulkeley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bulkeley to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Bulkeley

The surname BULKELEY originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "bule" meaning "bull" and "leah" meaning "meadow" or "clearing," suggesting the name referred to a meadow where bulls grazed. The earliest known spelling of the name was "Bulkeleye" in the 12th century.

The BULKELEY name has its roots in the county of Cheshire, where the family held lands and manors for many centuries. One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name is in the Domesday Book of 1086, where a Richard de Bulkeleye is listed as a tenant-in-chief in Cheshire.

In the 13th century, a branch of the BULKELEY family relocated to Wales, where they became prominent landowners and played a significant role in Welsh history. Notable figures from this branch include Sir Richard Bulkeley (c.1344-1412), a Welsh knight and military leader who fought in the Wars of the Roses, and Sir Richard Bulkeley (c.1533-1610), a Welsh landowner and Member of Parliament.

During the Tudor period, the BULKELEY name gained further prominence with Thomas Bulkeley (c.1500-1571), who served as a courtier to King Henry VIII and was granted lands in Cheshire and Anglesey. Another prominent figure was Lancelot Bulkeley (1568-1650), who served as the Archbishop of Dublin and was a distinguished theologian and writer.

In the 17th century, Sir Richard Bulkeley (1585-1639) was a notable member of the family, serving as a Member of Parliament and supporting the Royalist cause during the English Civil War. His son, Thomas Bulkeley (1615-1677), followed in his father's footsteps and was a staunch Royalist during the conflict.

Throughout the centuries, the BULKELEY name has also been associated with various places in England and Wales, such as Bulkeley Hall in Cheshire and the township of Bulkeley in Anglesey, reflecting the family's long-standing presence and influence in these regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bulkeley

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Bulkeley.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Bulkeley was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Bulkeley has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Bulkeley was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Bulkeley, please contact us.

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