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

Bull, 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 Bull surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bull in America

Bull is the 3088th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bull surname appeared 11,646 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Bull.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bull 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 Bull

The surname BULL is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "bulol" or "bule," meaning a bull or male bovine animal. This surname likely emerged in the Middle Ages, around the 11th or 12th century, as a descriptive nickname for someone who exhibited bull-like qualities, such as strength, stubbornness, or a fierce demeanor.

It is also possible that the surname BULL originated as an occupational name for someone who worked with bulls, such as a cattle herder or a breeder of bulls. In some cases, the name may have been derived from a sign or inn featuring the image of a bull.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname BULL can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, dated around 1273, where a certain Richard le Bole is mentioned. The Domesday Book, compiled in 1086, also includes references to places with names like "Buleberia" and "Bulewelle," which could be related to the surname.

Notable historical figures bearing the surname BULL include John Bull, a satirical personification of the English national character, which first appeared in the early 18th century. In literature, there is a character named Obadiah Bull in Samuel Butler's satirical novel "Hudibras," published in the 17th century.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname BULL was Sir John Bull (c. 1562-1628), an English composer and musician who served as a Gentleman of the Chapel Royal under Queen Elizabeth I and King James I.

Another prominent figure was William Bull (c. 1738-1814), an English architect and surveyor who designed numerous buildings in London, including the Church of St. Mary-le-Strand and the Bloomsbury Square area.

In the realm of sports, Johnny Bull (1920-2004) was an English professional footballer who played as a defender for various clubs, including Ipswich Town and Sheffield United, in the mid-20th century.

John Bull (1923-2014) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 46th Governor of Wyoming from 1967 to 1975.

More recently, Sir John Bull (born 1944) was a British businessman and the former Chief Executive of the Caudwell Group, a leading telecommunications company.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bull

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

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 Bull 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 Bull 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 Bull was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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