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

Bullen, 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 Bullen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bullen in America

Bullen is the 11988th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bullen surname appeared 2,605 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Bullen.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bullen 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 Bullen

The surname Bullen has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "bull," referring to the male bovine animal. This name was likely given as a descriptive nickname to someone who was associated with bulls, such as a farmer or a breeder.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in various historical records from the 13th and 14th centuries. One notable example is the mention of a Richard Bullen in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1273. Another early reference is William Bullen, who was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1301.

During the 15th century, the name Bullen gained prominence due to its association with the wealthy and influential Bullen family, which originated from the town of Blickling in Norfolk. This family produced several notable figures, including Sir William Bullen (c. 1416-1481), who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1457.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname Bullen was Anne Boleyn (c. 1501-1536), the second wife of King Henry VIII of England. Anne was born into the Bullen family and played a pivotal role in the English Reformation. Her execution in 1536 marked a significant moment in English history.

Other notable individuals with the surname Bullen include Sir Geoffrey Bullen (c. 1454-1505), a prominent lawyer and courtier during the reign of Henry VII, and Edward Bullen (c. 1603-1676), an English clergyman and author.

The name Bullen has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Bullen Farm in Oxfordshire and Bullen Hill in Gloucestershire. These place names likely originated from individuals bearing the surname who lived or owned land in those areas.

Over time, the spelling of the name has evolved, with variations such as Boleyn, Bullen, and Bulling appearing in historical records. However, the core derivation from the Old English word "bull" remains consistent across these variations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bullen

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!