2000
#12,241
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,333
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.86
Rare Last name
Bullen
A surname of English origin, derived from the Old English word for bull, likely referring to a bull keeper.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,762 Americans carry the last name Bullen. That puts it at #12,324 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.81 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 124,096 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bullen 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Bullen with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.8K
1 in 124,096
Census rank
#12,324
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,409 bearers of the surname Bullen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.81 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12324th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bullen, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.2%. The next largest groups are Black (10.5%) and Hispanic (5.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bullen
Among Census respondents with the surname Bullen, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.2%. The next largest groups are Black (10.5%) and Hispanic (5.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Bullen 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 Bullen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.2% · 1,885
- Black or African American10.5% · 254
- Hispanic or Latino5.5% · 133
- Two or more races3.7% · 88
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.6% · 38
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bullen
Bullen 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
#11,988
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,605
+272 bearers (+11.7%)
Per 100,000 0.88
Rank movement Up 253 places
2020
#12,324
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,409
-196 bearers (-7.5%)
Per 100,000 0.81
Rank movement Down 336 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,241 | 2,333 | 0.86 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,988 | 2,605 | 0.88 | +272 bearers (+11.7%) | Up 253 places |
| 2020 | #12,324 | 2,409 | 0.81 | -196 bearers (-7.5%) | Down 336 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 Bullen 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 | #11,988 | #12,324 | -2.8% |
| Count | 2,605 | 2,409 | -7.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.88 | 0.81 | -8.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bullen bearers went from 2,605 to 2,409 (-7.5% change). The surname moved down 336 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,988 to #12,324.
FAQ
Bullen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bullen?
Name Census estimates that about 2,762 living Americans carry the surname Bullen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 124,096 residents.
How common is Bullen?
Bullen ranks #12,324 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.81 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,409 people with the surname Bullen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,762), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.81 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.81 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Bullen.
Has Bullen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bullen went from 2,605 recorded bearers to 2,409. That is a decrease of 196 (-7.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,988 to #12,324.
What does the Census say about the background of Bullen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bullen, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.2%. The next largest groups are Black (10.5%) and Hispanic (5.5%). 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 Bullen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.2% (1,885 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bullen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (78.2%), Black (10.5%), Hispanic (5.5%). 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 Bullen (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 Bullen mean?
A surname of English origin, derived from the Old English word for bull, likely referring to a bull keeper. 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 Bullen (0.81 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 share the surname Bullen?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.