Bullers last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Bullers

An occupational surname derived from the Middle English term "buler" meaning to sift or sieve.

Bullers, 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 Bullers surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bullers in America

Bullers is the 52267th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bullers surname appeared 397 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 Bullers.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bullers 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 52267 50686 3.07%
Count 397 387 2.55%
Proportion per 100k 0.13 0.14 -7.41%

The history of the last name Bullers

The surname Bullers is believed to have originated in England during the late medieval period. It is likely derived from the Old English word "bullere," which referred to a maker or seller of small metal ornaments or decorative objects known as "bulls."

The earliest recorded instance of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, where a William le Bullere is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already in use by the 13th century, potentially arising from an occupational surname for someone involved in the production or trade of these decorative items.

Throughout the centuries, the name appears to have been concentrated in various regions of England, particularly in the counties of Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, and Wiltshire. Historical records show variations in spelling, such as Buller, Bullere, and Bullard, which may have been influenced by regional dialects or scribal errors.

One notable bearer of the Bullers surname was Sir Edward Bullers, a prominent English merchant and politician who lived from 1585 to 1646. He served as a Member of Parliament for the City of London and played a significant role in the East India Company's early trading operations.

Another individual with this surname was John Bullers, a 17th-century English clergyman and author born in Wiltshire in 1642. He is known for his work titled "An Essay towards the Description of the Terrestrial System," published in 1693, which explored topics related to astronomy and natural philosophy.

In the 18th century, Thomas Bullers (1731-1804) gained recognition as a noted English architect and surveyor. He designed several notable buildings, including the Radcliffe Observatory in Oxford and Longleat House in Wiltshire.

Moving into the 19th century, Sir Redvers Henry Buller (1839-1908) was a British army officer and recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest military honor in the British Empire, for his bravery during the Second Boer War in South Africa.

Another individual worth mentioning is Mary Bullers (1866-1958), an English artist and painter known for her landscapes and portraits. She was a member of the Royal Society of British Artists and exhibited her works in various exhibitions throughout her career.

While the Bullers surname may have evolved over time and spread to different parts of the world, its origins can be traced back to the occupational roots in medieval England, where the name was associated with the trade of decorative metalwork.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bullers

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

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 Bullers was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 96.73% 384
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races (S)% (S)
Hispanic Origin 1.76% 7

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 Bullers has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 96.73% 95.87% 0.89%
Black (S)% 1.55% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% 0.00% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races (S)% (S)% (S)%
Hispanic 1.76% (S)% (S)%

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

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

Reference this page

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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!

"Bullers last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on July 9, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/bullers-surname-popularity/.

"Bullers last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/bullers-surname-popularity/. Accessed 9 July, 2025

Bullers last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/bullers-surname-popularity/.

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