2000
#7,399
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,153
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.54
Rare Last name
Bullington
A habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "town of Bulla's people" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,169 Americans carry the last name Bullington. That puts it at #8,657 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.22 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 82,215 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bullington 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.
Bearers in the US
4.2K
1 in 82,215
Census rank
#8,657
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,636 bearers of the surname Bullington in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.22 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8657th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bullington, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bullington
The surname Bullington is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "byl" meaning a hill or ridge, and "ing" denoting a place name. It is believed to have originated as a locational name, referring to someone who lived near a prominent hill or ridge.
The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 13th century in various English counties, such as Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire. One of the earliest documented references is found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, which mentions a Robert de Bullindon.
During the medieval period, the name appeared in various spellings, including Bullingdon, Bullingdun, and Bullington, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions of the time.
In the 16th century, the Bullington surname was documented in the parish records of Oxfordshire, where a notable family bearing the name resided in the village of Bullingdon. This village likely contributed to the widespread use of the surname in the region.
One of the earliest prominent individuals with the surname was Sir Thomas Bullington, a wealthy landowner and member of the English gentry who lived in the late 15th century. He was a benefactor of the Church and a respected figure in Oxfordshire.
Another notable figure was William Bullington, born in 1630, who served as a captain in the English Civil War and fought for the Parliamentarian forces. His military exploits and dedication to the cause earned him recognition among his contemporaries.
In the 18th century, the Bullington family had established itself as a prominent landholding family in Gloucestershire. John Bullington (1712-1789) was a wealthy landowner and philanthropist who contributed significantly to the development of his local community.
Moving into the 19th century, the Reverend John Bullington (1809-1885) was a respected Anglican clergyman and author, known for his theological writings and his service as the vicar of a parish in Wiltshire.
Throughout its history, the Bullington surname has been associated with various professions, including agriculture, military service, clergy, and local governance, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who bore this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bullington
Among Census respondents with the surname Bullington, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Bullington 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 Bullington surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.0% · 3,346
- Two or more races3.4% · 124
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 123
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 28
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 9
- Black or African American0.2% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bullington
Bullington 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
#8,250
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,015
-138 bearers (-3.3%)
Per 100,000 1.36
Rank movement Down 851 places
2020
#8,657
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,636
-379 bearers (-9.4%)
Per 100,000 1.22
Rank movement Down 407 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,399 | 4,153 | 1.54 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,250 | 4,015 | 1.36 | -138 bearers (-3.3%) | Down 851 places |
| 2020 | #8,657 | 3,636 | 1.22 | -379 bearers (-9.4%) | Down 407 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 Bullington 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 | #8,250 | #8,657 | -4.9% |
| Count | 4,015 | 3,636 | -9.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.36 | 1.22 | -10.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bullington bearers went from 4,015 to 3,636 (-9.4% change). The surname moved down 407 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,250 to #8,657.
FAQ
Bullington surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bullington?
Name Census estimates that about 4,169 living Americans carry the surname Bullington. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 82,215 residents.
How common is Bullington?
Bullington ranks #8,657 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.22 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 3,636 people with the surname Bullington. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,169), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.22 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.22 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 Bullington.
Has Bullington become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bullington went from 4,015 recorded bearers to 3,636. That is a decrease of 379 (-9.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,250 to #8,657.
What does the Census say about the background of Bullington?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bullington, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (3.4%). 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 Bullington in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (3,346 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bullington appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.0%), Two or More Races (3.4%), Hispanic (3.4%). 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 Bullington (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 Bullington mean?
A habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "town of Bulla's people" in Old English. 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 Bullington (1.22 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 Americans have the surname Bullington?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.