2000
#9,299
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,222
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.19
Rare Last name
Bullis
Derived from the Old English word for a bull, likely referring to a cattle farmer or someone with a bull-like character.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,311 Americans carry the last name Bullis. That puts it at #10,594 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.97 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 103,520 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bullis 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
3.3K
1 in 103,520
Census rank
#10,594
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,887 bearers of the surname Bullis in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.97 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10594th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bullis, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bullis
The surname BULLIS is of Anglo-Saxon origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period in England. It is believed to have originated from the Old English word "bulla," which referred to a young bull or a steer. This suggests that the name may have initially been given as a nickname or descriptive name for someone who exhibited bull-like characteristics or perhaps worked with cattle.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name BULLIS can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Bulla" and "Bulle." This important historical document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, provides valuable insights into the distribution and prevalence of surnames in 11th-century England.
During the Middle Ages, the name BULLIS also had variations such as "Bul," "Bulle," and "Bulles," reflecting the fluid nature of surname spellings in those times. These variations often resulted from regional dialects, scribal errors, or personal preferences.
Notably, the BULLIS surname has been associated with several historical figures over the centuries. One such figure is John Bullis, a prominent landowner and member of the gentry in Cambridgeshire, England, who lived in the late 15th century. Another individual of note is Thomas Bullis, a merchant and alderman in the city of London during the 16th century.
In the realm of literature, the name BULLIS appears in the works of Geoffrey Chaucer, the renowned English poet and author of "The Canterbury Tales." In his poem "The Reeve's Tale," Chaucer mentions a character named "Symkyn the Bullys-sone," which may be an early reference to the surname.
The BULLIS surname has also been linked to various place names in England, such as Bullington and Bullingham, which may have influenced the evolution of the surname or vice versa. These place names often derived from Old English words related to cattle or bulls, further strengthening the connection between the surname and its agricultural origins.
Other notable individuals with the BULLIS surname include:
1. William Bullis (1639-1701), an early settler in colonial America and one of the founders of the town of Woodbury, Connecticut.
2. Erastus Bullis (1778-1857), an American businessman and landowner in New York State.
3. Harry Bullis (1892-1963), a Canadian professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey Association and the National Hockey League.
4. Irene Bullis (1899-1985), an American actress and vaudeville performer active in the early 20th century.
5. Robert Bullis (1910-1987), an American architect and designer known for his innovative residential and commercial projects in the mid-20th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bullis
Among Census respondents with the surname Bullis, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Bullis 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 Bullis surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.5% · 2,556
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 124
- Two or more races3.2% · 91
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.7% · 78
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 31
- Black or African American0.2% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bullis
Bullis 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
#10,314
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,124
-98 bearers (-3.0%)
Per 100,000 1.06
Rank movement Down 1,015 places
2020
#10,594
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,887
-237 bearers (-7.6%)
Per 100,000 0.97
Rank movement Down 280 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,299 | 3,222 | 1.19 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,314 | 3,124 | 1.06 | -98 bearers (-3.0%) | Down 1,015 places |
| 2020 | #10,594 | 2,887 | 0.97 | -237 bearers (-7.6%) | Down 280 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 Bullis 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 | #10,314 | #10,594 | -2.7% |
| Count | 3,124 | 2,887 | -7.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.06 | 0.97 | -8.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bullis bearers went from 3,124 to 2,887 (-7.6% change). The surname moved down 280 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,314 to #10,594.
FAQ
Bullis surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bullis?
Name Census estimates that about 3,311 living Americans carry the surname Bullis. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 103,520 residents.
How common is Bullis?
Bullis ranks #10,594 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.97 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 2,887 people with the surname Bullis. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,311), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.97 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.97 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 Bullis.
Has Bullis become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bullis went from 3,124 recorded bearers to 2,887. That is a decrease of 237 (-7.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,314 to #10,594.
What does the Census say about the background of Bullis?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bullis, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Bullis in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.5% (2,556 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bullis appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.5%), Hispanic (4.3%), Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Bullis (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 Bullis mean?
Derived from the Old English word for a bull, likely referring to a cattle farmer or someone with a bull-like character. 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 Bullis (0.97 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 common is the surname Bullis?
If you just want to know how many people are called Bullis, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.