Bulman last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Bulman

A locational surname derived from place names like Bulman Village in Cumbria, England.

Bulman, 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 Bulman surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bulman in America

Bulman is the 20382nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bulman surname appeared 1,304 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 Bulman.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bulman 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 20382 18836 7.88%
Count 1,304 1,343 -2.95%
Proportion per 100k 0.44 0.50 -12.77%

The history of the last name Bulman

The surname Bulman is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the early medieval period. It is believed to have originated from the Old English word "bulg" or "bul," which referred to a pouch or bag. This suggests that the name may have been an occupational surname, given to someone who worked as a bag maker or seller.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bulman can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which documented landowners and tenants in England following the Norman Conquest. The name appears as "Bulman" in this historical record, indicating its existence in the late 11th century.

The Bulman surname was particularly prevalent in the northern counties of England, such as Yorkshire and Northumberland. It is likely that the name originated in these regions and then spread to other parts of the country over time.

During the 13th century, the name Bulman appeared in various forms, including "Bulman," "Bulmane," and "Bulmane." These variations reflect the fluidity of spelling practices in the Middle Ages.

One notable figure bearing the Bulman surname was Sir William Bulman, a 14th-century knight and landowner from Northumberland. He was actively involved in the Scottish Wars of Independence and fought alongside King Edward III.

In the 16th century, the Bulman family was prominent in the Yorkshire area. John Bulman (1511-1578) was a respected merchant and alderman in the city of York, known for his philanthropic endeavors.

Moving into the 17th century, Richard Bulman (1620-1688) was a prominent Quaker preacher and writer from Northumberland. His works, including "A Message to the Professors of this Age," gained popularity among religious communities of the time.

During the 18th century, the Bulman name gained recognition in the literary world. Thomas Bulman (1752-1821) was an English poet and author, known for his works such as "The Poetical Attempts" and "Poems on Various Subjects."

In the 19th century, William Bulman (1825-1901) was a notable architect from Yorkshire, responsible for designing several churches and public buildings in the region, including the Church of St. Michael and All Angels in Haworth.

These examples illustrate the long-standing history and diverse backgrounds of individuals bearing the surname Bulman, reflecting its English origins and presence across various regions and professions over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bulman

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

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 Bulman was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 95.32% 1,243
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 1.00% 13
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.15% 15
Hispanic Origin 1.84% 24

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

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 95.32% 96.35% -1.07%
Black (S)% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander 1.00% 0.74% 29.89%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 1.15% 1.34% -15.26%
Hispanic 1.84% 1.12% 48.65%

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

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

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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!

"Bulman last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on July 7, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/bulman-surname-popularity/.

"Bulman last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/bulman-surname-popularity/. Accessed 7 July, 2025

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

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