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

Fulbright, 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 Fulbright surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Fulbright in America

Fulbright is the 10499th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Fulbright surname appeared 3,056 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Fulbright.

We can also compare 2010 data for Fulbright 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.

The history of the last name Fulbright

The surname Fulbright has its origins in England, with records dating back to the late 12th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "full" meaning "complete" or "entire," and "bryhte" meaning "bright" or "shining." This combination suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone with a bright complexion or a sunny disposition.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1195, which mention a William Fulbright. The surname also appears in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1279, where a John Fulbright is listed as a landowner.

In the 14th century, the name was found in various forms, such as Fulbryght, Fulbright, and Fulbrigh, reflecting the variations in spelling common during that time period. The Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327 mention a Thomas Fulbryght, while the Poll Tax returns of Yorkshire from 1379 include a John Fulbrigh.

The name Fulbright has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest was Sir John Fulbright, a member of Parliament who represented the borough of Grimsby in the late 15th century. In the 17th century, Edward Fulbright was a prominent merchant and landowner in Gloucestershire, who served as High Sheriff of the county in 1642.

During the English Civil War, Thomas Fulbright was a captain in the Parliamentarian army and fought in several battles, including the decisive Battle of Naseby in 1645. In the 18th century, William Fulbright was a respected scholar and theologian who served as the Dean of Exeter Cathedral from 1772 until his death in 1785.

Perhaps the most famous bearer of the Fulbright name was James William Fulbright, an American politician and senator who was born in 1905 and died in 1995. He is best known for establishing the prestigious Fulbright Program, an international educational exchange program that has enabled millions of students and scholars to study and conduct research abroad.

The Fulbright surname has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Fulbright Hill in Gloucestershire and Fulbright's Meadow in Oxfordshire, further attesting to its long-standing presence in the country.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Fulbright

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

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 Fulbright was:

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

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

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

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