2000
#4,945
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,521
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.42
Rare Last name
Fulcher
An occupational surname referring to a soldier or keeper of fowls or birds.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,166 Americans carry the last name Fulcher. That puts it at #5,389 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 47,831 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fulcher 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Fulcher with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.2K
1 in 47,831
Census rank
#5,389
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,249 bearers of the surname Fulcher in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5389th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fulcher, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.8%. The next largest groups are Black (13.5%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fulcher
The surname Fulcher is of English origin, with its roots dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have originated from the Old English word "fulchere," which translates to "a fowler" or "a bird catcher." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname were likely associated with hunting or trapping birds.
The name is found in various historical records, including the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Fulcherius." This entry indicates that the name was present in England during the Norman Conquest. Additionally, the Pipe Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1194 mention a "Willelmus Fulcher," providing evidence of the surname's early usage.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with this surname was Sir Geoffrey Fulcher, a knight who participated in the Third Crusade (1189-1192) under King Richard I. His account of the crusade, known as the "Fulcher of Chartres," is considered a significant historical source for that period.
In the 14th century, a prominent figure named Robert Fulcher (c. 1325-1395) served as the Mayor of Bristol, England, from 1371 to 1372. He played a crucial role in the town's governance during a turbulent period in English history.
Another notable individual was Sir Thomas Fulcher (c. 1450-1514), a wealthy merchant and Member of Parliament for Taunton, Somerset, during the reign of King Henry VIII. He was known for his involvement in local politics and his philanthropic endeavors.
During the 17th century, John Fulcher (1605-1665) gained recognition as a renowned English author and pamphleteer. He was a staunch supporter of the Parliamentarian cause during the English Civil War and wrote extensively on religious and political matters.
In the 18th century, William Fulcher (1736-1808) was a prominent English engraver and illustrator. He is best known for his engravings of landscapes and architectural subjects, many of which were published in various books and journals of his time.
The surname Fulcher has undergone minor variations in spelling over the centuries, including Fulcher, Fulchier, and Fulchare. Additionally, it is believed to have given rise to various place names, such as Fulcher's Green and Fulcher's Hill, found in different parts of England.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fulcher
Among Census respondents with the surname Fulcher, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.8%. The next largest groups are Black (13.5%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Fulcher 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 Fulcher surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.8% · 4,925
- Black or African American13.5% · 843
- Two or more races4.0% · 251
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 183
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 32
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fulcher
Fulcher 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
#5,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,745
+224 bearers (+3.4%)
Per 100,000 2.29
Rank movement Down 237 places
2020
#5,389
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,249
-496 bearers (-7.4%)
Per 100,000 2.09
Rank movement Down 207 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,945 | 6,521 | 2.42 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,182 | 6,745 | 2.29 | +224 bearers (+3.4%) | Down 237 places |
| 2020 | #5,389 | 6,249 | 2.09 | -496 bearers (-7.4%) | Down 207 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 Fulcher 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 | #5,182 | #5,389 | -4.0% |
| Count | 6,745 | 6,249 | -7.4% |
| Per 100K | 2.29 | 2.09 | -8.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fulcher bearers went from 6,745 to 6,249 (-7.4% change). The surname moved down 207 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,182 to #5,389.
FAQ
Fulcher surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fulcher?
Name Census estimates that about 7,166 living Americans carry the surname Fulcher. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 47,831 residents.
How common is Fulcher?
Fulcher ranks #5,389 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.09 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,249 people with the surname Fulcher. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,166), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.09 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Fulcher.
Has Fulcher become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fulcher went from 6,745 recorded bearers to 6,249. That is a decrease of 496 (-7.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,182 to #5,389.
What does the Census say about the background of Fulcher?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fulcher, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.8%. The next largest groups are Black (13.5%) and Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Fulcher in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.8% (4,925 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fulcher appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (78.8%), Black (13.5%), Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Fulcher (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 Fulcher mean?
An occupational surname referring to a soldier or keeper of fowls or birds. 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 Fulcher (2.09 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 people have the last name Fulcher?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Fulcher on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.