2000
#147,095
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Fulfs
A surname derived from the Middle English word "fulfe," meaning a foolish or stupid person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Fulfs. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fulfs 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Fulfs in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fulfs, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fulfs
The surname "FULFS" is believed to have originated in the region of Lower Saxony, Germany, during the early 14th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Old German word "fulfs," which means "wolf." It is likely that the name was originally given as a nickname to someone who exhibited wolf-like characteristics, such as bravery or fierceness in battle.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "FULFS" can be found in the Hanseatic League records from the city of Lübeck, dated around 1320. These records mention a merchant named Hans Fulfs, who was involved in the lucrative trade between the cities of the Hanseatic League and the Baltic region.
In the 15th century, the name "FULFS" appears in several historical documents from the region of Westphalia, Germany. One notable figure from this time period was Gerhard Fulfs, a skilled blacksmith who lived in the city of Münster from 1455 to 1513. Gerhard was renowned for his expertise in forging weapons and armor, and his works were highly sought after by local nobility and military leaders.
As the name "FULFS" spread throughout Germany, it also made its way to other parts of Europe. In the late 16th century, a Dutch merchant named Jan Fulfs is recorded as having established a trading outpost in the city of Gdańsk, Poland, which was then a major hub for the Baltic Sea trade.
Another notable bearer of the "FULFS" surname was Johann Fulfs, a German composer and organist who lived from 1632 to 1697. Johann was renowned for his contributions to the development of Protestant church music during the Baroque period, and his compositions were performed in many churches throughout northern Germany.
In the 19th century, the "FULFS" surname can be found in various records from the region of Saxony, Germany. One prominent figure from this era was Friedrich Fulfs, a military officer who served in the Prussian Army during the Napoleonic Wars. Friedrich was born in 1789 and fought in several major battles, including the Battle of Leipzig in 1813, where he was awarded the Iron Cross for his bravery and leadership on the battlefield.
While the surname "FULFS" has its origins in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through immigration and migration patterns. However, the name remains relatively uncommon, and its historical roots can be traced back to the regions of Lower Saxony and Westphalia in northern Germany.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fulfs
Among Census respondents with the surname Fulfs, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Fulfs 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 Fulfs surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.6% · 108
- Two or more races3.5% · 4
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fulfs
Fulfs 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
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+13 bearers (+12.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,946 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-3 bearers (-2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,072 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #147,095 | 103 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | +13 bearers (+12.6%) | Up 3,946 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.6%) | Down 4,072 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 Fulfs 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 | #143,149 | #147,221 | -2.8% |
| Count | 116 | 113 | -2.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fulfs bearers went from 116 to 113 (-2.6% change). The surname moved down 4,072 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #147,221.
FAQ
Fulfs surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fulfs?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Fulfs. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Fulfs?
Fulfs ranks #147,221 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 113 people with the surname Fulfs. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Fulfs.
Has Fulfs become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fulfs went from 116 recorded bearers to 113. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #143,149 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Fulfs?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fulfs, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Black (0.9%). 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 Fulfs in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.6% (108 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fulfs appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.6%), Two or More Races (3.5%), Black (0.9%). 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 Fulfs (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 Fulfs mean?
A surname derived from the Middle English word "fulfe," meaning a foolish or stupid person. 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 Fulfs (0.04 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 Fulfs?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.