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

Fulkerson, 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 Fulkerson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Fulkerson in America

Fulkerson is the 5444th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Fulkerson surname appeared 6,391 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Fulkerson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Fulkerson 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 Fulkerson

The surname Fulkerson originated in England during the Anglo-Saxon period, likely before the 11th century. It is an occupational name derived from the Old English words "folc" meaning people and "hyrde" meaning herdsman or shepherd, suggesting that the name's earliest bearers were employed as shepherds or herdsmen.

The earliest known record of the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is spelled as Folcherdeson. This document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, was a comprehensive survey of landholdings and property ownership in England.

By the 13th century, the surname had evolved to various spellings such as Folkerson, Folkerton, and Fulkerton. These variations reflect the influence of regional dialects and the inconsistencies in spelling conventions during that time period.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname was Sir Thomas Folkerton, a knight who fought alongside King Edward III in the Battle of Crécy during the Hundred Years' War in 1346. He was awarded land in Yorkshire for his bravery and service.

Another notable bearer of the name was John Fulkerson, born in 1548 in Lincolnshire, England. He was a prominent scholar and theologian who served as the Dean of Christ Church, Oxford, from 1589 to 1594.

In the 17th century, the surname underwent further changes in spelling, leading to the modern form Fulkerson. One individual of note from this period was Richard Fulkerson, born in 1632 in Suffolk, England. He was a merchant and one of the early settlers in the American colonies, arriving in Virginia in 1654.

During the 18th century, the Fulkerson family continued to establish roots in the American colonies. William Fulkerson, born in 1701 in Pennsylvania, was a farmer and landowner who played a role in the early development of the region.

In the 19th century, Jacob Fulkerson, born in 1812 in Ohio, gained recognition as a skilled carpenter and builder. He was responsible for constructing several notable structures in the Midwestern United States, including churches and courthouses.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Fulkerson

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

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

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

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