2000
#3,912
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,359
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.10
Rare Last name
Fullerton
Habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "town by a stream" or "settlement near a fort."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,212 Americans carry the last name Fullerton. That puts it at #4,269 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.69 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 37,207 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fullerton 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 Fullerton with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
9.2K
1 in 37,207
Census rank
#4,269
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,033 bearers of the surname Fullerton in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.69 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4269th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fullerton, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.4%. The next largest groups are Black (6.5%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fullerton
The surname Fullerton is of English origin, derived from a combination of the Old English words "full" meaning "bird" and "tun" meaning "enclosure" or "settlement." It is believed to have originated in the late 11th century and was initially a place name referring to settlements or towns where birds were plentiful or where people bred birds.
The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Fulletun" and "Fuletun." These entries likely refer to places in Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire, respectively. Over time, the name evolved into its current spelling, Fullerton.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Fullerton was Sir William Fullerton (c. 1272-1343), a Scottish knight and landowner who served under King Robert the Bruce during the Scottish Wars of Independence. He was granted lands in Ayrshire for his loyalty and military service.
Another notable bearer of the name was John Fullerton (c. 1500-1568), an English Catholic martyr who was executed during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I for refusing to renounce his faith. He is remembered as one of the Martyrs of Gateshead.
In the 17th century, John Fullerton (1594-1666) was a Scottish theologian and principal of the University of Glasgow. He played a significant role in the debates surrounding the establishment of Presbyterianism in Scotland.
During the American Revolutionary War, Richard Fullerton (1747-1797) served as a colonel in the Continental Army and fought in several major battles, including the Battle of Long Island and the Battle of Trenton.
In the 19th century, Alexander Fullerton (1808-1879) was a Scottish writer and naval officer who served in the Royal Navy. He is best known for his historical novels and sea stories, which were widely popular during his lifetime.
These are just a few examples of individuals who have borne the surname Fullerton throughout history. While the name originated in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including Scotland, Ireland, and North America, where it continues to be used today.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fullerton
Among Census respondents with the surname Fullerton, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.4%. The next largest groups are Black (6.5%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Fullerton 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 Fullerton surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.4% · 6,858
- Black or African American6.5% · 519
- Two or more races3.8% · 307
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 243
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 79
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 27
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fullerton
Fullerton 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
#4,162
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,517
+158 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 2.89
Rank movement Down 250 places
2020
#4,269
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,033
-484 bearers (-5.7%)
Per 100,000 2.69
Rank movement Down 107 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,912 | 8,359 | 3.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,162 | 8,517 | 2.89 | +158 bearers (+1.9%) | Down 250 places |
| 2020 | #4,269 | 8,033 | 2.69 | -484 bearers (-5.7%) | Down 107 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 Fullerton 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 | #4,162 | #4,269 | -2.6% |
| Count | 8,517 | 8,033 | -5.7% |
| Per 100K | 2.89 | 2.69 | -7.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fullerton bearers went from 8,517 to 8,033 (-5.7% change). The surname moved down 107 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,162 to #4,269.
FAQ
Fullerton surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fullerton?
Name Census estimates that about 9,212 living Americans carry the surname Fullerton. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 37,207 residents.
How common is Fullerton?
Fullerton ranks #4,269 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.69 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,033 people with the surname Fullerton. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,212), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.69 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.69 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Fullerton.
Has Fullerton become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fullerton went from 8,517 recorded bearers to 8,033. That is a decrease of 484 (-5.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,162 to #4,269.
What does the Census say about the background of Fullerton?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fullerton, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.4%. The next largest groups are Black (6.5%) and Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Fullerton in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.4% (6,858 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fullerton appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.4%), Black (6.5%), Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Fullerton (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 Fullerton mean?
Habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "town by a stream" or "settlement near a fort." 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 Fullerton (2.69 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 common is the surname Fullerton?
Want to know how many people are called Fullerton? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.