2000
#7,215
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,268
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.58
Rare Last name
Fullmer
An occupational surname for a cloth fuller, referring to someone who cleanses and thickens raw cloth.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,319 Americans carry the last name Fullmer. That puts it at #6,984 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.55 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 64,440 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fullmer 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
5.3K
1 in 64,440
Census rank
#6,984
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,638 bearers of the surname Fullmer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.55 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6984th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fullmer, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fullmer
The surname Fullmer is of English origin, with its roots traced back to the medieval era. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "fulleman," which referred to a fuller, a person who worked in the textile industry, fulling or cleaning and thickening woven cloth. The name was likely an occupational surname, given to individuals or families whose primary trade was fulling cloth.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Fullmer can be found in various historical records from the 13th and 14th centuries. One notable example is the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which lists a William le Fullere residing in Oxfordshire. This early spelling variation, "le Fullere," further reinforces the connection to the occupation of fulling cloth.
During the late medieval and early modern periods, the name Fullmer began to spread across various regions of England. Records from the 16th and 17th centuries show Fullmers residing in counties such as Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, and Somerset. Place names like Fullmer's Pond in Wiltshire and Fullmer's Brook in Somerset suggest that the name had established itself as a local surname in these areas.
One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname Fullmer was John Fullmer, born in 1620 in Wiltshire. He was a prosperous landowner and played a significant role in the local community during the turbulent times of the English Civil War.
In the 18th century, the Fullmer family gained prominence in the literary world with the birth of Samuel Fullmer (1711-1784), a renowned poet and playwright. His works, which included satirical plays and social commentaries, were widely acclaimed during his lifetime.
Another notable figure was Elizabeth Fullmer (1788-1862), a pioneering educator who established one of the first schools for girls in London. Her efforts to promote education for women were groundbreaking for the era and paved the way for future generations of female scholars.
The 19th century saw the rise of William Fullmer (1823-1897), a prominent industrialist who played a crucial role in the development of the textile industry in the North of England. His innovative techniques and business acumen contributed significantly to the region's economic growth during the Industrial Revolution.
While the surname Fullmer is not among the most common in modern times, it has left an indelible mark on history, with its origins deeply rooted in the medieval English textile trade and its bearers contributing to various fields throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fullmer
Among Census respondents with the surname Fullmer, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Fullmer 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 Fullmer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.4% · 4,241
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 167
- Two or more races3.3% · 154
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 35
- Black or African American0.6% · 28
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fullmer
Fullmer 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
#7,268
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,585
+317 bearers (+7.4%)
Per 100,000 1.55
Rank movement Down 53 places
2020
#6,984
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,638
+53 bearers (+1.2%)
Per 100,000 1.55
Rank movement Up 284 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,215 | 4,268 | 1.58 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,268 | 4,585 | 1.55 | +317 bearers (+7.4%) | Down 53 places |
| 2020 | #6,984 | 4,638 | 1.55 | +53 bearers (+1.2%) | Up 284 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 Fullmer 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 | #7,268 | #6,984 | 3.9% |
| Count | 4,585 | 4,638 | 1.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.55 | 1.55 | 0.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fullmer bearers went from 4,585 to 4,638 (+1.2% change). The surname moved up 284 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,268 to #6,984.
FAQ
Fullmer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fullmer?
Name Census estimates that about 5,319 living Americans carry the surname Fullmer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 64,440 residents.
How common is Fullmer?
Fullmer ranks #6,984 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.55 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 4,638 people with the surname Fullmer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,319), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.55 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.55 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 Fullmer.
Has Fullmer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fullmer went from 4,585 recorded bearers to 4,638. That is an increase of 53 (+1.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #7,268 to #6,984.
What does the Census say about the background of Fullmer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fullmer, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Fullmer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.4% (4,241 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fullmer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.4%), Hispanic (3.6%), Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Fullmer (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 Fullmer mean?
An occupational surname for a cloth fuller, referring to someone who cleanses and thickens raw cloth. 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 Fullmer (1.55 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 Fullmer?
See how many people have the last name Fullmer on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.