2000
#3,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,167
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.77
Uncommon Last name
Pullen
Derived from a place name meaning "pool" or "stream," or from an occupational name for a poultry keeper.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 11,284 Americans carry the last name Pullen. That puts it at #3,538 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.29 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 30,375 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pullen 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 Pullen with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
11K
1 in 30,375
Census rank
#3,538
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.8K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 9,840 bearers of the surname Pullen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.29 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3538th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pullen, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.8%. The next largest groups are Black (15.9%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pullen
The surname Pullen is believed to have originated in England, with its roots dating back to the 13th century. It is thought to have derived from the Old English word "pull" or "pulle," which referred to a small stream or brook. This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who lived near a small body of water.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1273, where it appears as "Henry Pulle." The Hundred Rolls were a series of administrative records compiled during the reign of King Edward I, providing valuable insights into the names and occupations of individuals living in various counties at that time.
The Pullen surname has also been linked to various place names throughout England, such as Pulham in Norfolk and Pulborough in West Sussex. These locations likely influenced the spelling variations of the name over time, with variations like Pullen, Pullan, and Pullin being recorded.
In the Domesday Book of 1086, a record of landholders in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are no direct references to the Pullen surname. However, the book does mention several place names that may have contributed to the evolution of the name, such as Pulham in Norfolk and Pulborough in West Sussex.
Notable individuals with the Pullen surname throughout history include:
1. John Pullen (c. 1563-1629), an English divine and academic who served as the President of Magdalen College, Oxford.
2. Tobias Pullen (c. 1648-1714), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works, including "A Collection of Sundry Essays" and "Moderation Still a Virtue."
3. Joseph Pullen (1742-1810), an English farmer and inventor who is credited with developing an early form of the seed drill, a crucial agricultural tool.
4. William John Samuel Pullen (1832-1920), a British naval officer and explorer who participated in several Arctic expeditions and served as the Senior Naval Officer on the Isthmus of Panama during the construction of the Panama Canal.
5. John Joseph Pullen (1904-1989), an American businessman and philanthropist who co-founded the Pullen Moving Company and was a significant donor to various educational and cultural institutions in the San Francisco Bay Area.
While the Pullen surname may have humble origins related to geographic features, it has been carried by individuals who have made significant contributions in various fields, from academia and religion to exploration and business.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pullen
Among Census respondents with the surname Pullen, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.8%. The next largest groups are Black (15.9%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Pullen 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 Pullen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White74.8% · 7,360
- Black or African American15.9% · 1,562
- Two or more races4.6% · 450
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 347
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 63
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 58
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pullen
Pullen 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
#3,381
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,565
+398 bearers (+3.9%)
Per 100,000 3.58
Rank movement Down 160 places
2020
#3,538
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,840
-725 bearers (-6.9%)
Per 100,000 3.29
Rank movement Down 157 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,221 | 10,167 | 3.77 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,381 | 10,565 | 3.58 | +398 bearers (+3.9%) | Down 160 places |
| 2020 | #3,538 | 9,840 | 3.29 | -725 bearers (-6.9%) | Down 157 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 Pullen 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 | #3,381 | #3,538 | -4.6% |
| Count | 10,565 | 9,840 | -6.9% |
| Per 100K | 3.58 | 3.29 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pullen bearers went from 10,565 to 9,840 (-6.9% change). The surname moved down 157 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,381 to #3,538.
FAQ
Pullen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pullen?
Name Census estimates that about 11,284 living Americans carry the surname Pullen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 30,375 residents.
How common is Pullen?
Pullen ranks #3,538 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.29 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 9,840 people with the surname Pullen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (11,284), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.29 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.29 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 Pullen.
Has Pullen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pullen went from 10,565 recorded bearers to 9,840. That is a decrease of 725 (-6.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,381 to #3,538.
What does the Census say about the background of Pullen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pullen, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.8%. The next largest groups are Black (15.9%) and Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Pullen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 74.8% (7,360 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pullen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (74.8%), Black (15.9%), Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Pullen (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 Pullen mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "pool" or "stream," or from an occupational name for a poultry keeper. 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 Pullen (3.29 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 share the surname Pullen?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.