2000
#13,863
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,999
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.74
Rare Last name
Pullins
Derived from the Old French "Polin," referring to someone from Poland or having Polish ancestry.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,225 Americans carry the last name Pullins. That puts it at #14,695 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.65 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 154,047 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pullins 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
2.2K
1 in 154,047
Census rank
#14,695
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,940 bearers of the surname Pullins in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.65 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14695th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pullins, the largest self-reported group is White at 56.6%. The next largest groups are Black (35.6%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pullins
The surname Pullins has its origins in England and dates back to the late medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "pull," meaning a small stream or brook, and the suffix "-ing," indicating belonging to or associated with. This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive one, referring to someone who lived near a small watercourse.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, where a certain Thomas Pullyngs is mentioned. This indicates that the name was already in use and had likely evolved from its original form by the 14th century.
In the 16th century, the surname appears in various records with different spellings, such as Pullen, Pullyn, and Pullings, reflecting the regional variations and inconsistencies in spelling at the time. One notable example is William Pullen, a merchant and alderman in the city of London, who was recorded in the 1580s.
The Pullins name has also been associated with specific locations in England. For instance, the village of Pullen's Lane in Gloucestershire may have derived its name from an early bearer of the surname, suggesting a connection between the name and a particular place.
Among the notable individuals with the surname Pullins throughout history are:
1. Thomas Pullins (c. 1580-1660), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Hayton in Nottinghamshire.
2. John Pullins (c. 1620-1690), a landowner and prominent figure in the county of Shropshire, known for his involvement in local governance.
3. Sarah Pullins (c. 1670-1745), a Quaker preacher and activist from the town of Ipswich, who travelled extensively throughout England and the American colonies, promoting religious tolerance and social justice.
4. William Pullins (1745-1812), a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War and later became an influential voice in the abolition movement.
5. Elizabeth Pullins (1790-1868), a pioneering educator and founder of one of the earliest schools for girls in the city of Bristol, which played a significant role in advancing women's education during the 19th century.
While the surname Pullins may not have been as widespread or prominent as some other English names, its history and evolution reflect the rich tapestry of regional identities, linguistic influences, and social dynamics that have shaped the development of surnames in England over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pullins
Among Census respondents with the surname Pullins, the largest self-reported group is White at 56.6%. The next largest groups are Black (35.6%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Pullins 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 Pullins surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White56.6% · 1,099
- Black or African American35.6% · 691
- Two or more races4.2% · 81
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 53
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pullins
Pullins 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
#12,931
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,376
+377 bearers (+18.9%)
Per 100,000 0.81
Rank movement Up 932 places
2020
#14,695
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,940
-436 bearers (-18.4%)
Per 100,000 0.65
Rank movement Down 1,764 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,863 | 1,999 | 0.74 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,931 | 2,376 | 0.81 | +377 bearers (+18.9%) | Up 932 places |
| 2020 | #14,695 | 1,940 | 0.65 | -436 bearers (-18.4%) | Down 1,764 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 Pullins 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 | #12,931 | #14,695 | -13.6% |
| Count | 2,376 | 1,940 | -18.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.81 | 0.65 | -19.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pullins bearers went from 2,376 to 1,940 (-18.4% change). The surname moved down 1,764 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,931 to #14,695.
FAQ
Pullins surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pullins?
Name Census estimates that about 2,225 living Americans carry the surname Pullins. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 154,047 residents.
How common is Pullins?
Pullins ranks #14,695 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.65 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,940 people with the surname Pullins. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,225), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.65 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.65 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Pullins.
Has Pullins become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pullins went from 2,376 recorded bearers to 1,940. That is a decrease of 436 (-18.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,931 to #14,695.
What does the Census say about the background of Pullins?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pullins, the largest self-reported group is White at 56.6%. The next largest groups are Black (35.6%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Pullins in the 2020 Census, accounting for 56.6% (1,099 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pullins appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (56.6%), Black (35.6%), Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Pullins (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 Pullins mean?
Derived from the Old French "Polin," referring to someone from Poland or having Polish ancestry. 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 Pullins (0.65 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 are called Pullins?
See how many people have the surname Pullins on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.