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

Pullman, 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 Pullman surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pullman in America

Pullman is the 16560th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pullman surname appeared 1,733 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Pullman.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pullman 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 Pullman

The surname Pullman is of English origin, with its roots traced back to the late medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "pullian," which means "to pluck" or "to pull," and was likely an occupational name for a person who worked as a wool puller or a cloth maker.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Warwickshire in 1327, where one Robert le Pullman was listed. This suggests that the name was already established in the region during the 14th century.

The Pullman surname is also associated with certain place names in England, particularly in the counties of Derbyshire and Yorkshire. In the 16th century, records show variations of the name such as Pullman, Poolman, and Poleman, which may have been influenced by the local dialects or spellings of the time.

Notable individuals bearing the Pullman surname include George Mortimer Pullman (1831-1897), an American industrialist and inventor who revolutionized the railroad passenger car industry with his innovative sleeping car design. His company, the Pullman Palace Car Company, became a prominent manufacturer of luxury railcars in the late 19th century.

Another prominent figure was Philip Pullman (born 1946), a renowned British author best known for his fantasy trilogy, "His Dark Materials." His works have been widely acclaimed and have garnered numerous awards, including the prestigious Carnegie Medal and the Whitbread Book of the Year award.

In the realm of sports, Daren Pullman (born 1975) was a professional boxer from England who competed in the heavyweight division and held the British heavyweight title between 2003 and 2005.

The Pullman surname also has historical roots in other fields, such as architecture and engineering. Thomas Pullman (1830-1892) was a British architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Royal College of Surgeons and the Royal Academy of Music.

Additionally, John Pullman (1876-1947) was an American civil engineer who played a significant role in the construction of the Panama Canal, serving as the resident engineer for the Gatun Locks project during the early 20th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pullman

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

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

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

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