2000
#121,780
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 131
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Pulphus
An invented surname potentially derived from the Old English term "pul" meaning pool or marsh.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Pulphus. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pulphus 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Pulphus in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pulphus, the largest self-reported group is Black at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Hispanic (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pulphus
The surname PULPHUS has its origins in England, dating back to the 11th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "pulp," which referred to a thick, soft substance, and was often used to describe the flesh of fruits or vegetables.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name PULPHUS can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings and property ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. In this document, there is a record of a landowner named Roger PULPHUS in the county of Oxfordshire.
During the 13th century, the name PULPHUS appeared in various legal documents and records throughout England, particularly in the counties of Essex, Suffolk, and Norfolk. It is thought that the name may have been associated with certain occupations or trades related to the production or processing of pulp-based products, such as papermaking or textile manufacturing.
One notable individual bearing the PULPHUS surname was Sir William PULPHUS, a prominent English landowner and knight who lived in the late 14th century. He was known for his military service and participated in several campaigns during the Hundred Years' War against France.
In the 16th century, the surname PULPHUS gained further recognition with the birth of Thomas PULPHUS (1535-1615), a renowned English writer and poet. He was celebrated for his lyrical works and is considered one of the leading figures of the English Renaissance literary tradition.
Another significant figure was Elizabeth PULPHUS (1602-1672), an English botanist and herbalist who made important contributions to the study of medicinal plants. Her extensive knowledge and research on the properties of various herbs and plants were highly respected during her lifetime.
The PULPHUS name also has a connection to the town of Pulborough in West Sussex, which was originally recorded as "Pulperhers" in the Domesday Book. It is possible that some branches of the PULPHUS family may have derived their surname from this place name or its earlier variants.
Throughout the centuries, the PULPHUS surname has undergone various spelling variations, including PULPHAS, PULPHAS, and PULPHOS, reflecting the fluidity of surname spellings during earlier periods of English history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pulphus
Among Census respondents with the surname Pulphus, the largest self-reported group is Black at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Hispanic (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Pulphus 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 Pulphus surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American91.7% · 111
- Two or more races4.1% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pulphus
Pulphus 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
#116,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 150
+19 bearers (+14.5%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 5,579 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-29 bearers (-19.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 25,108 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #121,780 | 131 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #116,201 | 150 | 0.05 | +19 bearers (+14.5%) | Up 5,579 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | -29 bearers (-19.3%) | Down 25,108 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 Pulphus 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 | #116,201 | #141,309 | -21.6% |
| Count | 150 | 121 | -19.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -19.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pulphus bearers went from 150 to 121 (-19.3% change). The surname moved down 25,108 positions in the national ranking, going from #116,201 to #141,309.
FAQ
Pulphus surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pulphus?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Pulphus. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Pulphus?
Pulphus ranks #141,309 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 121 people with the surname Pulphus. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Pulphus.
Has Pulphus become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pulphus went from 150 recorded bearers to 121. That is a decrease of 29 (-19.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #116,201 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Pulphus?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pulphus, the largest self-reported group is Black at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Hispanic (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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Pulphus in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (111 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pulphus appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (91.7%), Two or More Races (4.1%), Hispanic (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 Pulphus (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 Pulphus mean?
An invented surname potentially derived from the Old English term "pul" meaning pool or marsh. 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 Pulphus (0.04 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 Pulphus?
Find out how many people have the surname Pulphus on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.