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

Sullen, 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 Sullen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sullen in America

Sullen is the 51830th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sullen surname appeared 401 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Sullen.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sullen 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 Sullen

The surname Sullen has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "sullen" or "sullic," which meant "slow," "sluggish," or "sullen." These words likely described someone's temperament or character.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sullen can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of lands and property completed in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. The entry lists a landowner named Sulen in the county of Buckinghamshire.

During the 13th century, the surname appears in various records, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which mentions a Walter Sullen in Oxfordshire. The Subsidy Rolls of 1327 also reference a John Sullen in the county of Somerset.

In the 16th century, the name Sullen was sometimes spelled differently, such as "Soollyn" or "Soullen." One notable individual from this period was William Sullen, a merchant and alderman in the city of London, who lived from around 1520 to 1585.

Another early bearer of the surname was John Sullen, a prominent lawyer and member of the Inner Temple in London, who lived during the late 16th and early 17th centuries.

In the 18th century, the name Sullen was associated with various place names, such as Sullen Farm in Wiltshire and Sullen Hill in Derbyshire. These locations may have derived their names from individuals bearing the surname Sullen who resided in or owned those areas.

One notable figure from this era was Sir Thomas Sullen, a successful businessman and landowner from Yorkshire, who lived from 1712 to 1798. He was known for his philanthropic efforts and contributed significantly to the development of his local community.

Another individual of note was Elizabeth Sullen, a prolific writer and poet from the late 18th century, who was born in 1758 and died in 1825. Her works, which often explored themes of love and nature, were widely acclaimed during her lifetime.

In the 19th century, the surname Sullen continued to be present in various parts of England, with individuals such as James Sullen, a renowned architect from London, who lived from 1819 to 1892 and designed several notable buildings in the city.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sullen

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

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

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

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