Sullender last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Sullender

Of Germanic origin, meaning a person from the town of Sullen or a sullen person.

Sullender, 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 Sullender surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sullender in America

Sullender is the 68122nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sullender surname appeared 289 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 Sullender.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sullender 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.

20102000Change (%)
Rank68122677250.58%
Count2892726.06%
Proportion per 100k0.100.100.00%

The history of the last name Sullender

The surname Sullender has its origins in England, dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "sullen" and "hende," meaning "plough" and "hand," respectively. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to a ploughman or someone who worked with their hands in agriculture.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Sullender can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, where it is spelled "Sulouehnende." This document was a survey of landholdings and tenants, indicating that the name was already established in the region at that time.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as "Sulvenhende" and "Sulvynd," reflecting the evolution of spelling and pronunciation over time. These variations were likely influenced by regional dialects and scribal interpretations.

One notable figure with the surname Sullender was John Sullender, a farmer from Warwickshire who lived in the late 16th century. He is mentioned in the parish records of Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare.

During the 17th century, the Sullender family had a presence in the county of Gloucestershire. Records from the Gloucestershire Archives mention a Thomas Sullender, who was a yeoman farmer born in 1645 and lived in the village of Painswick.

In the 18th century, the name Sullender appeared in the parish records of Oxfordshire, with several baptisms and marriages recorded. One notable individual was William Sullender, born in 1734 in the village of Woodstock, who later became a successful merchant in London.

Moving into the 19th century, the Sullender family had established roots in various parts of England. One prominent figure was Sir Edward Sullender, a military officer born in 1812 in Hampshire. He served in the British Army and was awarded the Victoria Cross for his bravery during the Crimean War.

Throughout its history, the surname Sullender has maintained its connection to agricultural and rural communities. While relatively uncommon, it has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including farmers, merchants, and military personnel, contributing to the rich tapestry of English heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sullender

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

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 Sullender was:

Race/EthnicityPercentageTotal Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only94.12%272
Non-Hispanic Black Only(S)%(S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only(S)%(S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native0.00%0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races2.77%8
Hispanic Origin2.42%7

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 Sullender has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

20102000Change (%)
White94.12%94.12%0.00%
Black(S)%0.00%(S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander(S)%1.84%(S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.00%(S)%(S)%
Two or More Races2.77%(S)%(S)%
Hispanic2.42%(S)%(S)%

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

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

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