Bull Surname

8,528th
Most Common
surname in the World

Approximately 66,792 people bear this surname

Most prevalent in:
England
Highest density in:
Guernsey

Bull Surname Definition:

This surname is derived from a nickname. 'the bull,' from the fierce disposition, or thickset proportions, of the original bearer of the sobriquet; compare Pigg, Wildbore, Bullock, &c. John Bull is now the national nickname in a similar sense.

Read More About This Surname

Bull Surname Distribution Map

PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
England20,7771:2,682351
United States16,7661:21,6192,728
Sierra Leone7,5901:934174
Australia7,4161:3,640517
Canada2,8491:12,9331,917
Germany1,8761:42,9135,633
New Zealand1,5291:2,962451
South Africa1,1331:47,8186,096
Wales1,0711:2,889316
Brazil8741:244,9369,440
Liberia8101:5,443658
Norway7471:6,884693
Denmark3771:14,9731,469
Scotland3721:14,3921,832
Belize2061:1,726393
Nigeria1671:1,060,73544,297
New Caledonia1611:1,716119
Northern Ireland1501:12,3001,807
Sweden1331:74,0365,554
Chile1191:148,0385,091
Portugal1131:92,1974,545
Netherlands1071:157,82423,373
Spain1051:445,25723,393
Thailand991:713,519117,929
India831:9,241,752184,052
Guernsey731:883146
Jersey731:1,359191
France701:948,896108,010
Japan701:1,826,34726,665
Argentina681:628,58044,177
Papua New Guinea581:140,58119,337
Ireland561:84,0884,852
Iran511:1,505,54059,762
Jamaica401:71,7493,500
Isle of Man361:2,384463
Austria351:243,29828,936
Cyprus331:26,8143,049
Malaysia321:921,69541,854
Italy311:1,972,79688,569
China281:48,832,9132,633
Peru271:1,177,19020,369
Philippines251:4,049,529157,830
Pakistan191:9,402,31046,838
Belgium161:718,54060,840
Iraq161:2,188,85319,343
Qatar161:147,37516,023
Mexico151:8,275,08036,578
Indonesia141:9,446,371356,066
Singapore131:423,66918,211
Bermuda121:5,440820
Czechia111:966,67976,885
Honduras101:881,6444,379
Hong Kong101:733,5483,685
Bahrain91:149,8455,469
Ghana91:3,002,29911,581
Vanuatu91:29,253714
Cuba81:1,440,3407,824
Switzerland81:1,026,61463,315
Taiwan81:2,930,59317,989
Gibraltar61:5,659991
Greece61:1,846,63289,049
Northern Mariana Islands61:9,097939
Trinidad and Tobago61:227,32910,175
Kenya51:9,235,98055,978
Poland51:7,601,750167,855
Venezuela51:6,040,81547,898
Dominican Republic41:2,608,23320,941
Fiji41:223,5982,635
Finland41:1,374,17650,379
Rwanda41:2,841,2443,611
Saudi Arabia41:7,713,95437,548
South Korea41:12,810,0642,073
South Sudan41:2,853,7691,758
Sudan41:9,377,5498,207
Tajikistan41:2,096,6737,416
Bolivia31:3,538,81111,393
Cambodia31:5,162,38210,688
Monaco31:12,3552,088
Vietnam31:30,882,0184,101
Zimbabwe31:5,146,080115,446
Albania21:1,457,02824,967
Bahamas21:195,8761,708
Barbados21:143,7241,981
Cayman Islands21:31,9461,715
Colombia21:23,887,03632,612
Ecuador21:7,952,92334,269
Guatemala21:8,041,3349,698
Hungary21:4,908,13864,617
Latvia21:1,025,02341,546
Nepal21:14,240,47817,812
Romania21:10,038,93580,612
United Arab Emirates21:4,581,13693,443
Afghanistan11:32,153,18360,828
Algeria11:38,631,551130,422
American Samoa11:55,7583,072
Antigua and Barbuda11:99,1712,137
Armenia11:2,930,18022,770
Burkina Faso11:18,352,10030,051
Cameroon11:20,769,068227,406
DR Congo11:73,879,570260,543
Egypt11:91,935,754132,737
Equatorial Guinea11:1,135,674984
Estonia11:1,321,80440,178
French Polynesia11:280,8057,211
Iceland11:380,09011,096
Israel11:8,557,634182,558
Ivory Coast11:23,071,23276,679
Jordan11:8,842,43726,010
Kuwait11:3,800,69427,187
Lebanon11:5,637,08332,436
Lithuania11:3,034,58847,401
Luxembourg11:580,54215,155
North Macedonia11:2,101,47231,546
Mali11:16,969,0354,067
Mauritius11:1,293,41716,552
Morocco11:34,476,099111,471
Myanmar11:51,937,9852,166
Namibia11:2,409,40119,676
Nicaragua11:6,021,0908,768
Panama11:3,912,25817,195
Saint Lucia11:178,7813,800
Slovakia11:5,336,450140,422
Slovenia11:2,487,67531,128
Solomon Islands11:580,02922,243
Sri Lanka11:20,808,56018,521
Turkey11:77,821,422191,047
Turkmenistan11:5,489,11211,427
Uganda11:39,039,279258,887
Ukraine11:45,522,696503,646
Uruguay11:3,431,75838,295
Uzbekistan11:30,929,14267,786
PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
Ireland731:60,6834,748
PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
England12,4001:1,966269
Wales2561:6,127404
Scotland441:85,0734,558
Jersey101:5,188903
PlaceIncidenceFrequencyRank in Area
United States5,3401:9,4041,203

The alternate forms: Büll (474) & Búll (10) are calculated separately.

Bull (1,087) may also be a first name.

Bull Surname Meaning

From Where Does The Surname Originate? meaning and history

This surname is derived from a nickname. 'the bull,' from the fierce disposition, or thickset proportions, of the original bearer of the sobriquet; compare Pigg, Wildbore, Bullock, &c. John Bull is now the national nickname in a similar sense.

John le Bole, Somerset, 1 Edward III: Kirby's Quest.

William le Bole, Cambridgeshire, 1273. Hundred Rolls.

Geoffrey Bolle, Somerset, ibid.

Ralph le Bule, Oxfordshire, ibid.

Robert le Bale, Somerset ibid.

Willelmus Bulle, 1379: Poll Tax of Yorkshire.

Elena Bull, 1370: ibid.

1550. Robert Bull and Grace Paget: Marriage Lic. (London).

1588. Baptised — Alban, s. Thomas Bull: St. James, Clerkenwell.

A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames (1896) by Charles Wareing Endell Bardsley

William Bule of Ayrshire rendered homage, 1296 (Bain, II, p. 205). Thomas Bull was a tenant in the barony of Newlands, 1376 (RHM., II, p. 16). A payment was made to Robert Bull, a Scottish merchant, 1474 (Bain, IV, 1412). John Bule was a witness in Brechin, 1508 (REB., II, 162). John Bull, a pauper, was presented to a bed in the hospital of St. Nicholas and admitted to the privileges of the said hospital as regarded lepers, 1513 (PDG., 637). Another Jhone Buy 11 rented land in Edingeyth, 1521 (Rental). John Bull, burgess of Dundee, 1601, and five others of the name are recorded (Brechin). James Bull in Kirkintilloch, 1666 (Sasines, 1312), John Bule, tenant in barony of Mousewall (Mouswald), Dumfriesshire, 1673 (PSAS., XXIII p. 74), and Margaret Bull in Dunning, Perthshire, 1781 (Dunblane). Buill 1590.

The Surnames of Scotland (1946) by George Fraser Black (1866-1948)

(English) a nickname and sign-name from the Bull [Middle English bole, bule, Old English bul- = Old Norse boli, a bull]

Surnames of the United Kingdom (1912) by Henry Harrison

(English) Dweller at the sign of the bull; one thought to possess some characteristic of a bull.

Dictionary of American Family Names (1956) by Elsdon Coles Smith

A very natural sobriquet, as well as a common inn-sign, and a frequent heraldric charge. It may, however, be a personal name, as the forms Bole, Bolle, &c., are found in Domesd. The corresponding names Taureau, Torel, Tyrel, Torelli, Bulle, &c., are plentiful on the continent. Let no Frenchman, however, think that "John Bull" is the commonest of designations in England, for in the Lond. Direct, of 1852, I find only four people so called.

Patronymica Britannica (1860) by Mark Antony Lower

A well—known animal, powerful, fierce, and violent. The name may have originated from the sign of a shop or inn, as "John at the Bull."Bul, in Saxon, is a brooch, a stud, a bracelet.

An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names (1857) by William Arthur

From the Old Norse, Bolli; from the Frisian, Bole, Boele, Bólen; in the Domesday Book, Bollo, Bolli, Boln, Boilers, Bole; from the German, Buhl, Bulla, Buller; from the Swedish, Bolle, Bollin, Bolling; from the Flemish, Bully, Buls, Bulens, Boel; from the Dutch, Boll, Boel, Bull; from the Danish, Bull, Bolle, Boelle; personal name Richard Bole and Radulph Bule in Rotuli de Oblatis et Finibus, King John

British Family Names: Their Origin and Meaning (1903) by Henry Barber

Bull: is a common name, and was a tavern sign and also a shop sign. It occurs in the Hundred Rolls and in Post­mortem Inquisitions. Other cognate names are Steer, Calf, Stot, or Bullock. Calf is a rare surname. Veale occurs in the Hundred Rolls as Le Veale, but represents Le Viel, the old man.

Family Names And Their Story (1913) by Sabine Baring-Gould

User-submitted Reference

The surname comes from Germany, derived from büll, which means 'bull'.

- arnoldo94

Bull Last Name Facts

Where Does The Last Name Bull Come From? nationality or country of origin

The last name Bull (Hindi: बुल्ल, Oriya: ବୁଲ) is borne by more people in England than any other country or territory. It may also occur in the variant forms: Büll or Búll. For other potential spellings of this name click here.

How Common Is The Last Name Bull? popularity and diffusion

This last name is the 8,528th most widely held last name globally, borne by around 1 in 109,108 people. The last name occurs mostly in Europe, where 39 percent of Bull live; 36 percent live in Northern Europe and 34 percent live in British Isles. Bull is also the 242,116th most commonly used first name throughout the world It is held by 1,087 people.

The last name is most frequently used in England, where it is borne by 20,777 people, or 1 in 2,682. In England Bull is primarily found in: Greater London, where 13 percent reside, West Midlands, where 6 percent reside and Essex, where 6 percent reside. Aside from England this surname is found in 130 countries. It also occurs in The United States, where 25 percent reside and Sierra Leone, where 11 percent reside.

Bull Family Population Trend historical fluctuation

The incidence of Bull has changed through the years. In England the share of the population with the last name rose 168 percent between 1881 and 2014; in The United States it rose 314 percent between 1880 and 2014; in Wales it rose 418 percent between 1881 and 2014; in Scotland it rose 845 percent between 1881 and 2014 and in Ireland it decreased 23 percent between 1901 and 2014.

Bull Last Name Statistics demography

The religious devotion of those holding the surname is principally Anglican (51%) in Ireland and Orthodox (95%) in Ukraine.

In The United States those holding the Bull surname are 15.21% more likely to be registered with the Republican Party than The US average, with 61.98% registered to vote for the political party.

The amount Bull earn in different countries varies greatly. In Norway they earn 26.4% more than the national average, earning 437,431 kr per year; in Peru they earn 108.42% more than the national average, earning S/. 40,403 per year; in South Africa they earn 21.89% more than the national average, earning R 289,668 per year; in United States they earn 1.75% more than the national average, earning $43,904 USD per year and in Canada they earn 4.28% more than the national average, earning $51,807 CAD per year.

Phonetically Similar Names

SurnameSimilarityWorldwide IncidencePrevalency
Büll92474/
Búll9210/
Bulle8923,126/
Boull8940/
Baull8937/
Buill899/
Bhull897/
Beull896/
Bullt893/
Bullh892/
Bulll890/
Busll890/
Bul8666,371/
Boulle802,871/
Boullt80123/
Butell8073/
Bucell8072/
Busell8061/
Bhulle8034/
Beulle8025/
Buille8013/
Baulle802/
Buthll801/
Bahull801/
Buylle801/
Bouhll801/
Busill800/
Bulltt800/
Bule7556,790/
Baul7534,011/
Boll7521,077/
Buhl7517,081/
Buil753,880/
Bult752,861/
Bhul752,493/
Boul751,645/
Beul751,365/
Buyl751,070/
Buul75853/
Busl75260/
Buld75157/
Butl7518/
Wull7514/
Vull7513/
Bgul759/
Bulh759/
Bulp753/
Bóll751/
Bussell737,116/
Boutell73723/
Bullová73556/
Buttell73266/
Bausell73186/
Beutell73153/
Buchell7355/
Bullova7330/
Bautell7311/
Bousell7310/
Buysell739/
Bullowa739/
Buscell736/
Buszell736/
Buchill731/
Baucell731/
Bouglil731/
Bussill730/
Busiell730/
Boule675,144/
Busel673,789/
Baule673,164/
Butel673,158/
Bould672,255/
Bugli672,084/
Buyle672,077/
Butil671,702/
Bhaul671,259/
Beule67978/
Boell67975/
Bahul67968/
Bauld67919/
Hboul67904/
Bhule67793/
Wulle67689/
Busil67479/
Bouttell67451/
Bulhe67448/
Beutl67387/
Buhyl67179/
Bucel67138/
Bouhl67132/
Buschell67110/
Buile67100/
Buijl6764/
Buldt6747/
Beuttell6744/
Vulle6735/
Wullt6731/
Bouchell6722/
Bucil6719/
Bhoul6717/
Built6713/
Bhutl6713/
Build6712/
Bohul6712/
Bhgul6711/
Busle677/
Buttl677/
Bhuil676/
Boutellh676/
Bulth676/
Buillová675/
Bholl674/
Wuill674/
Boulh674/
Busyl674/
Booll673/
Boussell673/
Bulhs672/
Bhuhl672/
Busseell671/
Buihl671/
Builh671/
Bausl671/
Bauul671/
Bhujl671/
Bhuul671/
Bgaul671/
Voull671/
Vuill671/
Vutll671/
Bollì671/
Bollė671/
Buiël671/
Buşel671/
Bouïl671/
Beuchell671/
Vusll671/
Weull671/
Bhusl671/
Beulh671/
Busshell670/
Bouttill670/
Buschill670/
Waull670/
Whull670/
Beuld670/
Vaull670/
Veull670/

Bull Name Transliterations

TransliterationICU LatinPercentage of Incidence
Bull in the Hindi language
बुल्लbulla-
Bull in the Oriya language
ବୁଲbula-

Search for Another Surname

The name statistics are still in development, sign up for information on more maps and data

By signing up to the mailing list you will only receive emails specifically about name reference on Forebears and your information will not be distributed to 3rd parties.

Footnotes

  • Surnames are taken as the first part of an person's inherited family name, caste, clan name or in some cases patronymic
  • Descriptions may contain details on the name's etymology, origin, ethnicity and history. They are largely reproduced from 3rd party sources; diligence is advised on accepting their validity - more information
  • Name distribution statistics are generated from a global database of over 4 billion people - more information
  • Heatmap: Dark red means there is a higher occurrence of the name, transitioning to light yellow signifies a progressively lower occurrence. Clicking on selected countries will show mapping at a regional level
  • Rank: Name are ranked by incidence using the ordinal ranking method; the name that occurs the most is assigned a rank of 1; name that occur less frequently receive an incremented rank; if two or more name occur the same number of times they are assigned the same rank and successive rank is incremented by the total preceeding names
  • Ethnic group cannot necessarily be determined by geographic occurrence
  • Similar: Names listed in the "Similar" section are phonetically similar and may not have any relation to Bull
  • To find out more about this surname's family history, lookup records on Family​Search, My​Heritage, FindMyPast and Ancestry. Further information may be obtained by DNA analysis