NameCensus.

UK surname

Bullard

A surname derived from the Old English words "bula" (bull) and "hierde" (keeper), referring to a bull herder or keeper.

In the 1881 census there were 914 people recorded with the Bullard surname, ranking it #4,200 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,046, ranked #5,577, down from #4,200 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Paul, St Saviour, St Edmund, St Simon and Jude, St Peter Hungate, St Michael at Plea, St Martin a and Lakenham , Eaton St Andrew, Town Close, St Stephen, St Peter Mancroft, St Giles, St Andrew, St John. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Waveney, North Hertfordshire and Ipswich.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bullard is 1,244 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 14.4%.

1881 census count

914

Ranked #4,200

Modern count

1,046

2016, ranked #5,577

Peak year

1911

1,244 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bullard had 914 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,200 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,046 in 2016, ranked #5,577.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,244 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Bullard surname distribution map

The map shows where the Bullard surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Bullard surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bullard over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 588 #4,351
1861 historical 600 #4,419
1881 historical 914 #4,200
1891 historical 980 #4,218
1901 historical 1,127 #4,302
1911 historical 1,244 #3,810
1997 modern 1,167 #4,830
1998 modern 1,209 #4,852
1999 modern 1,216 #4,865
2000 modern 1,193 #4,933
2001 modern 1,167 #4,934
2002 modern 1,170 #5,012
2003 modern 1,139 #5,034
2004 modern 1,135 #5,055
2005 modern 1,084 #5,195
2006 modern 1,051 #5,337
2007 modern 1,057 #5,354
2008 modern 1,060 #5,378
2009 modern 1,085 #5,379
2010 modern 1,075 #5,542
2011 modern 1,064 #5,526
2012 modern 1,027 #5,615
2013 modern 1,070 #5,512
2014 modern 1,092 #5,431
2015 modern 1,064 #5,514
2016 modern 1,046 #5,577

Geography

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Where Bullards are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Paul, St Saviour, St Edmund, St Simon and Jude, St Peter Hungate, St Michael at Plea, St Martin a, Lakenham , Eaton St Andrew, Town Close, St Stephen, St Peter Mancroft, St Giles, St Andrew, St John and Hellesdon, St Mary in the Marsh, St Clement, St Martin at Oak, St Mary at Coslany, St Michael at Cos. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Waveney, North Hertfordshire and Ipswich. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 St Paul, St Saviour, St Edmund, St Simon and Jude, St Peter Hungate, St Michael at Plea, St Martin a Norfolk
4 Lakenham , Eaton St Andrew, Town Close, St Stephen, St Peter Mancroft, St Giles, St Andrew, St John Norfolk
5 Hellesdon, St Mary in the Marsh, St Clement, St Martin at Oak, St Mary at Coslany, St Michael at Cos Norfolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Waveney 009 Waveney
2 North Hertfordshire 005 North Hertfordshire
3 Ipswich 014 Ipswich
4 Waveney 014 Waveney
5 Waveney 012 Waveney

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bullard

These lists show first names that appear often with the Bullard surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bullard

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Bullard, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Bullard surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Bullard household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Bullard is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Bullard is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Bullard falls in decile 5 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Bullard is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Bullard, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Bullard

The surname Bullard originated in England, and its earliest recorded use dates back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "bul" and "hierde," meaning "bull herd" or "keeper of bulls." This suggests that the name's earliest bearers were likely employed as herdsmen or cattle farmers.

The Bullard surname is thought to have originated in the county of Wiltshire, particularly in the village of Bulkerton, which was once known as "Bullards-town." This place name is believed to have influenced the development of the surname over time.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Bullard surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from the year 1191, where a person named Robert Bullard is mentioned. Another early reference is found in the Feet of Fines of Oxfordshire from 1270, which mentions a John Bullard.

In the 13th century, the Bullard surname appeared in various forms, such as Bulhard, Bullehird, and Bulleheurd, reflecting the regional dialects and spelling variations of the time. The Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327 include an entry for a Hugo Bullard, while the Subsidy Rolls of Warwickshire from 1332 mention a Thomas Bullard.

One notable early bearer of the Bullard surname was William Bullard, who was born in Oxfordshire around 1480. He is recorded as having served as a yeoman in the household of King Henry VIII.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Bullard surname gained prominence in several English counties, including Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, and Somerset. In 1642, a Robert Bullard from Gloucestershire was appointed as a commissioner for raising money for the defense of the county during the English Civil War.

Benjamin Bullard, born in Wiltshire in 1659, was a notable Puritan minister who later emigrated to New England, where he served as a pastor in several Massachusetts towns, including Weston and Medfield.

Another prominent figure was Sir Edward Bullard, who was born in Somerset in 1685. He served as a member of parliament for the borough of Heytesbury and was knighted in 1714 for his services to the crown.

In the 18th century, the Bullard surname continued to be well-represented in various regions of England. One example is John Bullard, a prominent merchant and landowner from Gloucestershire, who lived from 1725 to 1802.

Throughout its history, the Bullard surname has been associated with a variety of occupations, including agriculture, clergy, politics, and commerce, reflecting the diverse paths taken by its bearers over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Bullard families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bullard surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Norfolk leads with 159 Bullards recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.64x.

County Total Index
Norfolk 159 11.64x
Suffolk 129 11.92x
Hertfordshire 102 16.65x
Surrey 102 2.36x
Middlesex 78 0.88x
Essex 48 2.74x
Nottinghamshire 36 3.01x
Yorkshire 33 0.37x
Cambridgeshire 32 5.69x
Kent 29 0.96x
Hampshire 25 1.37x
Huntingdonshire 24 13.60x
Lancashire 24 0.23x
Worcestershire 15 1.29x
Lincolnshire 12 0.84x
Berkshire 9 1.35x
Sussex 9 0.60x
Durham 8 0.30x
Warwickshire 8 0.36x
Buckinghamshire 7 1.30x
Oxfordshire 7 1.28x
Bedfordshire 6 1.30x
Gloucestershire 3 0.17x
Leicestershire 3 0.30x
Devon 2 0.11x
Derbyshire 1 0.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Tattingstone in Suffolk leads with 50 Bullards recorded in 1881 and an index of 2976.19x.

Place Total Index
Tattingstone 50 2976.19x
Therfield 44 1229.05x
Heigham 31 42.27x
Camberwell 23 4.05x
Hitchin 23 83.18x
Norwich St James 22 205.22x
Radford 19 31.22x
Hackney London 16 3.21x
Sporle With Palgrave 16 720.72x
Bermondsey 14 5.29x
Huntingdon St John 14 273.97x
Ipswich St Peter 14 96.09x
Wherstead 14 1750.00x
Wrentham 14 466.67x
Brightside Bierlow 12 6.95x
Southwark St George Martyr 12 6.71x
Beverley St Martin 10 68.03x
Lambeth 10 1.29x
Lingfield 10 118.48x
Gisleham 9 978.26x
Holdenhurst 9 18.84x
Ufton Nervet 9 937.50x
Welwyn 9 169.49x
West Derby 9 2.92x
Abbots Langley 8 87.91x
Ipswich St Clement 8 29.08x
Lymington 8 59.75x
Mile End Old Town London 8 4.23x
Norwich St Peter 8 89.19x
Oldbury 8 14.01x
Portsea 8 2.24x
St Ives 8 87.43x
Thetford St Peter 8 222.22x
Tolleshunt D Arcy 8 320.00x
Basford 7 12.68x
Bentley 7 569.11x
Braintree 7 44.44x
Cheshunt 7 32.70x
Cowley 7 40.86x
Ewhurst 7 210.21x
Great Yarmouth 7 6.18x
Hellesdon 7 278.88x
Liverpool 7 1.09x
Newport Pagnell 7 62.33x
Northfield 7 31.79x
Norwich St Michael At 7 88.27x
Sedgeford 7 303.03x
St Peterin Eastgate 7 159.09x
Sunbury 7 65.60x
Tottenham 7 4.95x
Barnham Broom 6 444.44x
Bedford St Peter 6 50.21x
Colkirk 6 458.02x
Croydon 6 2.50x
East Dereham 6 34.76x
Halstead 6 29.33x
Islington London 6 0.70x
Kingston On Thames 6 5.77x
Leamington Priors 6 10.88x
Newington 6 1.83x
Rotherhithe 6 5.46x
Sculcoates 6 4.30x
Streatham 6 9.10x
Willingham 6 124.74x
Aldeby 5 255.10x
Bocking 5 47.39x
Hammersmith London 5 2.28x
Limehouse London 5 5.13x
Rochester St Nicholas 5 53.02x
Royston 5 95.79x
Stockton On Tees 5 3.92x
West Ham 5 1.29x
Wisbech St Peter 5 17.71x
Bexley 4 14.92x
Elm 4 72.60x
Enfield 4 6.86x
March 4 21.22x
Nottingham St Mary 4 1.29x
Rochester St Margaret 4 12.51x
Woodford 4 20.14x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Bullard surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Bullard surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
George 43
William 39
John 35
Henry 33
Charles 32
James 20
Samuel 19
Thomas 18
Robert 13
Arthur 12
Frederick 12
Harry 12
Alfred 10
Edward 10
Stephen 8
Ernest 7
Walter 7
Herbert 6
Albert 5
Richard 5
Frank 4
Fred 4
Jonathan 4
Joseph 4
Benjamin 3
Edwin 3
Stanley 3
Thos. 3
Abraham 2
Alexander 2
Charlie 2
Chas. 2
David 2
Edmund 2
Evan 2
Horace 2
Jeremiah 2
Othniel 2
Robt. 2
Sydney 2
Anthony 1
Ar. 1
Barney 1
Bernard 1
Earnest 1
Eliza 1
Isaac 1
Isabella 1
Israel 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Bullard surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bullard surname in 1881?

In 1881, 914 people were recorded with the Bullard surname. That placed it at #4,200 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bullard surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,046 in 2016. That gives Bullard a modern rank of #5,577.

What does the Bullard surname mean?

A surname derived from the Old English words "bula" (bull) and "hierde" (keeper), referring to a bull herder or keeper.

What does the Bullard map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Bullard bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.