NameCensus.

UK surname

Buller

An English occupational surname derived from the Old French word "bouler," meaning "to boil," referring to a maker of kettles or boilers.

In the 1881 census there were 981 people recorded with the Buller surname, ranking it #3,964 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,033, ranked #5,649, down from #3,964 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Lambeth and Preston. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sedgemoor, Stockton-on-Tees and High Peak.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Buller is 1,938 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 5.3%.

1881 census count

981

Ranked #3,964

Modern count

1,033

2016, ranked #5,649

Peak year

1891

1,938 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Buller had 981 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,964 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,033 in 2016, ranked #5,649.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,938 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Buller surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Buller surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Buller 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 849 #3,203
1861 historical 1,367 #2,098
1881 historical 981 #3,964
1891 historical 1,938 #2,377
1901 historical 1,046 #4,578
1911 historical 1,147 #4,072
1997 modern 1,065 #5,214
1998 modern 1,087 #5,313
1999 modern 1,089 #5,329
2000 modern 1,060 #5,427
2001 modern 1,038 #5,419
2002 modern 1,057 #5,443
2003 modern 1,027 #5,483
2004 modern 1,026 #5,492
2005 modern 1,010 #5,505
2006 modern 997 #5,581
2007 modern 982 #5,690
2008 modern 993 #5,682
2009 modern 1,038 #5,602
2010 modern 1,084 #5,508
2011 modern 1,073 #5,486
2012 modern 1,045 #5,519
2013 modern 1,072 #5,496
2014 modern 1,068 #5,550
2015 modern 1,064 #5,514
2016 modern 1,033 #5,649

Geography

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Where Bullers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Lambeth, Preston and Swansea. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Sedgemoor, Stockton-on-Tees, High Peak, North Norfolk and West Somerset. 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 Lambeth London (South Districts)
4 Preston Lancashire
5 Swansea Glamorganshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sedgemoor 007 Sedgemoor
2 Stockton-on-Tees 008 Stockton-on-Tees
3 High Peak 001 High Peak
4 North Norfolk 006 North Norfolk
5 West Somerset 004 West Somerset

Forenames

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First names often paired with Buller

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Buller

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Buller, 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 Buller surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Buller 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

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Buller is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, 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

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

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

Buller 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

Buller 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 Buller 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 Buller, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Buller

The surname Buller has its origins in England and dates back to the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "bullere," which referred to someone who worked with bulls or oxen, possibly a herdsman or a ploughman.

The name first appeared in various forms, such as Bullere, Buller, and Bullar, in the Domesday Book of 1086, a historical record of landholders commissioned by William the Conqueror. The earliest recorded instances of the name were found in counties like Derbyshire, Gloucestershire, and Oxfordshire.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was William Buller, who was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1190. Another notable early reference is found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which mention a Simon le Buller from Oxfordshire.

In the 13th and 14th centuries, the name was associated with several place names, such as Bullers Green in Gloucestershire and Bullers Hill in Bedfordshire, suggesting that some families may have taken their surnames from the locations where they resided.

Among the prominent individuals with the surname Buller throughout history are Sir Francis Buller (1744-1800), an English judge and legal writer; Sir Redvers Buller (1839-1908), a British Army officer who served in the Boer War; and Walter Lionel Buller (1838-1901), a renowned New Zealand ornithologist and lawyer.

Other notable Bullers include Charles Buller (1806-1848), a British reformer and writer; James Buller (1812-1880), a British colonial administrator in Canada; and Sir Arthur Buller (1853-1920), a British Army officer who served in the Anglo-Zulu War.

While the surname Buller has its roots in medieval England, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including Canada, New Zealand, and other former British colonies, reflecting the historical migrations and settlements of English families.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Buller families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Buller 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. Middlesex leads with 167 Bullers recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.75x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 167 1.75x
Lancashire 134 1.18x
Somerset 78 5.08x
Yorkshire 72 0.76x
Surrey 65 1.40x
Warwickshire 60 2.49x
Cornwall 41 3.80x
Kent 40 1.23x
Sussex 36 2.24x
Oxfordshire 33 5.60x
Devon 32 1.61x
Staffordshire 32 0.99x
Glamorgan 26 1.57x
Norfolk 26 1.77x
Gloucestershire 20 1.07x
Suffolk 20 1.72x
Hertfordshire 13 1.98x
Worcestershire 13 1.04x
Essex 12 0.64x
Derbyshire 6 0.40x
Nottinghamshire 6 0.47x
Buckinghamshire 5 0.87x
Hampshire 5 0.26x
Midlothian 5 0.39x
Northamptonshire 5 0.56x
Ayrshire 4 0.56x
Berkshire 4 0.56x
Cheshire 3 0.14x
Durham 3 0.11x
Pembrokeshire 3 0.99x
Lanarkshire 2 0.06x
Royal Navy 2 1.76x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.25x
Cumberland 1 0.12x
Merionethshire 1 0.57x
Perthshire 1 0.23x
Wiltshire 1 0.12x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Kensington London in Middlesex leads with 31 Bullers recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.84x.

Place Total Index
Kensington London 31 5.84x
Birmingham 20 2.49x
Great Little Marsden 19 36.64x
Williton 19 369.65x
Fulham London 17 12.29x
Lewisham 17 9.79x
Swansea Town 16 11.75x
St George Hanover Square 15 8.92x
Blatchinworth 13 50.43x
Shotteswell 12 1518.99x
St Columb Minor 12 132.30x
Chard 11 59.14x
Clitheroe 11 33.01x
Lambeth 11 1.32x
Wellington 11 52.83x
West Derby 11 3.32x
Great Yarmouth 10 8.23x
Hastings St Mary 10 24.98x
Islington London 10 1.08x
Preston 10 3.30x
Stogursey 10 242.72x
Twickenham 10 24.45x
Aston 9 1.36x
Barrowford Booth 9 71.83x
Bedminster 9 6.24x
Calstock 9 42.49x
Kings Norton 9 8.06x
Southwark St John 9 30.84x
St Marylebone London 9 1.77x
St Minver 9 273.56x
Wednesbury 9 11.18x
Woodbridge 9 60.57x
Battersea 8 2.28x
Brighton 8 2.47x
Coventry St Michael 8 10.35x
Dilhorne 8 149.25x
Halifax 8 5.76x
Hitchin 8 26.95x
Leeds 8 1.50x
Rugby 8 24.58x
Shoreditch London 8 1.93x
Chatham 7 7.82x
East Bedfont 7 147.68x
Thornton In Fylde 7 28.26x
Banbury 6 50.85x
Buckland Monachorum 6 141.51x
Caversham 6 50.89x
Chelsea London 6 2.09x
Cheltenham 6 4.16x
Cowley 6 32.63x
Eccleshill 6 26.08x
Greenwich 6 3.95x
Habergham Eaves 6 5.80x
Hanwell 6 722.89x
Kilton 6 1304.35x
Manchester 6 1.18x
Newton 6 6.88x
Plymouth St Andrew 6 3.92x
St Pancras London 6 0.78x
Sutton In Ashfield 6 21.51x
Sutton Stoneferry 6 22.18x
Tiverton 6 17.54x
Whitechapel London 6 6.38x
Croydon 5 1.94x
Epsom 5 22.08x
Erpingham 5 420.17x
Gloucester Barton St Mary 5 14.60x
Hackney London 5 0.93x
Hammersmith London 5 2.13x
Holy Trinity 5 2.20x
Kessingland 5 124.69x
Slaidburn 5 308.64x
St Luke London 5 3.27x
West Ham 5 1.20x
Ardwick 4 3.92x
Colby 4 506.33x
Dallington 4 75.90x
Kirkham 4 26.72x
Oxford St Giles 4 14.23x
Upton Cum Chalvey 4 17.41x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 51
William 50
James 33
George 29
Thomas 27
Henry 26
Charles 24
Joseph 17
Frederick 15
Richard 14
Robert 14
Walter 13
Arthur 12
Alfred 9
Edward 7
Samuel 7
Albert 5
Benjamin 5
Francis 5
Herbert 5
Edwin 4
Tom 4
Alban 3
Ernest 3
Alexander 2
Amos 2
Frank 2
Patrick 2
Percy 2
Reginald 2
Willie 2
Angelo 1
Antony 1
Audley 1
Aurtur 1
Chas.W. 1
Dawson 1
Dennis 1
Edgar 1
Edmund 1
Edw. 1
Ephraim 1
Evan 1
H.W. 1
Hampton 1
Harry 1
Heber 1
Israel 1
J.D. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Buller surname: questions and answers

How common was the Buller surname in 1881?

In 1881, 981 people were recorded with the Buller surname. That placed it at #3,964 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Buller surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,033 in 2016. That gives Buller a modern rank of #5,649.

What does the Buller surname mean?

An English occupational surname derived from the Old French word "bouler," meaning "to boil," referring to a maker of kettles or boilers.

What does the Buller map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Buller 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.