NameCensus.

UK surname

Fullen

Derived from a place name meaning "bird hill" or referring to someone living near a foul-smelling hill.

In the 1881 census there were 42 people recorded with the Fullen surname, ranking it #27,721 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 171, ranked #21,726, up from #27,721 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, London parishes and Methwold. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Newcastle upon Tyne, Oldham and Wiltshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Fullen is 260 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 307.1%.

1881 census count

42

Ranked #27,721

Modern count

171

2016, ranked #21,726

Peak year

1891

260 bearers

Map years

7

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Fullen had 42 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #27,721 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 171 in 2016, ranked #21,726.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 260 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Fullen surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Fullen surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Fullen 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 72 #20,720
1861 historical 207 #11,687
1881 historical 42 #27,721
1891 historical 260 #12,367
1901 historical 115 #21,050
1911 historical 148 #18,023
1997 modern 168 #19,642
1998 modern 165 #20,423
1999 modern 165 #20,535
2000 modern 168 #20,252
2001 modern 154 #21,122
2002 modern 166 #20,532
2003 modern 170 #20,023
2004 modern 165 #20,530
2005 modern 162 #20,716
2006 modern 170 #20,214
2007 modern 169 #20,562
2008 modern 168 #20,828
2009 modern 177 #20,560
2010 modern 180 #20,812
2011 modern 173 #21,172
2012 modern 183 #20,356
2013 modern 176 #21,237
2014 modern 179 #21,186
2015 modern 176 #21,291
2016 modern 171 #21,726

Geography

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Where Fullens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, London parishes, Methwold, Manchester and Yeldham, Great. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Newcastle upon Tyne, Oldham and Wiltshire. 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 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 London parishes London 3
3 Methwold Norfolk
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Yeldham, Great Essex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Newcastle upon Tyne 027 Newcastle upon Tyne
2 Oldham 029 Oldham
3 Wiltshire 039 Wiltshire
4 Newcastle upon Tyne 011 Newcastle upon Tyne
5 Newcastle upon Tyne 031 Newcastle upon Tyne

Forenames

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First names often paired with Fullen

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Fullen

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Fullen, 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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Fullen surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Fullen household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Fullen is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Fullen is most concentrated in decile 8 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

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

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Fullen falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Fullen is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 20-25 mbit/s.

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

4
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Fullen

The surname Fullen is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be a variant of the surname Fullarton, which is derived from the Old English words "fullere" meaning a walker of cloth and "tun" meaning an enclosure or settlement. This suggests that the name may have been occupational in origin, referring to someone who worked as a fuller or cloth walker in a particular town or village.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Fullen can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from the year 1195, where a person named Robert Fullen is mentioned. This indicates that the name was already established in England by the late 12th century.

The surname Fullen is also believed to have connections to various place names across England, such as Fullenham in Norfolk and Fullerton in Staffordshire. These place names may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.

In the 13th century, a person named William Fullen is recorded as being a witness to a land grant in the county of Oxfordshire. This provides evidence of the surname's presence in different regions of England during the medieval period.

One notable individual with the surname Fullen was John Fullen, a Benedictine monk who lived in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. He is known for his writings on religious subjects and his involvement in the monastic community at Bury St. Edmunds in Suffolk.

Another individual worth mentioning is Thomas Fullen, who was born in the late 16th century and served as a member of the English Parliament during the reign of King Charles I. He represented the borough of Saltash in Cornwall and was a prominent figure in local politics.

In the 17th century, a man named Robert Fullen gained recognition as a skilled architect and builder. He was responsible for the construction of several notable buildings in London, including St. Mary's Church in Islington.

During the 18th century, a woman named Elizabeth Fullen made a name for herself as a renowned artist and portraitist. Her paintings were highly regarded, and she received commissions from wealthy patrons across England.

Lastly, in the 19th century, a writer and historian named William Fullen published several works on the history of England and its notable figures. His books were well-received and contributed to the understanding of the country's rich past.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Fullen families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Fullen 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. Lancashire leads with 23 Fullens recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.73x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 23 4.73x
Yorkshire 5 1.23x
Middlesex 4 0.98x
Durham 3 2.46x
Cumberland 2 5.67x
Hampshire 1 1.19x
Huntingdonshire 1 12.30x
Northumberland 1 1.64x
Somerset 1 1.52x
Wiltshire 1 2.76x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Oldham in Lancashire leads with 8 Fullens recorded in 1881 and an index of 50.99x.

Place Total Index
Oldham 8 50.99x
Manchester 6 27.45x
West Derby 6 42.19x
Bromley London 2 22.20x
Caldewgate 2 103.63x
Calverley Cum Farsley 2 173.91x
Wolsingham 2 180.18x
Carisbrooke 1 85.47x
Chorlton On Medlock 1 12.95x
Elswick 1 20.58x
Iveston 1 178.57x
Kingstonupon Hull 1 303.03x
Liverpool 1 3.39x
Lofthouse 1 163.93x
Lonbridge Deverill 1 769.23x
Mile End Old Town London 1 11.47x
Preston 1 7.69x
St George Bloomsbury 1 42.55x
Wales 1 312.50x
Warboys 1 434.78x
Weston Super Mare 1 60.24x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Sarah 4
Mary 3
Ann 1
Bridget 1
Edith 1
Elizabeth 1
Ellen 1
Emma 1
Isabella 1
Jane 1
Rebecca 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 6
William 4
James 3
Harry 2
Thomas 2
Andrew 1
Arthur 1
Charles 1
Christopher 1
Edwin 1
George 1
J. 1
Peter 1
Thos. 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Fullen households.

FAQ

Fullen surname: questions and answers

How common was the Fullen surname in 1881?

In 1881, 42 people were recorded with the Fullen surname. That placed it at #27,721 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Fullen surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 171 in 2016. That gives Fullen a modern rank of #21,726.

What does the Fullen surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "bird hill" or referring to someone living near a foul-smelling hill.

What does the Fullen map show?

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