NameCensus.

UK surname

Fuller

An occupational surname referring to someone who fulls or walks on cloth to clean and thicken it.

In the 1881 census there were 12,091 people recorded with the Fuller surname, ranking it #355 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 17,024, ranked #366, down from #355 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Pancras and Lambeth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Cambridgeshire, Fenland and Lewes.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Fuller is 17,907 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 40.8%.

1881 census count

12,091

Ranked #355

Modern count

17,024

2016, ranked #366

Peak year

1999

17,907 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Fuller had 12,091 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #355 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 17,024 in 2016, ranked #366.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 16,592 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Fuller surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Fuller surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Fuller 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 7,596 #368
1861 historical 7,224 #395
1881 historical 12,091 #355
1891 historical 12,465 #356
1901 historical 15,252 #343
1911 historical 16,592 #289
1997 modern 17,200 #343
1998 modern 17,809 #347
1999 modern 17,907 #347
2000 modern 17,818 #346
2001 modern 17,362 #347
2002 modern 17,746 #346
2003 modern 17,288 #346
2004 modern 17,224 #346
2005 modern 16,793 #351
2006 modern 16,743 #353
2007 modern 16,808 #353
2008 modern 16,813 #355
2009 modern 17,172 #358
2010 modern 17,543 #358
2011 modern 17,243 #361
2012 modern 16,891 #362
2013 modern 17,219 #365
2014 modern 17,308 #366
2015 modern 17,133 #365
2016 modern 17,024 #366

Geography

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Where Fullers are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to East Cambridgeshire, Fenland, Lewes and Tunbridge Wells. 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 Pancras London (North Districts)
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Cambridgeshire 006 East Cambridgeshire
2 East Cambridgeshire 008 East Cambridgeshire
3 Fenland 011 Fenland
4 Lewes 003 Lewes
5 Tunbridge Wells 004 Tunbridge Wells

Forenames

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First names often paired with Fuller

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Fuller

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Fuller is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Fuller 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

Fuller falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Fuller 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 Fuller, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Fuller

The surname FULLER originated in England and dates back to the medieval period. It is an occupational name derived from the Old English word "fullere," meaning a person who worked as a fuller, responsible for cleaning and thickening woolen cloth through a process of beating and shrinking the fibers.

The name is found in various early records, including the Domesday Book of 1086, which lists several individuals with the surname FULLER or its variations, such as Fulcher or Fulcharius, residing in different counties across England. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of Thomas le Fullere from Huntingdonshire in 1273.

During the Middle Ages, the FULLER surname was particularly prevalent in counties with thriving wool industries, such as Norfolk, Suffolk, and Somerset. The presence of fulling mills and the demand for skilled fullers contributed to the widespread use of this occupational surname.

Prominent individuals with the surname FULLER include Thomas FULLER (1608-1661), an English churchman and historian known for his work "The Worthies of England," which provided biographies of notable figures from various counties. Another notable figure was Nicholas FULLER (1557-1626), an English scholar and theologian who played a significant role in the Hampton Court Conference, which led to the translation of the King James Bible.

In the realm of literature, Sarah FULLER (1808-1846) was an American novelist and pioneer of the Western fiction genre, known for her works depicting life on the frontier. Alfred Carlos FULLER (1885-1973) was an American author and playwright who received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1939 for his play "The Talleys."

The FULLER surname also has connections to military history, with John FULLER (1837-1909), an English military writer and historian who served in the British Army and wrote extensively on military strategy and tactics.

Over time, the FULLER surname has seen variations in spelling, including Fullere, Fullar, and Fullere, reflecting regional dialects and scribal practices. Additionally, the name has been associated with various place names, such as Fuller's Green in Buckinghamshire and Fuller's Hill in Somerset, indicating the presence of families or communities with this surname in those areas.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Fuller families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Fuller 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 2,170 Fullers recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.84x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 2,170 1.84x
Surrey 1,644 2.86x
Kent 1,485 3.68x
Sussex 1,000 5.02x
Norfolk 999 5.50x
Cambridgeshire 693 9.26x
Essex 684 2.93x
Suffolk 605 4.20x
Yorkshire 342 0.29x
Berkshire 317 3.57x
Hampshire 274 1.13x
Bedfordshire 192 3.14x
Lancashire 169 0.12x
Hertfordshire 142 1.74x
Durham 116 0.33x
Lincolnshire 99 0.52x
Somerset 87 0.46x
Huntingdonshire 82 3.49x
Leicestershire 81 0.62x
Buckinghamshire 80 1.12x
Oxfordshire 73 1.00x
Staffordshire 71 0.18x
Warwickshire 63 0.21x
Nottinghamshire 62 0.39x
Gloucestershire 60 0.26x
Devon 52 0.21x
Northamptonshire 50 0.45x
Northumberland 47 0.27x
Wiltshire 43 0.41x
Derbyshire 41 0.22x
Midlothian 30 0.19x
Glamorgan 29 0.14x
Worcestershire 29 0.19x
Cornwall 25 0.19x
Lanarkshire 25 0.07x
Carmarthenshire 22 0.44x
Cheshire 20 0.08x
Royal Navy 15 1.07x
Cumberland 13 0.13x
Monmouthshire 13 0.15x
Westmorland 12 0.46x
Flintshire 7 0.22x
Shropshire 7 0.07x
Aberdeenshire 6 0.05x
Caernarfonshire 6 0.13x
Channel Islands 6 0.17x
Dorset 6 0.08x
Merionethshire 4 0.19x
Rutland 3 0.35x
Denbighshire 2 0.04x
Dunbartonshire 2 0.06x
Renfrewshire 2 0.02x
Stirlingshire 2 0.05x
Brecknockshire 1 0.04x
Buteshire 1 0.14x
Herefordshire 1 0.02x
Radnorshire 1 0.10x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lambeth in Surrey leads with 196 Fullers recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.90x.

Place Total Index
Lambeth 196 1.90x
Camberwell 187 2.48x
Islington London 187 1.63x
St Pancras London 171 1.80x
Croydon 155 4.85x
Mile End Old Town London 126 5.01x
St Marylebone London 123 1.95x
Kensington London 116 1.77x
Burwell 114 127.12x
West Ham 114 2.21x
Brighton 110 2.74x
Reigate Foreign 105 16.84x
Shoreditch London 102 1.99x
Bermondsey 97 2.76x
Bethnal Green London 96 1.87x
St Andrewthe Less 92 10.76x
Newington 91 2.08x
Hackney London 87 1.31x
St George Hanover Square 81 3.89x
Battersea 72 1.66x
Chelsea London 71 1.99x
Paddington London 71 1.63x
Great Yarmouth 69 4.58x
Portsea 69 1.45x
Deptford St Paul 68 2.19x
Bishop Stortford 67 24.63x
Tonbridge 67 4.61x
Lewisham 66 3.07x
Margate St John Baptist 62 8.40x
Tottenham 62 3.29x
Felstead 58 72.56x
Minster In Thanet 58 69.11x
Maidstone 50 4.16x
Dorking 49 12.67x
Poplar London 49 2.20x
St George In East London 49 4.41x
Broadwater 48 10.50x
Bow London 45 2.99x
Ealing 45 4.26x
Hampstead London 45 2.45x
Eastbourne 44 4.80x
Clapham 43 2.91x
Rotherhithe 43 2.95x
Southwark St George Martyr 43 1.81x
Westminster St John 43 2.99x
Hammersmith London 42 1.44x
Plumstead 41 3.05x
Trunch 41 224.78x
Methwold 39 66.36x
Battle 38 28.26x
Bromley London 37 1.42x
Gillingham 37 4.45x
Swanscombe 37 20.43x
Wandsworth 37 3.25x
Heigham 36 3.69x
Sevenoaks 36 11.01x
Soham 36 22.35x
Gorleston 35 9.57x
Lowestoft 35 5.15x
Wrotham 35 26.20x
Edmonton 34 3.57x
Wicken 34 99.24x
Newton 33 113.32x
Hornsey 32 2.14x
Limehouse London 32 2.47x
Bromley 31 5.04x
Barrow 30 81.50x
Beckenham 30 5.69x
Chatteris 30 15.71x
Caversham 29 19.86x
Heathfield 29 35.92x
Hove 28 3.20x
Lakenham 28 10.85x
Norwich St Peter 28 23.48x
Reading St Mary 28 3.94x
Rye 28 14.79x
St Luke London 28 1.48x
Willesden 28 2.51x
Ipswich St Mathew 27 6.69x
Cardington 26 52.22x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 632
Elizabeth 452
Sarah 394
Emma 223
Eliza 220
Ann 202
Alice 200
Ellen 194
Emily 193
Jane 185
Annie 160
Charlotte 116
Louisa 108
Harriet 102
Martha 92
Hannah 85
Florence 83
Edith 79
Caroline 76
Maria 76
Ada 74
Kate 74
Susan 74
Margaret 65
Fanny 63
Clara 52
Frances 52
Lucy 52
Harriett 49
Agnes 47
Rose 42
Amelia 40
Anne 39
Esther 39
Matilda 38
Sophia 38
Jessie 35
Rebecca 35
Catherine 34
Gertrude 33
Julia 32
Minnie 31
Amy 30
Eleanor 27
Ethel 27
Lydia 27
Ruth 27
Susannah 27
Laura 25
Elizth. 23

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 723
John 540
George 529
James 407
Thomas 293
Henry 287
Charles 282
Robert 191
Frederick 181
Edward 178
Alfred 173
Arthur 162
Walter 124
Joseph 115
Albert 104
Harry 89
Richard 83
Ernest 71
Samuel 71
Frank 65
Herbert 60
David 43
Francis 40
Edwin 38
Stephen 36
Benjamin 34
Fred 29
Percy 25
Fredrick 22
Fredk. 18
Andrew 17
Chas. 17
Wm. 17
Daniel 14
Frederic 14
Edgar 13
Geo. 13
Lewis 12
Peter 12
Thos. 12
Willm. 12
Edmund 11
Jesse 11
Mark 11
Philip 11
Earnest 10
Isaac 10
Horace 9
Robt. 9
Willie 9

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 Fuller households.

FAQ

Fuller surname: questions and answers

How common was the Fuller surname in 1881?

In 1881, 12,091 people were recorded with the Fuller surname. That placed it at #355 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Fuller surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 17,024 in 2016. That gives Fuller a modern rank of #366.

What does the Fuller surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to someone who fulls or walks on cloth to clean and thicken it.

What does the Fuller map show?

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