NameCensus.

UK surname

Fulton

Derived from a place name meaning "muddy settlement" or "town by a muddy creek" in Old English.

In the 1881 census there were 3,796 people recorded with the Fulton surname, ranking it #1,203 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 5,211, ranked #1,296, down from #1,203 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Beith, Govan Combination and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Allerdale, Crosshouse, Gatehead and Kilmaurs Rural and Earlston and Hurlford Rural.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Fulton is 5,298 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 37.3%.

1881 census count

3,796

Ranked #1,203

Modern count

5,211

2016, ranked #1,296

Peak year

2010

5,298 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Fulton had 3,796 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,203 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 5,211 in 2016, ranked #1,296.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 4,464 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Fulton surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Fulton surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Fulton 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 2,559 #1,156
1861 historical 2,906 #993
1881 historical 3,796 #1,203
1891 historical 3,976 #1,205
1901 historical 4,464 #1,273
1911 historical 1,254 #3,793
1997 modern 4,921 #1,332
1998 modern 5,097 #1,335
1999 modern 5,106 #1,343
2000 modern 5,082 #1,345
2001 modern 4,938 #1,346
2002 modern 5,093 #1,330
2003 modern 5,003 #1,317
2004 modern 5,021 #1,316
2005 modern 5,009 #1,304
2006 modern 5,009 #1,306
2007 modern 5,052 #1,308
2008 modern 5,098 #1,306
2009 modern 5,178 #1,315
2010 modern 5,298 #1,314
2011 modern 5,188 #1,320
2012 modern 5,089 #1,320
2013 modern 5,169 #1,323
2014 modern 5,219 #1,316
2015 modern 5,211 #1,302
2016 modern 5,211 #1,296

Geography

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Where Fultons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Beith, Govan Combination, Edinburgh, Greenock and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Allerdale, Crosshouse, Gatehead and Kilmaurs Rural, Earlston and Hurlford Rural, Kilmaurs and Altonhill North and Onthank. 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 Beith Ayr
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Greenock Renfrew
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Allerdale 009 Allerdale
2 Crosshouse, Gatehead and Kilmaurs Rural East Ayrshire
3 Earlston and Hurlford Rural East Ayrshire
4 Kilmaurs East Ayrshire
5 Altonhill North and Onthank East Ayrshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Fulton

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Fulton

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Fulton, 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 Fulton surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Fulton 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

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Fulton is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

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

Fulton is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Fulton

The surname Fulton originates from England and dates back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "ful" meaning "muddy" or "foul" and "tun" meaning "town" or "settlement". This suggests the name refers to a person who lived in a muddy or unpleasant town or village.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Fulton can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, where it appears as "Fulton". The Pipe Rolls were a record of financial accounts kept by the English Crown.

The Fulton surname is also found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which were census-like records of landowners in England at the time. In these rolls, the name is spelled as "Fultone".

There are several place names in England that likely contributed to the Fulton surname, such as Fulton in Yorkshire and Fulton in Staffordshire. These place names may have originally been spelled as "Fultun" or "Fultone".

One notable person with the surname Fulton was Robert Fulton (1765-1815), the American engineer and inventor who is credited with developing the first commercially successful steamboat. He was born in Pennsylvania to Irish immigrant parents.

Another famous Fulton was Robert Fulton Cutting (1852-1912), an American lawyer and financier who played a significant role in the development of New York City's subway system.

In the arts, Hamish Fulton (born 1946) is a Scottish artist known for his walking art and landscape photography.

Sir Robert Fulton (1855-1923) was a Scottish civil engineer who designed the Usher Bridge in Edinburgh and the Walney Bridge in Cumbria.

Mary Fulton (1854-1928) was a Scottish author and journalist who wrote extensively about her travels and observations of life in different parts of the world.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Fulton families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Fulton 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. Lanarkshire leads with 1,004 Fultons recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.42x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 1,004 8.42x
Ayrshire 727 26.35x
Renfrewshire 499 17.47x
Lancashire 213 0.49x
Middlesex 140 0.38x
Midlothian 103 2.09x
Northumberland 103 1.88x
Durham 101 0.92x
Wigtownshire 93 19.00x
Fife 83 3.80x
Cumberland 59 1.86x
Angus 51 1.49x
Stirlingshire 51 3.75x
Cheshire 48 0.59x
Perthshire 48 2.90x
Berwickshire 47 10.53x
Dunbartonshire 40 4.04x
Kent 39 0.31x
Yorkshire 39 0.11x
East Lothian 26 5.32x
Gloucestershire 19 0.26x
West Lothian 18 3.24x
Westmorland 16 1.97x
Aberdeenshire 14 0.41x
Buteshire 14 6.27x
Selkirkshire 14 4.20x
Surrey 14 0.08x
Argyllshire 13 1.27x
Dumfriesshire 12 1.47x
Kincardineshire 11 2.45x
Kirkcudbrightshire 11 2.06x
Glamorgan 10 0.16x
Hampshire 10 0.13x
Lincolnshire 10 0.17x
Staffordshire 10 0.08x
Clackmannanshire 9 2.96x
Wiltshire 7 0.21x
Berkshire 6 0.22x
Essex 6 0.08x
Roxburghshire 6 0.90x
Derbyshire 5 0.09x
Devon 5 0.07x
Royal Navy 5 1.14x
Somerset 5 0.08x
Hertfordshire 3 0.12x
Monmouthshire 2 0.08x
Herefordshire 1 0.07x
Huntingdonshire 1 0.14x
Isle of Man 1 0.15x
Kinross-shire 1 1.07x
Leicestershire 1 0.02x
Northamptonshire 1 0.03x
Oxfordshire 1 0.04x
Ross-shire 1 0.10x
Sussex 1 0.02x
Warwickshire 1 0.01x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barony in Lanarkshire leads with 325 Fultons recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.77x.

Place Total Index
Barony 325 10.77x
Govan 290 9.84x
Glasgow 165 7.79x
Kilmarnock 112 34.11x
Abbey 107 24.55x
Beith 102 123.91x
Kilmaurs 99 210.91x
West Greenock 67 13.07x
Paisley High Church 63 27.70x
Kilbarchan 48 55.31x
Dreghorn 45 90.11x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 43 2.16x
East Greenock 42 15.57x
Maybole 42 50.00x
Birkenhead 38 5.86x
Whithorn 34 91.15x
Fenwick 33 226.03x
Rutherglen 31 17.72x
Irvine 28 36.54x
Hamilton 27 8.12x
Bishopwearmouth 26 2.76x
Colmonell 26 93.73x
Liverpool 24 0.90x
Paisley Middle Church 24 14.43x
Dundonald 23 22.61x
Old Monkland 23 4.86x
Monkwearmouth Shore 21 9.81x
New Monkland 21 5.96x
St Pancras London 21 0.71x
Cathcart 19 12.29x
Everton 19 1.36x
Newton On Ayr 19 22.99x
Port Glasgow 19 13.76x
Bothwell 18 5.57x
Dalmellington 18 22.19x
Kensington London 18 0.88x
Maryhill 18 7.71x
Cambuslang 17 14.14x
Coldstream 17 52.63x
Mearns 17 33.97x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 17 5.19x
Riccarton Hurlford 17 35.13x
West Derby 17 1.33x
Kilbirnie 16 24.15x
Cadder 15 17.04x
Dunfermline 15 4.47x
Kilmadock 15 39.42x
Kilwinning 15 16.84x
Lochwinnoch 15 35.23x
Middle Greenock 15 19.24x
Paisley Low Church 15 16.59x
Stevenston 15 20.86x
Widnes 15 4.75x
Cowpen 14 11.08x
Islington London 14 0.39x
Stewarton 14 25.65x
Toxteth Park 14 0.95x
Cambusnethan 13 4.91x
Deptford St Paul 13 1.34x
Liff Benvie 13 2.51x
Penninghame 13 26.04x
Pittenweem 13 48.33x
Stirling 13 7.58x
Ardrossan 12 12.57x
Clerkenwell London 12 1.38x
Dailly 12 42.64x
Galston 12 15.90x
Kirkintilloch 12 8.92x
North Leith 12 5.25x
South Leith 12 2.16x
Ayr 11 8.45x
Crosscanonby 11 10.48x
East Kilbride 11 21.55x
Eastwood 11 6.25x
Great Bolton 11 1.90x
Inverkip 11 16.34x
Lambeth 11 0.34x
Leeds 11 0.53x
Normanby In 11 11.26x
Stamford 11 632.18x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 75
William 70
James 39
Robert 29
George 24
Thomas 19
David 13
Edward 12
Charles 11
Joseph 11
Alexander 10
Henry 9
Peter 9
Andrew 8
Isaac 7
Alfred 6
Samuel 6
Hugh 5
Wm. 5
Frederick 3
Lewis 3
Thos. 3
Walter 3
Archabald 2
Arthur 2
Francis 2
Fred 2
Fredk. 2
Herbert 2
Laurence 2
Percy 2
Robt. 2
Sydney 2
Aretine 1
Bertie 1
C. 1
Carles 1
Danl. 1
Earnest 1
Edgar 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Eustace 1
Forrest 1
Hamilton 1
Harry 1
Hen. 1
J. 1
J.F. 1
Jacob 1

FAQ

Fulton surname: questions and answers

How common was the Fulton surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,796 people were recorded with the Fulton surname. That placed it at #1,203 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Fulton surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 5,211 in 2016. That gives Fulton a modern rank of #1,296.

What does the Fulton surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "muddy settlement" or "town by a muddy creek" in Old English.

What does the Fulton map show?

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