NameCensus.

UK surname

Pullen

Derived from a place name meaning "pool" or "stream," or from an occupational name for a poultry keeper.

In the 1881 census there were 3,954 people recorded with the Pullen surname, ranking it #1,147 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 5,822, ranked #1,153, down from #1,147 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Mersea, West. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Caerphilly, Herefordshire and Guildford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Pullen is 6,220 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 47.2%.

1881 census count

3,954

Ranked #1,147

Modern count

5,822

2016, ranked #1,153

Peak year

1999

6,220 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Pullen had 3,954 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,147 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 5,822 in 2016, ranked #1,153.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 5,885 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Pullen surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Pullen surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Pullen 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 2,477 #1,200
1861 historical 2,052 #1,412
1881 historical 3,954 #1,147
1891 historical 4,317 #1,100
1901 historical 5,342 #1,055
1911 historical 5,885 #880
1997 modern 6,030 #1,087
1998 modern 6,216 #1,094
1999 modern 6,220 #1,100
2000 modern 6,112 #1,118
2001 modern 5,937 #1,121
2002 modern 6,099 #1,114
2003 modern 5,867 #1,130
2004 modern 5,836 #1,137
2005 modern 5,748 #1,136
2006 modern 5,767 #1,133
2007 modern 5,759 #1,140
2008 modern 5,781 #1,143
2009 modern 5,887 #1,143
2010 modern 6,051 #1,142
2011 modern 5,940 #1,148
2012 modern 5,818 #1,142
2013 modern 5,911 #1,147
2014 modern 5,907 #1,154
2015 modern 5,839 #1,154
2016 modern 5,822 #1,153

Geography

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Where Pullens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, Mersea, West and Lambeth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Caerphilly, Herefordshire, Guildford, Rushmoor and Bromsgrove. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Mersea, West Essex
5 Lambeth London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Caerphilly 002 Caerphilly
2 Herefordshire 018 Herefordshire, County of
3 Guildford 001 Guildford
4 Rushmoor 010 Rushmoor
5 Bromsgrove 013 Bromsgrove

Forenames

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First names often paired with Pullen

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Pullen

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

Pullen is most concentrated in decile 2 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Pullen falls in decile 8 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Pullen

The surname Pullen is believed to have originated in England, with its roots dating back to the 13th century. It is thought to have derived from the Old English word "pull" or "pulle," which referred to a small stream or brook. This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who lived near a small body of water.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1273, where it appears as "Henry Pulle." The Hundred Rolls were a series of administrative records compiled during the reign of King Edward I, providing valuable insights into the names and occupations of individuals living in various counties at that time.

The Pullen surname has also been linked to various place names throughout England, such as Pulham in Norfolk and Pulborough in West Sussex. These locations likely influenced the spelling variations of the name over time, with variations like Pullen, Pullan, and Pullin being recorded.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a record of landholders in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are no direct references to the Pullen surname. However, the book does mention several place names that may have contributed to the evolution of the name, such as Pulham in Norfolk and Pulborough in West Sussex.

Notable individuals with the Pullen surname throughout history include:

1. John Pullen (c. 1563-1629), an English divine and academic who served as the President of Magdalen College, Oxford. 2. Tobias Pullen (c. 1648-1714), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works, including "A Collection of Sundry Essays" and "Moderation Still a Virtue." 3. Joseph Pullen (1742-1810), an English farmer and inventor who is credited with developing an early form of the seed drill, a crucial agricultural tool. 4. William John Samuel Pullen (1832-1920), a British naval officer and explorer who participated in several Arctic expeditions and served as the Senior Naval Officer on the Isthmus of Panama during the construction of the Panama Canal. 5. John Joseph Pullen (1904-1989), an American businessman and philanthropist who co-founded the Pullen Moving Company and was a significant donor to various educational and cultural institutions in the San Francisco Bay Area.

While the Pullen surname may have humble origins related to geographic features, it has been carried by individuals who have made significant contributions in various fields, from academia and religion to exploration and business.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Pullen families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Pullen 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. Surrey leads with 768 Pullens recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.10x.

County Total Index
Surrey 768 4.10x
Middlesex 673 1.75x
Sussex 423 6.52x
Kent 241 1.84x
Gloucestershire 199 2.64x
Yorkshire 180 0.47x
Wiltshire 160 4.70x
Berkshire 151 5.23x
Somerset 149 2.41x
Essex 116 1.53x
Lancashire 90 0.20x
Herefordshire 84 5.33x
Hampshire 82 1.04x
Warwickshire 72 0.74x
Worcestershire 70 1.39x
Lincolnshire 67 1.09x
Devon 59 0.74x
Monmouthshire 52 1.87x
Buckinghamshire 42 1.81x
Oxfordshire 38 1.60x
Glamorgan 27 0.40x
Northamptonshire 26 0.72x
Norfolk 18 0.30x
Durham 16 0.14x
Bedfordshire 15 0.75x
Hertfordshire 13 0.49x
Derbyshire 12 0.20x
Northumberland 12 0.21x
Nottinghamshire 12 0.23x
Staffordshire 9 0.07x
Cornwall 7 0.16x
Cambridgeshire 6 0.25x
Cheshire 6 0.07x
Cumberland 6 0.18x
Carmarthenshire 5 0.31x
Dorset 5 0.20x
Royal Navy 5 1.09x
Channel Islands 4 0.35x
Lanarkshire 4 0.03x
Leicestershire 4 0.09x
Midlothian 4 0.08x
Shropshire 4 0.12x
Merionethshire 3 0.43x
Dunbartonshire 1 0.10x
Suffolk 1 0.02x
Westmorland 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. Lambeth in Surrey leads with 94 Pullens recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.80x.

Place Total Index
Lambeth 94 2.80x
Hackney London 74 3.43x
Kensington London 64 2.99x
Woking 59 52.25x
Brighton 58 4.43x
West Mersea 50 343.64x
Kirdford 49 217.68x
Camberwell 48 1.95x
Paddington London 43 3.04x
St Marylebone London 41 2.00x
Shepton Mallet 40 57.60x
Battersea 37 2.61x
Islington London 37 0.99x
Petworth 37 95.53x
Hammersmith London 34 3.59x
St Pancras London 31 1.00x
Shoreditch London 29 1.74x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 28 3.94x
Southwark St George Martyr 28 3.62x
Send Ripley 27 110.57x
Castle Combe 26 398.77x
Birmingham 25 0.77x
Chelsea London 25 2.16x
Clerkenwell London 25 2.75x
Croydon 23 2.21x
Wisborough Green 23 105.60x
Acton 22 9.76x
Newington 22 1.55x
Reigate Borough 22 50.91x
Clapham 21 4.37x
Exeter St Sidwell 21 11.46x
Lancaster 21 7.73x
Bow London 20 4.09x
Clifton 19 4.98x
Horsham 19 15.09x
Kings Norton 19 4.22x
Laycock 19 123.30x
Portsea 19 1.23x
Stoke 19 21.49x
Wivenhoe 19 63.04x
Elstead 18 200.00x
Havant 18 45.10x
Lewisham 18 2.57x
Farnham 17 11.67x
Milton 17 314.81x
St George Hanover 17 3.39x
Subdeanery 17 34.56x
Thame 17 39.36x
Tottenham 17 2.78x
Broadwater 16 10.76x
Christchurch 16 18.61x
Cranbrook 16 28.79x
East West Hanney 16 140.97x
Hove 16 5.62x
Leatherhead 16 34.09x
Leeds 16 0.74x
Stoke Poges 16 56.44x
Sutton Courtney 16 134.34x
Twickenham 16 9.70x
Chiddingfold 15 85.47x
Dunsfold 15 147.49x
Edgbaston 15 4.99x
Godalming 15 12.72x
Greenwich 15 2.45x
Ripon 15 16.97x
Wandsworth 15 4.05x
Westbury On Trym 15 5.87x
Streatham 14 4.91x
Bermondsey 13 1.14x
Cromhall Cromhall Lygon 13 320.99x
Newbury 13 14.06x
Salford 13 0.97x
Sculcoates 13 2.15x
Stoke Newington London 13 4.34x
Chithurst 12 272.11x
Deptford St Paul 12 1.19x
Dorking 12 9.54x
Nocton 12 145.45x
Penge 12 4.89x
Walcot 12 3.64x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 221
Elizabeth 148
Sarah 128
Eliza 83
Alice 78
Ellen 70
Annie 66
Jane 64
Emma 63
Emily 58
Ann 45
Charlotte 40
Caroline 37
Louisa 36
Ada 35
Harriet 34
Florence 31
Edith 29
Kate 28
Fanny 27
Margaret 25
Anne 24
Martha 22
Hannah 21
Harriett 21
Rose 20
Matilda 19
Clara 18
Lucy 18
Maria 17
Susan 17
Frances 14
Catherine 13
Agnes 12
Rebecca 12
Amelia 11
Amy 11
Elizth. 11
Rosa 10
Sophia 10
Maud 9
Minnie 9
Selina 9
Gertrude 8
Julia 8
Ruth 8
Susannah 8
Eleanor 7
Esther 7
Bertha 6

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 233
John 159
George 153
James 146
Henry 112
Thomas 110
Charles 81
Alfred 61
Frederick 57
Edward 50
Albert 40
Arthur 40
Harry 38
Richard 38
Joseph 37
Robert 33
Walter 31
Frank 30
Ernest 26
Edwin 21
David 18
Benjamin 17
Herbert 17
Samuel 15
Francis 14
Daniel 13
Jesse 9
Stephen 9
Peter 8
Wm. 8
Chas. 6
Edmund 6
Fred 6
J. 6
Tom 6
Geo. 5
Percy 5
Sydney 5
Andrew 4
Edgar 4
Isaac 4
Oliver 4
Thos. 4
Abraham 3
Bernard 3
Fredk. 3
Horace 3
Percival 3
Saml. 3
Sidney 3

FAQ

Pullen surname: questions and answers

How common was the Pullen surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,954 people were recorded with the Pullen surname. That placed it at #1,147 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Pullen surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 5,822 in 2016. That gives Pullen a modern rank of #1,153.

What does the Pullen surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "pool" or "stream," or from an occupational name for a poultry keeper.

What does the Pullen map show?

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