Bulls History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

The name Bulls comes from a name for a person of strong character or who was physically strong and big. 1 2 3

Early Origins of the Bulls family

The surname Bulls was first found in Somerset, where John le Bole was one of the first listings of the name found in 1284. 4 The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list: William le Bole in Cambridgeshire; Geoffrey Bolle in Staffordshire; Ralph le Bule in Oxfordshire; and Robert le Bule in Somerset. The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 list: Willelmus Bulle; and Elena Bull. 5

Wulfin Bule was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Hampshire in 1170, Hulle le Bule was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Somerset in 1201, William le Bole was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls for Surrey in 1214 and Ralph le Bulle was listed in Northumberland in 1288. 6

The name reached as far north as Scotland where the name Bull was evident from 1296 when William Bull of Ayrshire rendered homage, to King Edward I of England on his brief conquest of Scotland. 7

Early History of the Bulls family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bulls research. Another 242 words (17 lines of text) covering the years 1200, 1275, 1376, 1535, 1540, 1552, 1563, 1575, 1582, 1585, 1591, 1605, 1610, 1623, 1628, 1630, 1634, 1636, 1660, 1661, 1679, 1684, 1685, 1686, 1689, 1690, 1692, 1694, 1710 and 1852 are included under the topic Early Bulls History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bulls Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Bulls include Bull, Bule, Bulls, Buyll, Bula and others.

Early Notables of the Bulls family

Distinguished members of the family include

John Bull (1563?-1628), was an musician, 'of the same family, as it seems, with those of his name in Somersetshire.' "According to the pedigree of the Bulls of Peglinch or Peylinch in the parish of We...

Bulls migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Bulls Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. William Bulls who was convicted in Colchester, Essex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Elizabeth" on 3rd October 1831, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 8

Contemporary Notables of the name Bulls (post 1700) +

Roy Bulls, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Texas, 1988 9

Citations +

Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 9th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elizabeth
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 3) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html