Bullis History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany

The name Bullis is rooted in the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. It is a name for someone who worked as a person who worked as a bull herder or a keeper of cattle. The surname Bullis is a name for the bull-herd, and is derived from the Old English word Bulluc, which literally means bullherder. 1

Another source notes a similar origin of the name: "bull-ward-either the man who presided over the sport of bull-baiting, or the one who had the care of the 'townbull.' " 2

Early Origins of the Bullis family

The surname Bullis was first found in Wiltshire where the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed Geoffrey Bolhard as one of the first listings of the family. The same source listed Fulco Bulard as holding lands at that time in Kent. 3

In Suffolk, an earlier record of the family was found, that of Henry Buliard who was listed in the Feet of Fines for 1198. 4

One of the earliest records of the family in America was William Bullard (1594-1686), an early resident and two term Selectman in Dedham, Massachusetts. He was the eldest of four brothers who emigrated c. 1634-1635 and settled first at Watertown. All four brothers had issue. William was instrumental in the "planting of Dedham" and signed the social compact.

Early History of the Bullis family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bullis research. Another 219 words (16 lines of text) covering the years 1198, 1273, 1275, 1500, 1524, 1672 and 1806 are included under the topic Early Bullis History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bullis Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Bullis are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Bullis include: Bullard, Buliard, Bolhard, Bulard, Bulward and others.

Early Notables of the Bullis family

Another 33 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bullis Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bullis Ranking

In the United States, the name Bullis is the 8,853^rd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 5

Bullis migration to the United States +

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Bullis or a variant listed above:

Bullis Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Thomas Bullis, who arrived in America in 1782 6

Contemporary Notables of the name Bullis (post 1700) +

Robert Bullis (b. 1952), American professional football player
Harry Amos Bullis (1890-1963), American business executive, President and Chairman of General Mills
John Lapham Bullis (1841-1911), much-decorated American soldier and later an entrepreneur
Clayton George Bullis, former Canadian diplomat

Citations +

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.
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)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)