Show ContentsBulla History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Bulla surname derives from the Latin word "bulla," which means "bubble." The origins of the surname seem to lie with the Papal bull, originally a lead (bubble like) seal of authenticity used on patents and charters issued by the Pope. Later the term came to mean the whole document itself. From this, it is supposed that Bulla may have been an occupational name originally used by someone whose work involved preparing papal bulls. There is record of the Latin word "bullator," first documented in 1250, denoting the official who sealed papal bulls.

Early Origins of the Bulla family

The surname Bulla was first found in the North, where the Earliest records are of Bullo di Chioggia, Venetia in 1049. The family is said to have moved here from Padoua.

Early History of the Bulla family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bulla research. Another 102 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1672 and 1830 are included under the topic Early Bulla History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bulla Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Bulla, Bullo, Bulli and others.

Early Notables of the Bulla family

Prominent among members of the family was

  • the Bulla di Genova family


United States Bulla migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Bulla Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Watson Bulla, aged 16, who landed in New York, NY in 1893 [1]

New Zealand Bulla migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Bulla Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • George Bulla, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Rob Roy" in 1865
  • Miss Martha Bulla, British settler travelling from London, UK with 1 child aboard the ship "Assaye" arriving in Auckland, North Island, New Zealand on 26th December 1874 [2]
  • Martha Bulla, aged 28, a servant, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Assaye" in 1874 [2]

Contemporary Notables of the name Bulla (post 1700) +

  • Art Bulla, American founder of The Church of Jesus Christ
  • John Guthrie Bulla (1914-2003), American professional golfer
  • Max Bulla (1905-1990), Austrian professional road bicycle racer
  • Ludwig Bulla (1896-1964), Danish-born, Oberst in the Luftwaffe during World War II, recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
  • Carlos Alberto Bulla (1943-1964), Argentine footballer who competed at the 1964 Summer Olympics
  • Clyde Robert Bulla (b. 1914), American author of books for children
  • Karl Bulla (1855-1930), Russian (of Swiss-German ancestry) photographer


  1. 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)
  2. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html


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