Fulbright History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

The historic region of Austria is the birthplace of the esteemed surname Fulbright. The name is derived from "Fulbright," a personal name of Teutonic origin, popular in various forms throughout Europe during the Middle Ages, meaning "illustrious." The surname was most likely first borne by the son of one called Fulbright.

Early Origins of the Fulbright family

The surname Fulbright was first found in Austria, where the name emerged in mediaeval times as one of the notable families of the region. From the 13th century the surname was identified with the great social and economic evolution which made this territory a landmark contributor to the development of the nation.

The name was especially common throughout the Middle Ages owing to the fame of the holy Adalbert of Prague, the archbishop who was martyred in 997 while converting the tribes of Prussia. Albrecht I (1255-1308) was the King of Germany from 1298 to 1308. Albrecht II (1397-1439,) son of Duke Albrecht IV of Austria, was elected German King in 1438, returning the house of Habsburg to the imperial throne after a lapse of 132 years.

Albrecht III "the Pious" (1401-60) was the much-loved Duke of Bavaria, as was his son, Duke Albrecht IV "the wise." These kings and dukes contributed to the popularity of the name.

Early History of the Fulbright family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fulbright research. Another 157 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1567, 1604, 1621, 1626, 1631, 1638, 1651, 1657, 1674, 1677, 1752, 1760 and 1814 are included under the topic Early Fulbright History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fulbright Spelling Variations

One can encounter great variation in the spelling of surnames: in early times, spelling in general, and thus the spelling of names was not yet standardized; and later, spellings would change with branching and movement of families. Variations of the name Fulbright include Albrecht, Albrech, Allbrecht, Albrechs, Adalbert, Albert and many more.

Early Notables of the Fulbright family

During this period prominent bearers of the name Fulbright were Albrecht, Marschall von Rapperswil, who was a great Swiss nobleman and poet at the end of the 13th century. Among the many prominent mediaeval troubadours and poets with this name are: Albrecht von Eyb, Albrecht von Halberstadt, Albrecht von Johannsdorf, Albrecht von...
Another 51 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Fulbright Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fulbright Ranking

In the United States, the name Fulbright is the 8,486^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Fulbright migration to the United States +

After the First World War, Austria became a republic. The Treaty of Versailles broke up the empire in 1919 and many of the Sudeten Germans were incorporated into the new nation of Czechoslovakia. In the 20th century, many Austrians migrated to other parts of Germany or Europe, as well as to North America. In the United States, the majority of settlers landed in Philadelphia, and moved on to Ohio, Texas, Illinois, California, New York, and Maryland. Many German settlers also migrated to Canada, particularly Ontario and the Prairies. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Fulbright were

Fulbright Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

William Fulbright, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1762 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Fulbright (post 1700) +

Freeman Fulbright (1925-1978), American reporter and public relations executive, editor of Newsweek and executive editor of the New York Herald Tribune (1961-1964)
James Franklin Fulbright (1877-1948), American politician, U.S. Representative from Missouri (1931-1933)
Harriet Anna Mayor Fulbright AM (b. 1933), American widow of United States Senator J. William Fulbright and the former Executive Director of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities
R.C. Fulbright, American lawyer and co-founder of Fulbright & Jaworski LLP, one of the largest law firms in the United States in 1919
Dr. Yvonne Kristin Fulbright, Iceland-born, American sexologist, author, and television personality
James William Fulbright (1905-1995), United States Senator and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom

Citations +

"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)