Fulker History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Fulker is a name that came to England in the 11th century wave of migration that was set off by the Norman Conquest of 1066. Fulker comes from the Germanic personal name Fulcher. It is composed of the elements folk, which means people, and hari, which means army.

Early Origins of the Fulker family

The surname Fulker was first found in Lincolnshire and Derbyshire where they were granted lands about the time of William the Conqueror. Historically, the Fulchers were known as the Champions of Burgundy and records were found of the name spelt Fulchere in Normandy (1180-1195). 1 The name could have also been derived from the Ango-Saxon word "folgere", in other words a follower, an attendant, a free-man who did not have a house of his own. 2

Early History of the Fulker family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fulker research. Another 168 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1170, 1272, 1273, 1284, 1307, 1379, 1617, 1690, 1737, 1795, 1803, 1830, 1855 and 1893 are included under the topic Early Fulker History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fulker Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, Norman French and other languages became incorporated into English throughout the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Fulker include Fulcher, Fulger, Fulker, Fucher, Fullager, Folker, Foucar, Foulger, Futcher, Folger, Fugler, Fuche, Fuge, Fuidge, Fudge, Foutch and many more.

Early Notables of the Fulker family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Walter Fulcher of Lincolnshire, Thomas Fulcher (1737-1803), a British architect, George Williams Fulcher (1795-1855), a well-known poet, and John...
Another 26 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Fulker Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Fulker family to Ireland

Some of the Fulker family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 33 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fulker migration to the United States +

In England at this time, the uncertainty of the political and religious environment of the time caused many families to board ships for distant British colonies in the hopes of finding land and opportunity, and escaping persecution. The voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, though, and many arrived in North America sick, starved, and destitute. Those who did make it, however, were greeted with greater opportunities and freedoms that they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Early immigration records have shown some of the first Fulkers to arrive on North American shores:

Fulker Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Johan Fulker, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1732 3
Johanis Fulker, aged 58, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1732 3
Carl Fulker, aged 23, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1734 3

Fulker migration to Australia +

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

Fulker Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

George Fulker, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Orleana" in 1840 4

Citations +

The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
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)
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) ORLEANA 1840. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1840Orleana.htm