Bull History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  England 
  Scotland 


The earliest origins of the Bull surname date from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. Their name reveals that an early member was a person of strong character or who was physically strong and big. 1 2 3

Early Origins of the Bull family

The surname Bull 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 Bull family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bull 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 Bull History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bull 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 Bull 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 Bull include: Bull, Bule, Bulls, Buyll, Bula and others.

Early Notables of the Bull family

Distinguished members of the family include

Bull World Ranking

In the United States, the name Bull is the 2,671st most popular surname with an estimated 12,435 people with that name. 9 However, in Australia, the name Bull is ranked the 517th most popular surname with an estimated 7,416 people with that name. 10 And in New Zealand, the name Bull is the 451st popular surname with an estimated 1,529 people with that name. 11 The United Kingdom ranks Bull as 364th with 17,116 people. 12


Bull 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 Bull or a variant listed above:

Bull Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
Bull Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Bull Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Bull migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Bull Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
Bull Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
Bull Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century

Bull migration to Australia +

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

Bull Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Bull 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:

Bull Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Bull migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 21
Bull Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Bull (post 1700) +


Suggested Readings for the name Bull +
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