Show ContentsBulloch History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Bulloch surname is derived from the Middle English word "bullok," from the Old English "bulluc," which refer to a "young bull." As a name, it most likely evolved from a nickname for an exuberant young man, or a metonymic occupational name for a keeper of bullocks. 1 2

Early Origins of the Bulloch family

The surname Bulloch was first found in Roxburghshire where one of the earliest records of the name was Adam Bulloc who witnessed an agreement the abbot and the monks of Newbattle c. 1250. A few years later, Richard Bullock was slain at the Battle of Cambok in 1278. 3

"The name was probably introduced from England, and in the fourteenth century there was 'a family of sailors of the name trading between English and Scottish port.' " 3

"William Bulloc was attorney for the provost of Haddington, 1329. Another William Bullok, 'an ecclesiastic of obscure birth but great military talent was prominent in the early part of the reign of David 11, but eventually falling under suspicion was confined in a squalid dungeon in Lochindorb Castle to die of cold and hunger in 1346. Robert Bullock, custumar of Aberdeen, 1358-1370 may be the Robert Bullok who witnessed a deed of sale, 1383. " 3

Balloch Castle was north-east of the village of Kenmore, Perth and Kinross and was built in 1552. In the early 19th century, Balloch Castle was demolished by the Campbells of Breadalbane so that a new much larger castle could be built.

Further to the south in England, the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed a wide variety of spellings and locations: Alan Bulloc, Lincolnshire; Ralph Bullokke, Norfolk; Godwin Bulloc, Suffolk; Richard Bulluc, Oxfordshire; and William Bolloc, Oxfordshire. The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed Walterus Bullok as holding lands there at that time. 4

Early History of the Bulloch family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bulloch research. Another 182 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1444, 1446, 1454, 1464, 1520, 1521, 1526, 1580, 1586, 1590, 1604, 1616, 1622, 1641, 1642, 1657, 1690, 1692, 1724, 1730, 1740, 1777 and 1931 are included under the topic Early Bulloch History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bulloch Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Bullock, Bullocke, Bulloch, Bullok, Bulloc and others.

Early Notables of the Bulloch family

Notable amongst the family name during their early history was Henry Bullock (d. 1526), an English divine, educated at the university of Cambridge. George Bullock (1521?-1580?), was a Catholic divine, born in or about 1521. It has been conjectured that he received his early education at Eton, whence he removed to St. John's College, Cambridge.Christopher Bullock (1690?-1724), was an English actor and dramatist, spoken of in the playbills as Bullock, junior, was the son of William Bullock (1657?-1740?), also an actor. Thomas Bullaker (1604?-1642), was a Franciscan...
Another 86 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bulloch Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bulloch Ranking

In the United States, the name Bulloch is the 11,264th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 5

Migration of the Bulloch family to Ireland

Some of the Bulloch family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Bulloch migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Bulloch Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • James Bulloch, who arrived in Charleston, South Carolina in 1730 6

Bulloch migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Bulloch Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • James Bulloch, who arrived in Canada in 1820

Contemporary Notables of the name Bulloch (post 1700) +

  • Jamie Bulloch (1909-1992), Professional Footballer and captain of Hamilton Academicals in the 1930's
  • William Bellinger Bulloch (1777-1852), American politician, United States Senator from Georgia in 1813, Mayor of Savannah (1809-1811) and (1811-1812)
  • Martha Stewart "Mittie" Bulloch (1835-1884), American socialite, mother of Theodore Roosevelt
  • James Stephens Bulloch (1793-1849), early American planter, grandfather of Theodore Roosevelt
  • James Dunwoody Bulloch (1823-1901), American chief foreign agent for the Confederate States
  • Irvine Bulloch (1842-1898), American Confederate Navy officer, brother of Martha Bulloch Roosevelt, mother of Theodore Roosevelt
  • Archibald Bulloch (1730-1777), American lawyer and politician, 3rd Governor of Georgia in 1777, great-great-grandfather of Theodore Roosevelt
  • Jeremy Bulloch (1945-2020), English actor best known for the role of the bounty hunter Boba Fett in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi
  • Gordon Bulloch (b. 1975), Scottish rugby union player
  • Angela Bulloch (b. 1966), Canadian-born, British artist


The Bulloch Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Nil conscire sibi
Motto Translation: Conscious of no wrong


  1. Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
  2. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  3. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
  4. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  5. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  6. 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)


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