The Fulton surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 32,258 people carried this name — #1,083 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 9,140 people counted. That is up 2% from 31,513 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Fulton surname

An English habitational surname from Old English.

From Foulden, a village in Norfolk, from Old English fuġol (“bird”) + tūn (“dwelling”).

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Fulton» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a local name, from where the family lived: ‘of Fulton’.

An early record he cites: John de Fultone, Cambridgeshire, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 303 · public domain.

In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890

Ireland registered 32 births for the Fulton name in 1890.

Most were registered in Ulster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 1,400 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time. The Registrar-General’s note on the name: “Antrim.”

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born, 1890

Ulster 32

Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.

In Switzerland’s population statistics

22 people named Fulton live in Switzerland.

They live in 4 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Zurich.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Zurich 10
Geneva 5
Lucerne 4
Basel-Landschaft 3

Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.

In the Nordic population registers

29 people named Fulton is counted in Sweden.

Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published.

Counted, by country

Sweden (2022) 29

Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown).

In Scotland, 1880s

Fullarton and Fulton, counted together, were 18 in every 10,000 names in Scotland.

That is about 1 in 556. Its home there, in Guppy’s words: “Ayrshire.” He counted the more than 20,000 names in Halliburton’s County Directory of Scotland, taking Scotland as a whole, and listed only the names that reached 10 in every 10,000.

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), appendix: alphabetical list of the most frequent Scottish names, p. 589 — public domain · names in Halliburton’s County Directory of Scotland, per 10,000 for the whole country.

In Scotland’s registers today

Fulton was recorded 84 times in Scotland’s registers of births, marriages and deaths in 2025.

That made it the 313th most common name in those registers, shared with others on the same count. In 1975, the first year of the series, the count was 117. Each birth counts the child’s surname, each marriage both partners’ and each death the surname of the person who died — a yearly count of registrations, not of the people who live in Scotland.

National Records of Scotland, «Most Common Surnames, 2025» (published 26 May 2026): every surname recorded 10 or more times in the 2025 registers, and the series from 1975 · different spellings are counted separately — © Crown copyright 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

92 families named Fulton, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 528 people lived in those households, 5.7 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 3 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Pennsylvania 46
New York 9
Maryland 8
Virginia 7
North Carolina 7
Massachusetts 5
South Carolina 5
New Hampshire 3
Maine 2

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 241 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Fulton in American newspapers,
1870–1914.

Newspaper page from The Southern Herald carrying the name Fulton
The Southern Herald 1914-10-16
Newspaper page from The Benton Record carrying the name Fulton
The Benton Record 1877-12-07
Newspaper page from Daily Kennebec Journal carrying the name Fulton
Daily Kennebec Journal 1870-10-19

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 12,864 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Fulton in Australian newspapers,
1800s–2000s.

53,734 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Fulton. The most, 7,739, date from the 1930s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in Tasmania, at 1.7 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 16,307
Victoria 16,077
Queensland 6,543
South Australia 6,255
Tasmania 5,979
Western Australia 1,983
ACT (Canberra) 437
Northern Territory 63

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Fulton.

Who carried it

People named Fulton,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Robert Fulton
    Robert Fulton 1765–1815 · scientist
  • William S. Fulton
    William S. Fulton 1795–1844 · lawyer
  • John Fulton
    John Fulton 1803–1853
  • Thomas Fulton
    Thomas Fulton 1813–1859 · businessperson
  • Catherine Fulton
    Catherine Fulton 1829–1919 · suffragette

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped — John Fulton: Rosser1954, CC BY-SA 3.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0); Catherine Fulton: Randolph.hollingsworth, CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0); the others are in the public domain or CC0 · 246 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Fulton,
in the records of 7 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States3,220 records

3,220 records of the Fulton name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 1,152
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 615
  • Other U.S. records 1,453
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Clarence Fulton

    Born 1931; from Baltimore, Maryland. U.S. Army, armor crewman; killed in action 1968 in Quang Tri, South Vietnam. Buried at Baltimore National Cemetery, Maryland.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Douglas W. Fulton

    Born 1918 in Ohio. Enlisted 1941 at Houston, Texas; machinist from Harris County, Texas. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1983, buried at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, Texas.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Luisa Fulton

    Arrived at New York in 1905 aboard the Neckar from Naples, aged 65; farmer. From Piedimonte, Caserta, Italy; bound for Waterbury.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 3,220 records for Fulton in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia1,741 records

1,741 records of the Fulton name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 802
  • Tasmanian Names Index 386
  • Other Australian records 553
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Janet Fulton

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Nautilus, sailing from Woolwich in 1838. Native of Glasgow, Lanarkshire. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1841. Married 1841 in Hobart, Tasmania, aged 20.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Eliza Jane Fulton

    Died 1898 in Ulverstone, Tasmania, aged 70. Will registered in Tasmania in 1898.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Montague James Fulton

    Born 1869 in Ralphs Bay, Tasmania. Married 1890 in Franklin, Tasmania, aged 21.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 1,741 records for Fulton in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

Canada1,223 records

1,223 records of the Fulton name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 1,091
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 39
  • Other Canadian records 93
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Hugh Fulton

    Came to Ontario in 1878 aboard the Manitoba, landing at Quebec, bound for Brantford, Ontario; Scotch.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Josephine Fulton

    Died 1958, aged 58; buried at Transcona Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

    City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Margaret Fulton

    Died 1865 in Portapique, Colchester, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 1,223 records for Fulton in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · Contains information provided by the City of Waterloo under licence · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

United Kingdom82 records

82 records of the Fulton name in the United Kingdom
  • Stirling Council burial records 53
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 19
  • Other British records 10
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Wilma Broughton Fulton

    Buried in 1995 at Killearn Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland, aged 41.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record James Fulton

    Will proved in 1924; of Swansea.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record Andrew Fulton

    Born 1897. Died 1917. Named in the George Heriot's School roll of honour, 1914-1919.

    National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain)

Showing 3 of 82 records for Fulton in the United Kingdom.

Counts: Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain) · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand48 records

48 records of the Fulton name in New Zealand
  • Marlborough District cemetery records 23
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 18
  • Other New Zealand records 7
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Jessie Fulton

    Died 1879, aged 20; buried at Addington Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Thomas Fulton

    Died 1992, aged 84; buried at Totara Memorial Park Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Jessie Fulton

    Died 1959, aged 87; buried at Omaka Cemetery, Marlborough.

    Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 48 records for Fulton in New Zealand.

Counts: Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0) · Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0) · Canterbury Maps (Environment Canterbury), Timaru and Mackenzie District Councils (CC BY 3.0 NZ). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Netherlands12 records

12 records of the Fulton name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch population registers 6
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 3
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 3
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record William Bunting Fulton

    Married in 1902 in Arnhem; engineer.

    Open Archives, Gelders Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Birth record Wilhelmina Bunting Fulton

    Born 1903 in Vlissingen.

    Open Archives, Zeeuws Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Paul Max Fulton

    Married in 1950 in Utrecht.

    Open Archives, Het Utrechts Archief (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 12 records for Fulton in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

France8 records

8 records of the Fulton name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record William Thomas Fulton

    Born 1925 in Marseille; died 1990 in Marseille (Bouches-du-Rhône).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Leslie Carol Ann Fulton

    Born 1952 in Neuilly-sur-Seine (Paris); died 2001 in the United States.

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 2 of 8 records for Fulton in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Fulton.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Fulton is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

See the Fulton volume
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