The Pullen surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 10,565 people carried this name — #3,381 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 27,900 people counted. That is up 4% from 10,167 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Pullen surname

As an English and Welsh surname

An early record he cites: Nicholas le Pullen, Shropshire, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

His entry covers Pullen, Pullan, Pullein, Pulleng, Pulleyn, Pullin and PuUlng.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 625 · public domain.

As a surname in the United Kingdom

Harrison explains it as ‘Poulterer’.

A metonymic name, from Middle English pullen, “poultry”.

From Henry Harrison, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary, vol. II (London: The Morland Press, 1918), p. 94 · public domain.

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Pullen was found among the farmers of 7 counties.

It was most frequent in Gloucestershire: 60 in every 10,000 farmers there — about 1 in 167. Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent. His list gives one count for the spellings Pullan, Pullen and Pullin.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Gloucestershire 60
Wiltshire 27
Yorkshire, West Riding 24
Berkshire 20
Buckinghamshire 18
Oxfordshire 18
Monmouthshire 17

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In print

Pullen in American newspapers,
1903.

Newspaper page from The Watchman And Southron carrying the name Pullen
The Watchman And Southron 1903-09-09
Newspaper page from The Aberdeen Democrat carrying the name Pullen
The Aberdeen Democrat 1903-09-11
Newspaper page from The Courier-journal carrying the name Pullen
The Courier-journal 1903-09-03

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 67,739 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Pullen in Australian newspapers,
1820s–1990s.

21,621 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Pullen. The most, 4,100, 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 4.4 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 8,396
Tasmania 5,988
Victoria 2,613
Queensland 2,599
Western Australia 1,048
South Australia 830
ACT (Canberra) 85
Northern Territory 10

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

Who carried it

People named Pullen,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Josiah Pullen
    Josiah Pullen 1631–1714 · academic
  • Josiah Pullen
    Josiah Pullen 1631–1714 · academic
  • Anne Mary Pullen d. 1998
  • Jane Pullen d. 1885
  • Joseph Pullen d. 1877 · astronomer
  • O. J. Pullen d. 1917 · soldier

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Pullen,
in the records of 9 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 States791 records

791 records of the Pullen name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 354
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 153
  • Other U.S. records 284
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Claude Douglas Pullen

    Born 1950; from Statesville, North Carolina. U.S. Army, infantryman; killed in action 1969 in Quang Tin, South Vietnam. Buried at Staunton National Cemetery, Virginia.

    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 Elwood F. Pullen

    Born 1921 in Virginia. Enlisted 1942 at Charlottesville; farm hand from Madison County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1987, buried at Culpeper National Cemetery, Virginia.

    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 William Pullen

    Arrived at New York in 1892 aboard the Teutonic from Liverpool, aged 45; laborer. From Liverpool, England; bound for Illinois.

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

Showing 3 of 791 records for Pullen in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · 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, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (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).

Netherlands2,807 records

2,807 records of the Pullen name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 1,356
  • Dutch population registers 880
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 571
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Adrianus Pullen

    Married in 1913 in Arnhem; labourer. Died 1969 in Putten, aged 78.

    Open Archives, Gelders Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Hendrik Pullen

    Married in 1902 in Hardenberg; labourer. Died 1960 in Hardenberg, aged 84.

    Open Archives, Collectie Overijssel locatie Zwolle (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Aartje Pullen

    Married in 1879 in Rijswijk; born 1852 in Almkerk. Died 1919 in Almkerk.

    Open Archives, Brabants Historisch Informatie Centrum (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 2,807 records for Pullen 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).

Australia983 records

983 records of the Pullen name in Australia
  • Tasmanian Names Index 369
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 359
  • Other Australian records 255
  1. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Sarah Bishop Pullen

    Died 1891 in Launceston, Tasmania, aged 73. Will registered in Tasmania in 1892.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record William Thomas Pullen

    Married 1874 in Sorell, Tasmania, aged 19. Died 1928 in Tasmania, aged 74.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. 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 Abraham Pullen

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Bussorah Merchant, arriving 1828; ticket of leave 1839. Native of Bristol.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)

Showing 3 of 983 records for Pullen in Australia.

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

Germany47 records

47 records of the Pullen name in Germany Germany's First World War casualty lists, 1914–1919
  1. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Peter Püllen

    Born 1896; from Tackhütte, M.-Gladbach. Reported dead in the Prussian casualty list of 4 January 1917.

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  2. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Ferdinand Püllen

    From Nievenheim, Neuß. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 28 August 1916 (Reserve Infantry Regiment No. 239).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  3. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Heinrich Pullen

    From Großenbaum, Düsseldorf. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 10 August 1915 (Landwehr Infantry Regiment No. 6).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)

Showing 3 of 47 records for Pullen in Germany.

Counts: Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Deutsche Verlustlisten, Prussian list 1116, 18 April 1918 (scan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0).

Canada44 records

44 records of the Pullen name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 17
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 10
  • Other Canadian records 17
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Selina Pullen

    Died 1982, aged 79; buried at Transcona Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

    City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg.
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Clara Churchill Pullen

    Died 1935 in Falmouth, Hants, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Alfred Pullen

    Died in service in 1917.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 44 records for Pullen in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

United Kingdom38 records

38 records of the Pullen name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 28
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 10
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Mary Pullen

    Buried in 1794 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 60.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record R. Pullen

    Rifle Brigade. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record William Pullen

    Buried in 1830 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 79.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Showing 3 of 38 records for Pullen in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

France5 records

5 records of the Pullen 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 Godfrey Joseph Pullen

    Born 1926 in Canada; died 1998 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 Suzanne Pullen

    Born 1901 in Saint-Denis-Hors (Indre-et-Loire); died 1976 in Fontenay-sous-Bois (Val-de-Marne).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 2 of 5 records for Pullen 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).

Norway5 records

5 records of the Pullen name in Norway Norway's 1910 census
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Census record Ingebrigt Pullen

    Census of 1910: Pullen, Meraker; farm labourer, born 1894 in Meraker.

    Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO)
  2. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Census record Anne Pullen

    Census of 1910: Pullen, Meraker; born 1857 in Støren.

    Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO)

Showing 2 of 5 records for Pullen in Norway.

Counts: Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

New Zealand2 records

2 records of the Pullen name in New Zealand Christchurch City cemetery records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record William Pullen

    Died 1923, aged 75; buried at Addington Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 1 of 2 records for Pullen in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Pullen.

When the index is not enough

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