BULMER
Bulmer is a surname of English origin that functions as a locational name. The name is traditionally linked to two settlements in England, one in Essex and the other in North Yorkshire, both of which derive from Old English elements meaning *bull* and *mere* (lake or pool).
The earliest documentary evidence for the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where the Essex settlement is recorded as Bulenemara and the Yorkshire place as Bolemere. In these forms the components *bula* (a personal name or the animal) and *mere* (water) combine to give the meaning *Bula’s lake* or *bull’s lake*.
Personal surnames, such as Bulmer, were typically adopted after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The first extant usage of the surname in the parish rolls is John de Bulmer, recorded in the Hundred Rolls of Leicestershire in 1273 during the reign of King Edward I. An earlier spelling, William de Builmer, appears in the 1185 Templar records of Essex, confirming the name’s presence in the eastern counties during the twelfth century.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the designation Bulmer was applied to the lord of a manor, local inhabitants, and particularly to those who relocated from the original villages to other towns or counties, thereby carrying the place name with them. Legal documents, such as the 1576 marriage of Margaret Bulmer (a widow) to Richard Leyle in London, illustrate the name’s continued use in official records during the early modern period.
In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the Bulmer family became associated with the production of cider in Herefordshire. Their enterprise helped establish the surname’s recognition beyond its original geographic confines, though the name remained comparatively uncommon. According to the surname distribution database Forebears, as of 2014 the Bulmer surname ranked 15 564th in worldwide prevalence, with the largest concentrations in England, followed by Australia and Canada, a pattern reflecting historical emigration from the British Isles.
Over time, the spelling of the name has varied, producing forms such as Bulletin and Bulamore; more frequent variants include Bullmer, Bulimore, Bullimore, Bolmer, and Boolmer. These differences arise from changes in pronunciation and inconsistent orthographic practices before the standardisation of spelling in the twentieth century.
In sum, the Bulmer surname has a clear locational provenance linked to two Old English place-names in England, a recorded history stretching back to the eleventh and twelfth centuries, a presence in legal and ecclesiastical records throughout the Middle Ages and early modern era, and a modest yet enduring distribution in contemporary English-speaking countries. The name exemplifies the persistence of medieval place-based surnames in modern genealogical and demographic contexts.
Typical given names associated with the Bulmer surname
Male
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Richard
Female
- Brenda
- Christine
- Emma
- Jane
- Karen
- Kathleen
- Linda
- Margaret
- Mary
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
- Blumer
- Blummer
- Balmer
- Belmer
- Bolmer
- Bloomer
- Bellmer
- Ballmer
- Bulme
- Balamir
- Ballamore
- Ballimore
- Ballmore
- Balmar
- Balmire
- Balmor
- Balmore
- Belemore
- Bellamore
- Bellemare
- Bellemere
- Bellemore
- Bellimore
- Bellmore
- Belmar
- Belmore
- Bihlmeier
- Bilimoria
- Billamore
- Billemore
- Billimore
- Billimoria
- Billmore
- Bilmore
- Bilmoria
- Blamer
- Blamere
- Blamire
- Blaymire
- Bleaymire
- Blomer
- Bluemore
- Blumire
- Bolmeer
- Boullemier
- Bulber
- Buler
- Bulimore
- Bullamore
- Bullemor
- Bullemore
- Bulliemore
- Bullimer
- Bullimore
- Bullmer
- Bullmor
- Bullmore
- Bullymore
- Bulmar
- Bulmers
- Bulmes
- Bulmore
- Bulner
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Bulmer in...
Braille
⠃⠥⠇⠍⠑⠗
Morse
-.....-.-..--..-.
Semaphore
Did you know?
According to a survey carried out by Democracy Club, politicians and candidates with the surname Bulmer are most likely to say that their favourite biscuit is a Custard Cream.
There are approximately 3,967 people named Bulmer in the UK. That makes it roughly the 2,357th most common surname in Britain. Around 61 in a million people in Britain are named Bulmer.
Surname type: Occupational name
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Bulmer
- Tahita Bulmer - Singer
- Kenneth Bulmer - Writer (1921 to 2005)
- Esmond Bulmer - Politician
- Peter Bulmer - Football player
- Agnes Bulmer - Poet (1775 to 1836)
- Roz Bulmer - Darts player
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.