HULL
The surname Hull is an English family name that can be traced back to the early medieval period in the British Isles. It is traditionally understood to be either a topographic or a locational surname, both of which derive from the Old English word hyll, meaning hill. In a topographic sense it would have been applied to a person who lived on or near a prominent rise; in a locational sense it denotes a person who came from a place called Hull, such as the city in East Yorkshire. The name is therefore closely tied to the physical landscape of medieval England.
Historical evidence for the use of Hull as a surname can be found in several surviving records. The earliest documented instance is that of Peter de Hull, who appears as a witness in the Assize Court Rolls of Staffordshire in 1199, during the reign of King John. The notation de Hull confirms the locational character of the name at that time. Other medieval sources mention individuals bearing the surname: Hulle le Bule in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire (1201), and Henry Hull in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield, Yorkshire (1309). The name is also recorded in the Earls Accounts of the Earldom of Cornwall (1297) as being held by a man named John of Hulle, illustrating the continuity of the surname throughout the 13th and early 14th centuries.
In the Domesday Book of 1086 the place now known as Hull appears under the spelling Hilla, while the Early Yorkshire Charters of 1156 refer to the settlement as Hul. These variations of spelling demonstrate the fluid nature of medieval orthography and the influence of local dialect. The Old English pre‑7th‑century root hyll underwent a phonological transition in the west and central Midlands, whereby the vowel y was rendered as u, eventually giving rise to the spelling Hull. Consequently, the surname may also be viewed as a variant of the more common surname Hill, which arises from the same root.
An additional derivation of the surname Hull may be drawn from the personal name Hulle, a pet form of the Anglo‑Norman name Hugh. Evidence for this personal‑name origin is found in the Pipe Rolls, where a Hulle le Bule is recorded in Staffordshire during the early 13th century. The existence of such a personal‑name origin alongside the topographic and locational roots illustrates the multiplicity of pathways through which English surnames came into common use.
The surname has persisted into the modern era, with bearers found throughout the United Kingdom and in former British colonies. Although the name is now common, its historical references remain a valuable source of insight into naming practices, migration patterns, and the linguistic development of English over the past millennium. In sum, the surname Hull stands as an enduring testament to the enduring connection between people and the places they call home.
Typical given names associated with the Hull surname
Male
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Michael
- Peter
- Richard
- Robert
- Stephen
Female
- Catherine
- Christine
- Elizabeth
- Jacqueline
- Julie
- Margaret
- Mary
- Nicola
- Patricia
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Hull in...
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There are approximately 11,985 people named Hull in the UK. That makes it the 760th most common surname in Britain. Around 184 in a million people in Britain are named Hull.
Surname type: Location or geographical feature
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Hull
- Rod Hull - Comedian (1935 to 1999)
- Alan Hull - Singer (1945 to 1995)
- Charley Hull - Golfer
- Ben Hull - Actor
- John M. Hull - Academic (1935 to 2015)
- Charles Hull - Recipient of the Victoria Cross (1890 to 1953)
- Richard Hull - Army officer (1907 to 1989)
- E. M. Hull - Writer (1880 to 1947)
- Eleanor Hull - Writer, journalist and scholar of Old Irish (1860 to 1935)
- Chris Hull - Physicist and Professor of Theoretical Physics at Imperial College London
- Raymond Hull - Canadian screenwriter (1919 to 1985)
- Holly Hull - Singer
- Arthur Eaglefield Hull - Musician and music writer (1876 to 1928)
- David Hull - Consultant paediatrician
- Paul Hull - Rugby union player
- Jeff Hull - Football player
- Peter Hull - Paralympic swimmer
- Charles Hull - Army officer (1865 to 1920)
- Herbert Hull - (1886 to 1970)
- David Hull - Rugby league 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.