PULLEN

Pullen is an English surname that can be traced back to the medieval given name Pullin, itself a diminutive of Paul. The name Paul originates from the Latin Paulus, signifying “small” or “humble”, and the surname therefore can be interpreted as “son of Paul” or “descendant of Paul”.

Shortly after the Norman Conquest of 1066, a second origin was recorded. The Old French word poulain, meaning a colt or young horse and derived from the Latin pullamen, entered England as a metonymic occupational surname for a horse-breeder or keeper, and at other times as a nickname for a high‑spirited young man. Records of individuals with early forms of the name are plentiful: a Geoffrey Poleyn appears in 1266 in Somerset, a Thomas Pullan in 1509 in Yorkshire, and a John Pullen in 1607 in Yorkshire. The first documented spelling is that of Richard Pulein, taken from the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk in 1166 during the reign of Henry I, who ruled from 1154 to 1189.

The name also has an Anglo‑Saxon patronymic dimension. It derives from the medieval given name Pullein, which in turn comes from the Old English personal name Pull or Pulle, from the Saxon word pyle meaning “little boy” or “servant”. In some instances, the surname appears to have been locational, associated with the village of Pool in the West Riding of Yorkshire, or derived from the word for a small lake or pool. Variants that have appeared through the centuries include Pullan, Pullein, Pulleyn, and Pullin, as well as Pulling and Pullon.

Early concentration of the surname lay in Yorkshire and Durham, gradually spreading into the North‑West region of England. In contemporary Britain, the name is most common in the counties of Lancashire, Cheshire and Shropshire, with Lancashire holding the highest density. Over three thousand individuals in the United Kingdom today bear the name Pullen, a figure that has risen in recent decades. The surname is also found in smaller numbers in Canada and the United States, and it has occasionally appeared in Irish contexts, for example under the variant Pulens in County Londonderry.

A coat of arms granted to a Pullen family in Yorkshire depicts a blue shield with a gold bend cotised, upon which sit several black martlets. This heraldic chart reflects the family's historical standing and the pride associated with the name.

Overall, the surname Pullen remains a distinctive and recognisable identifier across the United Kingdom and beyond, rooted in both religious and occupational traditions and sustained through centuries of recorded history. It continues to appear in newspapers, magazines, film, and television, signalling its ongoing cultural relevance.

Typical given names associated with the Pullen surname

Male

• Andrew
• Anthony
• Christopher
• David
• James
• John
• Mark
• Michael
• Richard
• Robert

Female

• Claire
• Elizabeth
• Emma
• Jennifer
• Julie
• Karen
• Lisa
• Margaret
• Michelle
• Patricia
• Sarah
• Sharon
• 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 Pullen in...

Braille

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Morse

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Semaphore

Origin: English

Region of origin: British Isles

Country of origin: England

Religion of origin: Christian

Language of origin: English

Famous people named Pullen

• William Pullen - Cricketer (1866 to 1937)
• William Pullen - Explorer (1813 to 1887)
• Neil Pullen - Cricketer
• John Pullen - Welsh football player
• Sidney Pullen - Brazilian football player and manager (1895 to 1950)
• Frank Pullen - Businessman (1915 to 1992)
• Ashley Pullen - Speedway rider (1956 to 2002)

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.

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