Fuller Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Fuller last name means, where the surname began and where it was first recorded.
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Meaning and origin of the Fuller last name
Meaning of the Fuller last name: fuller of cloth. Fuller is an occupational name for a fuller, the worker who cleaned and thickened newly woven cloth, from Old English fullere. Fulling was done in water with clay, often in a mill driven by a stream. In the south and east of England this worker was called a fuller, in the west a tucker and in the north a walker. Fuller is most frequent in Kent, Sussex and East Anglia, and arrived in New England with the Mayflower. From the 12th century, water-powered fulling mills spread across England and transformed the cloth industry. The historian Thomas Fuller and the architect Buckminster Fuller later made the name famous.
Our historical archives hold much more on the Fuller name: dates, names and records of early bearers.
This overview covers the Fuller name in England. We also hold records of the name in other countries, such as the United States, Australia and Canada; your full pack is researched for your family's country of origin.
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The researched Fuller pack traces meaning, early bearers and migration routes, and includes a personalized Fuller coat of arms.
Fuller name FAQ
What does the Fuller name mean?
Fuller of cloth. Common variants include Fullar, Tucker, Walker.
Where does the Fuller surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, Australia and Canada.
Is there a Fuller coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals, not whole surnames, so there is no single Fuller crest. Herald Lab paints a personalized Fuller coat of arms based on historic heraldry.
Researched by Herald Lab Research Studio, since 1993. Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford); US Census Bureau 2010.