Show ContentsHulse History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Hulse

What does the name Hulse mean?

The roots of the distinguished surname Hulse lie in the region of Westphalia. The name is of two possible origins; firstly, it is derived from "Hüls," the name of a town located near Düsseldorf. Alternatively, the name may be derived from the Dutch word "Hulst," meaning "shrub or thistle." In this case, it is likely that the name was originally borne by someone living near a grove of shrubs.

Early Origins of the Hulse family

The surname Hulse was first found in Westphalia and Holland, where the name is thought to have originated. It was common during the Middle Ages to refer to someone by the name of their hometown; thus, it is likely that the progenitor of the name Hulse was someone who had moved from the town of Hüls to another city. The young Hulse family was instrumental during this early period, playing a crucial role in the development of medieval Westphalian society.

Early History of the Hulse family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hulse research. Another 103 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1318, 1619, 1666, 1675, 1774, 1800 and 1844 are included under the topic Early Hulse History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hulse Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Huls, Hüls, Hulse, Hulsen, Hulst, Hilse, Hilsen, Hilst, Hülse, Hülsen and many more.

Early Notables of the Hulse family

Another 33 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hulse Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hulse Ranking

In the United States, the name Hulse is the 5,488th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1


Hulse migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Hulse Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Meverrell Hulse, who landed in Maryland in 1679 2
Hulse Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • R. Hulse, who settled in Maryland in 1767
Hulse Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Charles Hulse who settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1843
  • G. W. Hulse settled in San Francisco, California in 1850
  • P Hulse, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850 2
  • DeWitt Hulse, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 2

Hulse migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Hulse Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Martha Hulse, English convict from Lancaster, who was transported aboard the "America" on December 30, 1830, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 3
  • Miss Sarah Hulse who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Edward" on 23rd April 1834, arriving in Tasmania, (Van Diemen's Land) 4
  • Mr. John Hulse, (b. 1816), aged 18, English servant who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for life for stealing, transported aboard the "Bengal Merchant" on 27th September 1834, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 5
  • Mary Ann Hulse, English convict from Lancaster, who was transported aboard the "Angelina" on April 25, 1844, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 6
  • Mr. William Hulse, English convict who was convicted in Derby, Derbyshire, England for 20 years, transported aboard the "Edwin Fox" on 24th August 1858, arriving in Western Australia, Australia

Contemporary Notables of the name Hulse (post 1700) +

  • Frank Wilson Hulse III (1913-1992), American founder and former chairman of Southern Airways
  • Chuck Hulse (b. 1927), retired American racecar driver
  • David Lindsey Hulse (b. 1968), American retired Major League Baseball outfielder from San Angelo, Texas
  • David Allen Hulse (b. 1948), American author of books on occult doctrine
  • Russell Alan Hulse (b. 1950), American physicist awarded the Nobel Prize in physics in 1993 for his 1974 discovery of a binary pulsar, which helped to confirm the existence of gravitational waves
  • Stewart Hulse Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of Psychology at Johns Hopkins University
  • Edward J. Hulse, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for New Jersey State Senate from Burlington County, 1963 7
  • Dwight Lyman Hulse (1908-1990), American politician, Mayor of Arcadia, California, 1955-56 7
  • Charles W. Hulse, American politician, Representative from Connecticut 3rd District, 1914 7
  • Charles A. Hulse (1852-1918), American Republican politician, Member of Michigan State House of Representatives from Clinton County, 1913-18 7
  • ... (Another 18 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  3. State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2014, November 26) America voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1830 with 135 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/america/1830
  4. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 25th January 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/edward
  5. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 7th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bengal-merchant
  6. State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2014, November 27) Angelina voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1844 with 171 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/angelina/1844
  7. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 10) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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