Contents [hide]

Pulley History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Sources

Pulley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Pulley

What does the name Pulley mean?

The name Pulley is of Anglo-Saxon origin. It was name for a young buck; it is derived from the Old French word poulain, which meant colt. 1 This nickname would have been given to a person given over to friskiness and possessed of a certain nervous energy in much the same way a young horse is. A broad and miscellaneous class of surnames, nickname surnames referred to a characteristic of the first person who used the name. They can describe the bearer's favored style of clothing, appearance, habits, or character. Often nicknames described strong traits or attributes that people wished to emulate in a specific animal. In the pre-Christian era, many pagan gods and demigods were believed to be a mixture of animals and humans, such as the Greek god Pan who was the god of flocks and herds and was represented as a man with the legs, horns and ears of a goat. In the Middle Ages, anthropomorphic ideas, which attributed human qualities and form to gods or animals, were held about the characters of other living creatures. They were based on the creature's habits. Moreover, these associations were reflected in folk-tales, mythology, and legends which portrayed animals behaving as humans.

Early Origins of the Pulley family

The surname Pulley was first found in Yorkshire but one of the earliest record of the name was Robert Pullen (died 1146), an English theologian and official of the Roman Catholic Church. He is generally thought to have been born in Poole, Devonshire and first educated in England. He was Archdeacon of Rochester in 1134. Shortly after this appointment, he went to Paris. There, he taught logic and theology tutoring John of Salisbury, who describes him as a man commended both by his life and his learning in 1141. Back in France, we found that John and Ivo Polain were listed in Normandy (1185-1190.) A few years later nine of the name were listed there in 1198 2

Other early records include: Richard Pulein who was listed in the Pipe Rolls for Norfolk in 1166 and later in the Feet of Fines for Bedfordshire in 1195; Geoffrey Poleyn, found in the Assize Rolls for Somerset in 1266; Thomas Pullan, listed in Yorkshire in 1509; and John Pullen, recorded as a Freeman of York in 1601. 3

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 proved the widespread use of the name by that time: Nicholas le Pullen, Salop (Shropshire); John Puleyn, Wiltshire; Thomas Pulein, Yorkshire; and Richard Puleyn, Dorset. 4

Other Somerset records show John Polayn and Nicholas Polayn, 1 Edward III (both recorded in the first year of Edward III's reign.) 5

Early History of the Pulley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Pulley research. Another 60 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1517, 1565, 1598, 1631, 1648, 1654, 1657, 1667, 1690, 1713, 1714 and 1758 are included under the topic Early Pulley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pulley Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Pulley have been found, including Pulleine, Pullen, Pullan, Pulleyn, Pulling and many more.

Early Notables of the Pulley family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

Samuel Pullen, Pullein, or Pulleyne (1598-1667), an English prelate, Archbishop of Tuam, son of William Pullein, rector of Ripley, Yorkshire; Benjamin Pulleyn (died 1690) the Cambridge tutor of Isaac...
John Pullain (Pullayne or Pulleyne) (1517-1565) was a Yorkshire divine and poet who was educated at New College, Oxford. Josiah Pullen (1631-1714) was Vice-Principal of Magdalen Hall, Oxford. He gradu...

Pulley Ranking

In the United States, the name Pulley is the 4,147^th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 6

Pulley migration to the United States +

Families began migrating abroad in enormous numbers because of the political and religious discontent in England. Often faced with persecution and starvation in England, the possibilities of the New World attracted many English people. Although the ocean trips took many lives, those who did get to North America were instrumental in building the necessary groundwork for what would become for new powerful nations. Among the first immigrants of the name Pulley, or a variant listed above to cross the Atlantic and come to North America were:

Pulley Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Richard Pulley, who landed in Maryland in 1660 7

Pulley Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John Pulley, who arrived in New England in 1737 7

Pulley migration to Australia +

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

Pulley Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

William Pulley, English convict from Norfolk, who was transported aboard the "Asia" on April 1st, 1822, settling in New South Wales, Australia 8
Samuel Pulley, aged 50, a shoemaker, who arrived in South Australia in 1854 aboard the ship "Hyderabad" 9
George Pulley, aged 20, who arrived in South Australia in 1854 aboard the ship "Hyderabad" 9
Samuel Pulley, aged 14, a butcher, who arrived in South Australia in 1854 aboard the ship "Hyderabad" 9
Elizabeth Pulley, aged 16, a servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1854 aboard the ship "Hyderabad" 9

Contemporary Notables of the name Pulley (post 1700) +

Andrew Pulley (b. 1951), born Cleve Andrew Pulley, an American politician, nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1972
Emily Ann Pulley (b. 1967), American opera soprano who has performed in more than 150 operas
Gerald P. Pulley (1922-2011), American photographer noted for his work with the United States Navy
Curtis Pulley (b. 1986), former American football quarterback for the Florida A&M University Rattlers, he was the 2004 Kentucky Mr. Football
W. D. Pulley, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Missouri State House of Representatives from DeKalb County, 1950 10
Gordon Albert Pulley (1936-2024), English professional footballer who played as a winger (1956-1971)
Sir Joseph Pulley (1822-1901), 1st Baronet, an English Liberal politician
Charles Thornton Pulley (1864-1947), British Conservative Party politician, Member of Parliament for Ross (1918) and Hereford (1918-1920)

The Pulley Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Nulla pallescere culpa
Motto Translation: To turn pale from no crime.

Sources +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Asia 1 voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1822 with 190 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1822
South Australian Register Wednesday 15th March 1854. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Hyderabad 1854. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/hyderabad1854.shtml
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 8) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html