A 1880s favorite, climbing again.
Popularity of Fuller since 1886
Babies named Fuller per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 2025, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Fuller's real moment was 1886.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 6 |
| 1890s | 0 |
| 1900s | 0 |
| 1910s | 74 |
| 1920s | 99 |
| 1930s | 54 |
| 1940s | 26 |
| 1950s | 19 |
| 1960s | 6 |
| 1970s | 0 |
| 1980s | 5 |
| 1990s | 16 |
| 2000s | 32 |
| 2010s | 83 |
| 2020s | 55 |
Meaning & origin
Fuller is a rare American given name with occupational surname roots meaning 'one who fulls cloth.' First recorded in 1886, it achieved its peak rank in that same year, appearing among the top 6,000 names only sporadically since then. After a long period of near disuse, the name has been rising again since 2001, reflecting a broader revival of vintage, surname-style first names. In 2025, it was given to approximately 1 in 113,872 newborns, placing it at rank 5,861. Fuller fits a modern naming trend that favors straightforward, solid occupational surnames like Carter, Parker, and Fletcher. Though it has no strong regional ties (no top states recorded), its revival aligns with a growing appreciation for direct, understated names that carry a sense of craftsmanship and history.
Fuller is an English occupational surname derived from Old English 'fullere' meaning 'one who fulls cloth,' referring to a person who thickened and cleaned woolen fabric by beating and pressing it. The name was brought into use as a given name in the late 19th century, likely as a transferred use of the surname. It has never been common, but saw modest usage in the 1880s and has been slowly rising again since the early 2000s.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Full
Sibling names for Fuller
Names that share Fuller's style, for a brother or sister.
