Bull Family History

English: nickname for a strong aggressive bull-like man from Middle English bule bole. Occasionally the name may denote a keeper of a bull (compare Bulman) or possibly someone who lived at a building distinguished by the sign of a bull.

German (mainly northern): from Middle Low German bulle 'bull' used as a nickname for a cattle breeder, keeper, or dealer. Compare South German Ochs.

South German: nickname for a short fat man, a variant of Bolle or a nickname for a man with the physical characteristics of a bull.

North German (Büll): see Buell. Native American: translation into English (and shortening) of a personal name based on a word such as Lakota and Dakota Sioux tataŋka and Cheyenne hotoa'e meaning ‘bull’ or ‘buffalo’.

The importance of the buffalos to Plains Indians is reflected in their traditional personal names, many of which were adopted as surnames (translated into English), e.g. Two Bulls (see Twobulls) and White Bull (see Whitebull). See also Buffalo.