Surname Full - Meaning and Origin

Full: What does the surname Full mean?

The last name Full is believed to be of Germanic origins and has a variety of possible meanings and derivations. Depending on the specific source, the name can derive from the German word for “peace” or “protection”, from the German word for “crowd” or “swarm”, or from a variety of other sources including the Middle High German foule or the Middle Dutch folle. In some cases, it even is thought that Full could be an altered and Germanized form of the Jewish name Feil, meaning “bee”.

In many cases, however, the surname Full can be associated with a variety of more abstract meanings related to being “full” in a physical, spiritual, or emotional sense. In some cases, people with this surname could have found a sense of contentment in their lives and thus be associated with fullness in that context, or they might have felt blessed and thankful for their blessings, thus leading to the name being associated with being full of thanks and joy.

Therefore, despite there being a myriad of potential meanings and derivations, the surname Full can carry a wide variety of connotations, primarily related to being full of contentment, joy, and peace.

Full: Where does the name Full come from?

The last name "Full" is most commonly found in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany and Canada today, primarily spreading from its original homeland of England.

The surname generally has a few variant forms, including Foul, Fulle, Fuller, Fullon, Fule, and Ful. It is believed to have evolved from the name of a now-lost settlement, "Fullingham," which is derived from the Old English words meaning "the place of the fulla."

The distribution of the name today is primarily concentrated around the original places of settlement in England, with slightly fewer occurrences in other countries. It is most common in the states of North Carolina, Mississippi, Kansas, and Missouri in the United States, followed by Ontario and British Columbia in Canada. In the United Kingdom, it is most readily found in Lancashire, Yorkshire, and Derbyshire.

In terms of the occupational heritage of this surname, Fulls had a variety of jobs including miller, hayward, and even wagon driver. As the industrial revolution spread across Europe, many Fulls found work as manufacturers or factory hands, as well as laborers in the coal mines.

The use of the surname is mostly confined to English-speaking countries, though there are a few isolated cases in other European countries such as Sweden. The surname is one of those that is considered to represent generations of British coal miners and laborers from a shared past that is fading away.

Variations of the surname Full

The surname Full has many variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin. This surname is most typically found in English-speaking societies, but there are many variations in other languages.

In English, it can be spelled as Full, Foul, Fowle, Fowles, Fool, Foal, Foils, and Fulls. Variant spellings often come up variations such as Fule, Foll, Fuller, and Fullman. Depending upon the region and time period, the pronunciation of the surname may be different, resulting in variations such as Fulk, Fulke, Folke, and Fulks. It can also appear as Fulworth, Faulkner, and Foley.

In French, the surname Full is spelled Foul and Foulon and it becomes Fouly in German. It can be spelled Foula in Spanish and Follone in Italian. Variations in other languages may include Fulajtar (Slovak), Fodula (Hungarian), Fularski (Polish), Folón (Basque), and Folh (Catalan).

In Scotland, the surname Full can also be found as a Scottish variant of MacCall. Other Scottish variations of the name include MacFall, MacFeal, MacFeeal, MacFile, and McFaul.

Finally, it should be noted that the surname Full can also be Anglicized from other Irish and Gaelic names that have a similar pronunciation and spelling when translated into English. These include O’Fuail, O’Faolain, O’Fualain, O’Fallon, and MacFoley.

Famous people with the name Full

• Jennifer Full: actress
• Tim Full: journalist
• Elizabeth Full: author
• Eric Full: figure skater
• Celine Full: fashion designer
• Anna Full: singer
• John Full: saxophonist
• Margaret Full: painter
• Richard Full: rock guitarist
• Amanda Full: theater actor

Other surnames

FulbrechtFulbrightFulcherFulfordFulforthFulghamFulghumFulhamFuljahnFulkersonFullamFullarFullardFullartonFüllbeckFüllbierFüllbornFullbrechtFullbrightFüllbrunnFülleFullenderFullerFüllerFullertonFullfordeFüllgrabeFüllgrafFüllkellFüllkrug