Fulton

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A city located in south-central New York known for its historic significance and vibrant community
2. A surname of American origin, famously associated with notable figures such as Robert Fulton, an inventor and engineer
3. A reference to various places in the United States sharing the name, often linked to transportation or local governance

Etymology: Fulton began as a village name in Norfolk, England, where Foulden is a real place. Its name combines Old English "fugol," meaning "bird," with "tun," meaning an enclosure or farmstead, so the original sense was something like "bird farmstead." Place names like this one were often created from the features or activities of a settlement, and the bird element may refer to the wildfowl or poultry kept there. The name later spread as a surname and a place name, and it is now used for a city in New York. The city's name is a transferred place name, carried from one location to another rather than descended from the Norfolk village itself.