NameCensus.

UK surname

Cull

An English occupational surname for a collector of taxes or an animal herder who culls the weak.

In the 1881 census there were 1,488 people recorded with the Cull surname, ranking it #2,809 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,894, ranked #3,358, down from #2,809 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Eling and Minstead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Tewkesbury, Arbroath Harbour and New Forest.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cull is 2,064 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 27.3%.

1881 census count

1,488

Ranked #2,809

Modern count

1,894

2016, ranked #3,358

Peak year

1999

2,064 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cull had 1,488 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,809 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,894 in 2016, ranked #3,358.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,974 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Cull surname distribution map

The map shows where the Cull surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Cull surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cull over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 913 #3,025
1861 historical 842 #3,282
1881 historical 1,488 #2,809
1891 historical 1,559 #2,844
1901 historical 1,860 #2,827
1911 historical 1,974 #2,514
1997 modern 1,960 #3,103
1998 modern 2,035 #3,117
1999 modern 2,064 #3,106
2000 modern 2,041 #3,114
2001 modern 1,974 #3,139
2002 modern 1,995 #3,178
2003 modern 1,930 #3,204
2004 modern 1,911 #3,221
2005 modern 1,869 #3,258
2006 modern 1,876 #3,264
2007 modern 1,878 #3,286
2008 modern 1,864 #3,322
2009 modern 1,916 #3,320
2010 modern 1,931 #3,373
2011 modern 1,935 #3,332
2012 modern 1,868 #3,375
2013 modern 1,904 #3,376
2014 modern 1,899 #3,397
2015 modern 1,890 #3,380
2016 modern 1,894 #3,358

Geography

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Where Culls are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Eling, Minstead and Cheltenham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Tewkesbury, Arbroath Harbour, New Forest, Purbeck and Restalrig and Lochend. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 London parishes London 1
2 Eling Hampshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Minstead Hampshire
5 Cheltenham Gloucestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Tewkesbury 003 Tewkesbury
2 Arbroath Harbour Angus
3 New Forest 006 New Forest
4 Purbeck 003 Purbeck
5 Restalrig and Lochend City of Edinburgh

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cull

These lists show first names that appear often with the Cull surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cull

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Cull, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Cull surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Cull household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Cull is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Cull is most concentrated in decile 3 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Cull falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Cull is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Cull, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Cull

The surname Cull is of English origin and dates back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "cull", meaning to pluck or gather. This suggests that the name likely originated as an occupational surname for someone who worked as a gatherer or collector of crops, fruits, or other produce.

The earliest recorded instances of the Cull surname can be found in various medieval records, including the Hundredorum Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, which mentions a Richard Culle. The Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327 also list a Walter Culle.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various spellings such as Culle, Cullen, and Cullyn. These variations were likely due to regional dialects and the inconsistencies in record-keeping at the time.

One notable historical figure with the surname Cull was Sir John Cull, a successful merchant and alderman in London during the 16th century. He was born in 1520 and served as Sheriff of London in 1562 and Lord Mayor in 1569.

Another prominent individual was Richard Cull, born in 1610, who was a renowned clockmaker in London. He is credited with creating some of the finest clocks and timepieces of the 17th century.

In the 18th century, the Cull surname was associated with several notable individuals, including William Cull (1720-1799), a respected architect who designed several churches and country houses in England.

Moving into the 19th century, one notable figure was John Cull (1796-1878), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Shaftesbury from 1837 to 1847.

Lastly, in the early 20th century, there was Alfred Cull (1881-1957), a British artist and illustrator known for his landscape paintings and book illustrations.

While the Cull surname may have originated as an occupational name, it has since become a well-established surname throughout England and parts of the United Kingdom.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cull families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cull surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Hampshire leads with 278 Culls recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.32x.

County Total Index
Hampshire 278 9.32x
Middlesex 194 1.33x
Gloucestershire 143 5.01x
Worcestershire 143 7.52x
Warwickshire 88 2.40x
Dorset 79 8.27x
Wiltshire 76 5.90x
Surrey 60 0.85x
Yorkshire 50 0.35x
Lancashire 44 0.25x
Devon 42 1.39x
Kent 34 0.68x
Staffordshire 34 0.69x
Hertfordshire 33 3.29x
Midlothian 20 1.03x
Somerset 20 0.85x
Essex 17 0.59x
Lanarkshire 16 0.34x
Buckinghamshire 15 1.70x
Cheshire 14 0.44x
Durham 13 0.30x
Cumberland 11 0.88x
Glamorgan 10 0.39x
Shropshire 7 0.56x
Sussex 7 0.29x
Monmouthshire 6 0.57x
Oxfordshire 6 0.67x
Berkshire 5 0.46x
Nottinghamshire 5 0.25x
Denbighshire 4 0.73x
Northamptonshire 4 0.29x
Derbyshire 3 0.13x
Royal Navy 3 1.73x
Ayrshire 1 0.09x
Bedfordshire 1 0.13x
Herefordshire 1 0.17x
Inverness-shire 1 0.23x
Isle of Man 1 0.37x
Orkney 1 0.62x
Renfrewshire 1 0.09x
West Lothian 1 0.46x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Cheltenham in Gloucestershire leads with 47 Culls recorded in 1881 and an index of 21.34x.

Place Total Index
Cheltenham 47 21.34x
Eling 47 155.53x
Birmingham 35 2.86x
Tetbury 31 191.59x
Shoreditch London 28 4.44x
Minstead 26 606.06x
Swindon 25 25.04x
Christchurch 24 37.10x
Stafford St Mary 23 33.07x
Millbrook 20 26.62x
Aston 19 1.88x
Southampton St Mary 19 10.13x
Islington London 18 1.28x
Fawley 17 179.70x
Wimborne 17 147.06x
Upper Mitton 16 375.59x
West Ham 15 2.36x
Hertingfordbury 14 341.46x
St Marylebone London 14 1.80x
Wimborne Minster 14 90.61x
Alcester 13 107.35x
Eckington 13 386.90x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 13 1.66x
Portsea 13 2.22x
Romsey Extra 13 73.28x
Feckenham 12 55.17x
Kensington London 12 1.48x
New Monkland 12 8.62x
Paddington London 12 2.24x
Ramsgate 12 14.80x
Hampstead London 11 4.85x
Pershore Holy Cross 11 90.31x
Wolborough 11 28.72x
Chesham 10 30.84x
Donhead St Mary 10 152.91x
Hackney London 10 1.23x
Lambeth 10 0.79x
St Pancras London 10 0.85x
Bengeworth 9 137.61x
Bradfield 9 16.19x
Hamble Le Rice 9 434.78x
Holdenhurst 9 11.50x
Teffont Magna 9 625.00x
Twickenham 9 14.42x
Woolwich 9 4.91x
Bampton 8 86.21x
Battersea 8 1.49x
Bridgewater 8 12.58x
Chelsea London 8 1.82x
Croydon 8 2.03x
Dudley 8 3.46x
Gussage All Sts 8 384.62x
Hammersmith London 8 2.23x
Ilkley 8 33.94x
Iron Acton 8 138.89x
Kinson 8 42.85x
Liscard 8 13.82x
Walton On Thames 8 24.57x
Armley 7 11.00x
Camberwell 7 0.75x
Dorchester St Peter 7 101.16x
Gloucester Barton St 7 41.84x
Great Torrington 7 40.75x
Inkberrow 7 91.15x
Liverpool 7 0.67x
Lower Mitton 7 41.79x
Pendleton In Salford 7 3.40x
Rotherham 7 8.61x
St George Hanover Square 7 2.73x
Stroud 7 12.60x
Sway 7 175.44x
West Teignmouth 7 30.20x
Westleigh 7 17.85x
Bedwellty 6 3.23x
Cow Honeybourne 6 327.87x
Exbury 6 348.84x
Haswell 6 19.34x
Poole St James 6 16.72x
Swanage 6 50.89x
West Derby 6 1.19x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Cull surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 86
Sarah 49
Elizabeth 48
Annie 32
Ann 29
Eliza 29
Alice 26
Ellen 26
Jane 26
Emma 22
Edith 17
Charlotte 16
Caroline 15
Emily 14
Ada 13
Louisa 13
Fanny 11
Harriett 11
Hannah 10
Esther 9
Maria 9
Florence 8
Frances 8
Kate 8
Harriet 7
Lucy 7
Martha 7
Susan 7
Clara 6
Lydia 6
Margaret 6
Anne 5
Rosa 5
Agnes 4
Catherine 4
Helen 4
Julia 4
Lizzie 4
Rebecca 4
Sophia 4
Susannah 4
Amy 3
Elizth. 3
Gertrude 3
Jessie 3
Laura 3
Matilda 3
Rose 3
Rosetta 3
Marian 2

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Cull surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 90
George 68
John 47
James 43
Henry 42
Thomas 40
Charles 38
Joseph 22
Albert 17
Arthur 17
Frederick 17
Walter 16
Alfred 14
Robert 14
Edwin 13
Harry 12
Samuel 12
Edward 11
Francis 11
Ernest 9
Frank 9
Richard 8
Wm. 5
Herbert 4
Maurice 4
Silas 4
Aaron 3
Benjamin 3
David 3
Edmund 3
Frederic 3
Fredk. 3
Fredrick 3
Geo. 3
Job 3
Patrick 3
Peter 3
Sidney 3
Thos. 3
Abraham 2
Andrew 2
Chas. 2
Daniel 2
Gilbert 2
Moses 2
Reuben 2
Stephen 2
Sydney 2
Archie 1
Cornelius 1

FAQ

Cull surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cull surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,488 people were recorded with the Cull surname. That placed it at #2,809 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cull surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,894 in 2016. That gives Cull a modern rank of #3,358.

What does the Cull surname mean?

An English occupational surname for a collector of taxes or an animal herder who culls the weak.

What does the Cull map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Cull bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.