NameCensus.

UK surname

Cullen

Anglicized form of an Irish surname meaning "holly" or "descendant of Cuileann," an Irish Gaelic personal name.

In the 1881 census there were 5,242 people recorded with the Cullen surname, ranking it #849 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 12,490, ranked #521, up from #849 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Govan Combination and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rochdale, Swansea and Mendip.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cullen is 12,685 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 138.3%.

1881 census count

5,242

Ranked #849

Modern count

12,490

2016, ranked #521

Peak year

2010

12,685 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cullen had 5,242 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #849 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 12,490 in 2016, ranked #521.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 6,255 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Cullen surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cullen surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cullen 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 2,676 #1,103
1861 historical 2,714 #1,083
1881 historical 5,242 #849
1891 historical 5,347 #877
1901 historical 6,255 #884
1911 historical 5,179 #1,011
1997 modern 11,608 #526
1998 modern 12,016 #527
1999 modern 12,090 #529
2000 modern 12,025 #530
2001 modern 11,773 #528
2002 modern 12,078 #529
2003 modern 11,849 #524
2004 modern 11,919 #528
2005 modern 11,770 #529
2006 modern 11,838 #525
2007 modern 11,999 #525
2008 modern 12,081 #524
2009 modern 12,489 #513
2010 modern 12,685 #517
2011 modern 12,547 #514
2012 modern 12,281 #520
2013 modern 12,496 #523
2014 modern 12,552 #524
2015 modern 12,515 #523
2016 modern 12,490 #521

Geography

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Where Cullens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Govan Combination, Gateshead, Edinburgh and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Rochdale, Swansea and Mendip. 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 3
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rochdale 018 Rochdale
2 Swansea 016 Swansea
3 Swansea 011 Swansea
4 Swansea 019 Swansea
5 Mendip 010 Mendip

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cullen

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cullen

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Cullen, 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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Cullen surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Cullen household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Cullen is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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 located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Cullen is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Cullen falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Cullen 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 - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Cullen

The surname Cullen has its origins in Ireland, stemming from the Gaelic word "Cuillinn" which means "holly tree" or "holly". It is believed to have originated in the early medieval period, around the 10th or 11th century.

The name was initially concentrated in the counties of Laois and Offaly, where it was closely associated with several important septs or clans. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, which mentions a Cullen chieftain named Donnchadh Ó Cuillinn in the year 1141.

During the Norman invasion of Ireland in the 12th century, the Cullen name spread to other parts of the country, particularly in counties such as Kilkenny, Tipperary, and Cork. The name also appeared in various anglicized forms, such as Cullin, Cullenan, and Cullinane.

In the 16th century, the Cullen surname gained prominence with the rise of Hugh Cullen, an influential landowner and military leader from County Laois. Hugh Cullen played a pivotal role in the Elizabethan wars and was granted extensive lands by the English Crown for his loyalty.

Another notable figure bearing the Cullen name was Father Peter Cullen (1650-1736), an Irish Jesuit priest and philosopher who was renowned for his contributions to the fields of logic and metaphysics. He taught at various universities across Europe and authored several influential works.

In the 18th century, the Cullen surname was further spread throughout Ireland and beyond due to the large-scale Irish diaspora. One prominent individual from this era was Dr. William Cullen (1710-1790), a Scottish physician, chemist, and agriculturalist who made significant contributions to the study of medicine and the development of modern chemistry.

The 19th century saw the rise of several influential Cullens, including Cardinal Paul Cullen (1803-1878), the first Irish Cardinal and the Archbishop of Dublin. He played a key role in the Catholic Church's response to the Irish Famine and the establishment of the Catholic University of Ireland.

Another notable figure was William Cullen Bryant (1794-1878), an American romantic poet, journalist, and long-term editor of the New York Evening Post. He was a prominent figure in the literary circles of his time and an influential voice in the abolitionist movement.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cullen families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cullen 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. Lancashire leads with 925 Cullens recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.52x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 925 1.52x
Lanarkshire 820 4.95x
Middlesex 506 0.99x
Kent 429 2.46x
Yorkshire 271 0.53x
Somerset 219 2.66x
Durham 214 1.41x
Surrey 205 0.82x
Nottinghamshire 184 2.67x
Midlothian 166 2.42x
Cumberland 123 2.79x
Lincolnshire 100 1.22x
Norfolk 91 1.16x
Renfrewshire 79 1.99x
Cheshire 71 0.63x
Dunbartonshire 64 4.65x
Northumberland 63 0.83x
Hampshire 56 0.53x
Gloucestershire 54 0.54x
Stirlingshire 53 2.81x
Sussex 49 0.57x
Derbyshire 48 0.60x
Glamorgan 43 0.48x
Staffordshire 43 0.25x
Essex 41 0.41x
Warwickshire 39 0.30x
Aberdeenshire 26 0.55x
Ayrshire 24 0.63x
Perthshire 18 0.78x
Angus 17 0.36x
Dorset 17 0.51x
Wiltshire 14 0.31x
Cambridgeshire 12 0.37x
Fife 12 0.40x
East Lothian 11 1.62x
Flintshire 11 0.80x
Northamptonshire 10 0.21x
Oxfordshire 10 0.32x
Cornwall 9 0.16x
Monmouthshire 9 0.24x
Roxburghshire 8 0.86x
Worcestershire 8 0.12x
Devon 7 0.07x
Argyllshire 6 0.42x
Leicestershire 6 0.11x
Pembrokeshire 6 0.37x
Royal Navy 6 0.98x
Suffolk 6 0.10x
West Lothian 5 0.65x
Wigtownshire 5 0.74x
Kirkcudbrightshire 4 0.54x
Berkshire 3 0.08x
Brecknockshire 3 0.29x
Dumfriesshire 3 0.27x
Hertfordshire 3 0.09x
Isle of Man 3 0.32x
Channel Islands 2 0.13x
Montgomeryshire 2 0.17x
Peeblesshire 2 0.83x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.03x
Denbighshire 1 0.05x
Morayshire 1 0.13x
Nairnshire 1 0.64x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 253 Cullens recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.86x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 253 6.86x
Barony 160 3.82x
Govan 119 2.91x
Glasgow 106 3.61x
Manchester 77 2.82x
Nottingham St Mary 73 4.09x
Old Monkland 72 10.96x
West Derby 63 3.54x
New Monkland 62 12.67x
Bothwell 54 12.03x
Coundon 51 82.60x
St Marylebone London 49 1.79x
St Pancras London 47 1.14x
Lambeth 43 0.96x
Cleator 42 22.89x
Carluke 41 27.27x
Everton 40 2.07x
Hamilton 39 8.45x
Hammersmith London 34 2.70x
Cambusnethan 33 8.97x
Edinburgh New North 33 55.29x
Kensington London 32 1.12x
Sunderland 32 11.90x
Margate St John Baptist 31 9.69x
Maryhill 31 9.56x
Millom 31 22.95x
Camberwell 30 0.92x
Hackney London 30 1.05x
Leeds 30 1.05x
Toxteth Park 29 1.41x
High Ham 28 142.57x
Widnes 28 6.39x
Hulme 27 2.13x
Islington London 27 0.54x
Sheffield 27 1.67x
Windle 27 7.90x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 25 0.91x
Heworth 25 8.33x
Ramsgate 25 8.77x
Blackburn 24 1.48x
Kirkdale 24 2.35x
Canterbury St Mary 23 19.62x
Salford 23 1.29x
Folkestone 22 6.49x
Holy Trinity 22 1.80x
Dalziel 21 11.79x
Maidstone 21 4.04x
Bethnal Green London 20 0.90x
Poplar London 20 2.07x
Portsea 20 0.97x
St Swithin Lincoln 20 15.54x
Battersea 19 1.01x
Birmingham 19 0.44x
Bradford 19 1.55x
Shoreditch London 19 0.86x
West Greenock 19 2.67x
Birkenhead 18 2.00x
Dumbarton 18 9.40x
Oldham 18 0.92x
St George Hanover Square 18 2.00x
Stoke Lane 18 152.67x
Westoe 18 2.08x
Bootle Cum Linacre 17 3.52x
Faversham 17 10.21x
Inveresk 17 9.16x
Kilmersdon 17 41.76x
Worksop 17 8.31x
Ashcott 16 127.19x
Huish Episcopi 16 136.52x
Rickergate 16 17.16x
Terrington St John 16 135.02x
Wolverhampton 16 1.20x
Broughton In Salford 15 2.70x
Dover St Mary Virgin 15 8.87x
Kilsyth 15 12.46x
Long Sutton 15 97.72x
Longbenton 15 4.65x
Mile End Old Town London 15 1.38x
Paddington London 15 0.80x
Staines 15 18.50x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 351
Elizabeth 149
Sarah 114
Margaret 79
Ann 78
Ellen 70
Jane 70
Annie 69
Catherine 65
Eliza 62
Emma 43
Alice 39
Hannah 37
Bridget 33
Emily 31
Kate 25
Louisa 24
Maria 23
Agnes 22
Charlotte 22
Harriet 18
Ada 17
Martha 17
Rose 17
Anne 15
Florence 15
Caroline 14
Fanny 12
Clara 11
Frances 11
Harriett 11
Julia 10
Rebecca 10
Anna 9
Isabella 9
Lucy 9
Edith 8
Sophia 8
Esther 7
Jessie 7
Lizzie 7
Margret 7
Winifred 7
Amelia 6
Amy 6
Beatrice 6
Helen 6
Minnie 6
Susan 6
Susannah 6

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 257
James 197
William 194
Thomas 153
George 83
Patrick 71
Edward 66
Michael 65
Charles 61
Henry 56
Joseph 51
Richard 35
Robert 31
Frederick 30
Alfred 27
Walter 23
Francis 22
Christopher 21
Peter 21
Arthur 20
Samuel 20
Daniel 16
Albert 15
Frank 14
Thos. 13
Edmund 11
Harry 11
Martin 11
Edwin 10
Stephen 10
Andrew 9
David 9
Herbert 8
Benjamin 7
Ernest 7
Hugh 7
Alexander 6
Anthony 6
Paul 6
Wm. 6
Fredk. 5
Matthew 5
Willm. 5
Fredrick 4
Gilbert 4
Owen 4
Sidney 4
Harold 3
Philip 3
Phillip 3

FAQ

Cullen surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cullen surname in 1881?

In 1881, 5,242 people were recorded with the Cullen surname. That placed it at #849 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cullen surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 12,490 in 2016. That gives Cullen a modern rank of #521.

What does the Cullen surname mean?

Anglicized form of an Irish surname meaning "holly" or "descendant of Cuileann," an Irish Gaelic personal name.

What does the Cullen map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Cullen 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.