NameCensus.

UK surname

Cullum

Derived from a place name meaning "at the culm," referring to a coal mining area in Old English.

In the 1881 census there were 1,174 people recorded with the Cullum surname, ranking it #3,428 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,873, ranked #3,399, up from #3,428 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Lakenham , Eaton St Andrew, Town Close, St Stephen, St Peter Mancroft, St Giles, St Andrew, St John. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Broadland, Walsall and Norwich.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cullum is 1,978 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 59.5%.

1881 census count

1,174

Ranked #3,428

Modern count

1,873

2016, ranked #3,399

Peak year

2002

1,978 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cullum had 1,174 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,428 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,873 in 2016, ranked #3,399.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,892 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Cullum surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cullum surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cullum 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 803 #3,334
1861 historical 538 #4,878
1881 historical 1,174 #3,428
1891 historical 1,215 #3,537
1901 historical 1,582 #3,264
1911 historical 1,892 #2,614
1997 modern 1,907 #3,167
1998 modern 1,958 #3,206
1999 modern 1,951 #3,241
2000 modern 1,974 #3,199
2001 modern 1,953 #3,168
2002 modern 1,978 #3,200
2003 modern 1,913 #3,221
2004 modern 1,915 #3,218
2005 modern 1,919 #3,194
2006 modern 1,895 #3,240
2007 modern 1,910 #3,243
2008 modern 1,917 #3,249
2009 modern 1,944 #3,294
2010 modern 1,947 #3,346
2011 modern 1,966 #3,280
2012 modern 1,909 #3,314
2013 modern 1,908 #3,367
2014 modern 1,911 #3,380
2015 modern 1,886 #3,383
2016 modern 1,873 #3,399

Geography

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Where Cullums are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, Lakenham , Eaton St Andrew, Town Close, St Stephen, St Peter Mancroft, St Giles, St Andrew, St John and Hellesdon, St Mary in the Marsh, St Clement, St Martin at Oak, St Mary at Coslany, St Michael at Cos. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Broadland, Walsall, Norwich and East Northamptonshire. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Lakenham , Eaton St Andrew, Town Close, St Stephen, St Peter Mancroft, St Giles, St Andrew, St John Norfolk
5 Hellesdon, St Mary in the Marsh, St Clement, St Martin at Oak, St Mary at Coslany, St Michael at Cos Norfolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Broadland 013 Broadland
2 Walsall 034 Walsall
3 Norwich 001 Norwich
4 East Northamptonshire 006 East Northamptonshire
5 Norwich 002 Norwich

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cullum

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cullum

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Cullum surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Cullum household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Cullum is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Cullum is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Cullum falls in decile 5 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Cullum 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 Cullum, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Cullum

The surname Cullum is believed to have originated in England, and it can be traced back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "culm," which means "a summit" or "a hill." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who lived on or near a hill.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Cullum can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Sussex in 1194, where a person named Wymund Culum is mentioned. The spelling of the name varied over time, with forms such as Culm, Culme, and Cullum appearing in various records.

The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the surname Cullum. However, it does mention several place names that may have influenced the development of the surname, such as Culme in Devonshire and Culne in Staffordshire.

Notable individuals with the surname Cullum throughout history include:

1. Sir Thomas Cullum (1566-1625), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Ipswich. 2. Sir John Cullum (1733-1785), an English antiquarian and historian, known for his work "The History and Antiquities of Hawsted and Hardwick." 3. Thomas Gery Cullum (1741-1831), an English botanist and clergyman, who contributed to the study of British plants. 4. George William Cullum (1809-1892), an English clergyman and writer, known for his work on the history of Hawsted. 5. Ridgway Robert Cullum (1867-1938), an English cricketer who played for Hampshire and Oxford University.

The surname Cullum has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Cullum's Farm in Suffolk and Cullum's Wood in Norfolk. These place names may have originated from individuals bearing the Cullum surname who owned or lived in those areas.

It is worth noting that while the surname Cullum has a long history in England, it has also been adopted by families in other parts of the world, particularly in countries with historical ties to Britain, such as the United States and Australia.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cullum families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cullum 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. Norfolk leads with 217 Cullums recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.30x.

County Total Index
Norfolk 217 12.30x
Middlesex 196 1.71x
Suffolk 147 10.52x
Surrey 107 1.91x
Essex 97 4.28x
Kent 69 1.76x
Berkshire 57 6.62x
Cambridgeshire 53 7.29x
Monmouthshire 26 3.14x
Gloucestershire 23 1.02x
Devon 22 0.92x
Buckinghamshire 19 2.74x
Lincolnshire 18 0.98x
Somerset 17 0.92x
Yorkshire 17 0.15x
Hampshire 16 0.68x
Cheshire 12 0.47x
Wiltshire 8 0.79x
Durham 7 0.21x
Northumberland 7 0.41x
Nottinghamshire 7 0.45x
Sussex 7 0.36x
Warwickshire 7 0.24x
Cornwall 5 0.39x
Hertfordshire 3 0.38x
Banffshire 2 0.84x
Lancashire 2 0.01x
Northamptonshire 2 0.19x
Oxfordshire 2 0.28x
Royal Navy 2 1.46x
Glamorgan 1 0.05x
Staffordshire 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lambeth in Surrey leads with 34 Cullums recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.40x.

Place Total Index
Lambeth 34 3.40x
Heigham 32 33.80x
St Pancras London 28 3.03x
Salcott 27 2872.34x
Stoke Damerel 20 11.97x
Battersea 19 4.50x
Camberwell 19 2.59x
Mile End Old Town 19 10.49x
Waterbeach 18 303.54x
Chatham 16 14.86x
St George Hanover 16 10.69x
Diss 15 99.21x
Lakenham 15 59.86x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 14 6.61x
Newbury 14 50.76x
Newington 14 3.30x
Mulbarton 13 640.39x
Shoreditch London 13 2.61x
Bethnal Green London 12 2.41x
Chelsea London 12 3.47x
Islington London 12 1.08x
Carleton Rode 11 360.66x
Erith 11 28.53x
Milton 11 506.91x
Norwich St Martin At Oak 11 102.52x
Palgrave 10 340.14x
Alderton 9 430.62x
Morley St Botolph 9 810.81x
Clee With Weelsby 8 19.92x
Colchester St Botolph 8 41.54x
Earley 8 55.79x
Earlham 8 860.22x
Hammersmith London 8 2.83x
Ince 8 610.69x
Ipswich St Margaret 8 16.87x
Ipswich St Peter 8 42.53x
Kensington London 8 1.25x
Little Totham 8 645.16x
Lower Cwmyoy 8 879.12x
Norwich St Benedict 8 101.78x
St George In East 8 10.25x
St Woollos 8 8.64x
Swardeston 8 601.50x
Willesden 8 7.40x
Witnesham 8 396.04x
Bawburgh 7 421.69x
Bromley London 7 2.77x
Chilton 7 65.73x
Clapham 7 4.88x
Coventry Holy Trinity 7 8.10x
Earsdon 7 50.40x
Fen Ditton 7 267.18x
Foots Cray 7 93.46x
Gayton 7 234.90x
Gillingham 7 8.67x
Great Burstead 7 84.95x
Melton Parva 7 492.96x
Monckton Combe 7 118.64x
Norwich St Julian 7 94.21x
Nottingham St Mary 7 1.75x
Sonning 7 73.61x
St Andrewthe Less 7 8.43x
Tattingstone 7 324.07x
Upton Cum Chalvey 7 25.33x
Aspall 6 937.50x
Bedminster 6 3.46x
Bristol St George 6 5.77x
Dedham 6 87.34x
Elmstead 6 164.84x
Enfield 6 7.97x
Huggate 6 277.78x
Ipswich St Mathew 6 15.32x
Newport 6 15.17x
Plumstead 6 4.60x
Saxlingham Nethergate 6 287.08x
Shottisham 6 550.46x
Stoke Newington London 6 6.72x
Otley 5 200.00x
Prittlewell 5 15.93x
Tibenham 5 200.80x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 74
John 57
George 45
James 37
Henry 36
Arthur 28
Charles 27
Thomas 23
Robert 20
Alfred 15
Walter 13
Edward 11
Joseph 11
Harry 9
Richard 9
Samuel 9
Ernest 8
Albert 7
Benjamin 6
David 6
Frank 6
Frederick 6
Herbert 6
Francis 5
Saml. 5
Chas. 4
Fredrick 4
Horace 4
Wm. 4
Ambrose 3
Percy 3
Sidney 3
Cornelius 2
Isaac 2
Octavius 2
Stephen 2
Sydney 2
Thos. 2
Willm. 2
Archibald 1
Christopher 1
Daniel 1
Fred 1
Freddy 1
Frederic 1
Fredk. 1
Jas.Hy. 1
Jeremiah 1
Jno. 1
Job 1

FAQ

Cullum surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cullum surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,174 people were recorded with the Cullum surname. That placed it at #3,428 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cullum surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,873 in 2016. That gives Cullum a modern rank of #3,399.

What does the Cullum surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "at the culm," referring to a coal mining area in Old English.

What does the Cullum map show?

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