NameCensus.

UK surname

Culmer

A habitational name referring to someone from Coulmer in Oxfordshire, England.

In the 1881 census there were 210 people recorded with the Culmer surname, ranking it #12,440 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 238, ranked #17,361, down from #12,440 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ash-near-Sandwich, St Peter and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Redcar and Cleveland, Wealden and Tunbridge Wells.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Culmer is 282 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 13.3%.

1881 census count

210

Ranked #12,440

Modern count

238

2016, ranked #17,361

Peak year

1998

282 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Culmer had 210 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,440 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 238 in 2016, ranked #17,361.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 258 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Outer Suburbs.

Culmer surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Culmer surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Culmer 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 179 #11,346
1861 historical 159 #14,553
1881 historical 210 #12,440
1891 historical 219 #13,974
1901 historical 258 #12,875
1911 historical 251 #12,870
1997 modern 269 #14,543
1998 modern 282 #14,472
1999 modern 275 #14,789
2000 modern 267 #15,055
2001 modern 262 #15,034
2002 modern 276 #14,794
2003 modern 263 #15,109
2004 modern 257 #15,419
2005 modern 235 #16,335
2006 modern 240 #16,177
2007 modern 240 #16,392
2008 modern 235 #16,777
2009 modern 248 #16,509
2010 modern 242 #17,138
2011 modern 233 #17,426
2012 modern 229 #17,537
2013 modern 240 #17,251
2014 modern 246 #17,079
2015 modern 251 #16,756
2016 modern 238 #17,361

Geography

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Where Culmers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ash-near-Sandwich, St Peter, London parishes, Dover St James, Dover St Mary and Strood. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Redcar and Cleveland, Wealden, Tunbridge Wells, Cornwall and Sunderland. 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 Ash-near-Sandwich Kent
2 St Peter Kent
3 London parishes London 3
4 Dover St James, Dover St Mary Kent
5 Strood Kent

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Redcar and Cleveland 021 Redcar and Cleveland
2 Wealden 006 Wealden
3 Tunbridge Wells 007 Tunbridge Wells
4 Cornwall 061 Cornwall
5 Sunderland 027 Sunderland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Culmer

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Culmer

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

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Outer Suburbs

Nationally, the Culmer surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Outer Suburbs, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Culmer household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods are found on the outer edges of many towns and cities. Many residents were born outside the UK. Indian ethnic group representation is high. There are high numbers of families with dependent children aged 5 to 14. Incidences of disability and of provision of unpaid care are low. Neighbourhoods provide a mix of detached housing and flats, and terraced housing is not uncommon. Levels of overcrowding are low and homeownership rates are high. Professional and managerial occupations are prevalent: unemployment is low and education to degree level is the norm.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Culmer 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

Culmer is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Culmer 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 Culmer is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Culmer

The surname Culmer is of English origin, with its roots traced back to the medieval era. It is thought to have derived from the Old English words 'cul' meaning 'cool' and 'mere' meaning 'pool' or 'lake'. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a cool body of water.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as 'Cullemere'. This entry indicates that the name was already established in certain regions of England by the late 11th century.

During the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, including 'Cullemere', 'Culemere', and 'Culmer'. These variations likely reflected regional dialects and spelling conventions of the time.

In the 14th century, the Culmer surname was particularly prominent in the counties of Somerset and Dorset in southwestern England. Records from this period show individuals bearing the name, such as John Culmer, who was mentioned in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Taunton in 1327.

As the name spread across England, it also became associated with certain place names. For example, the village of Culmer in Somerset may have derived its name from the surname or vice versa.

Notable bearers of the Culmer surname throughout history include:

1. Richard Culmer (c. 1460 - c. 1530), an English composer and musician who served in the court of King Henry VIII. 2. John Culmer (1642 - 1720), a British politician who served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Bridport, Dorset, from 1695 to 1708. 3. William Culmer (1714 - 1790), an English architect and surveyor who designed several churches and buildings in London during the 18th century. 4. Thomas Culmer (1789 - 1860), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars and later became a Rear Admiral. 5. Emily Culmer (1833 - 1912), an English author and poet who published several works of fiction and poetry in the late 19th century.

While the Culmer surname has its roots in medieval England, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora. However, its origins can be traced back to the Old English language and the specific geographic regions of southwestern England.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Culmer families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Culmer 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. Kent leads with 93 Culmers recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.31x.

County Total Index
Kent 93 13.31x
Middlesex 69 3.37x
Surrey 23 2.30x
Gloucestershire 5 1.24x
Somerset 5 1.52x
Buckinghamshire 4 3.23x
Hampshire 4 0.95x
Wiltshire 4 2.21x
Cumberland 2 1.13x
Suffolk 1 0.40x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Islington London in Middlesex leads with 27 Culmers recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.60x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 27 13.60x
Stourmouth 22 9565.22x
Mile End Old Town London 18 41.28x
Camberwell 7 5.35x
Faversham 7 105.11x
Newington 7 9.25x
St Nicholas At Wade 7 1707.32x
Luddenham 6 3529.41x
Shoreditch London 6 6.76x
St Peters 6 185.76x
Bitton 5 142.86x
Chislet 5 632.91x
Harbledown 5 1000.00x
Ramsgate 5 43.82x
Willesborough 5 265.96x
Chesham 4 87.72x
Martock 4 186.92x
Preston Next Faversham 4 243.90x
Deal 3 50.34x
Dover St Mary Virgin 3 44.38x
Kensington London 3 2.63x
Millbrook 3 28.38x
Paddington London 3 3.98x
Westbury 3 70.92x
Ashford 2 29.37x
Caterham 2 45.35x
Charlton 2 43.10x
Clerkenwell London 2 4.14x
Egremont 2 47.51x
Hackney London 2 1.74x
Hampton Wick London 2 133.33x
Rotherhithe 2 7.90x
Sandwich St Peter 2 273.97x
St Clement Danes London 2 47.17x
Stoke Newington London 2 12.53x
Battersea 1 1.33x
Canterbury St George 1 119.05x
Deptford St Paul 1 1.85x
Dover St James 1 32.68x
Great Mongeham 1 303.03x
Herne 1 32.36x
Hornsey 1 3.86x
Hougham 1 24.04x
Kingston On Thames 1 4.17x
Lambeth 1 0.56x
Lavington West 1 769.23x
Limehouse London 1 4.45x
Mitcham 1 15.85x
Newmarket St Mary 1 52.36x
Northfleet 1 16.23x
Portsea 1 1.22x
Preston Next Wingham 1 322.58x
Staplegate 1 555.56x
Sutton 1 13.85x
Trull 1 149.25x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 11
Sarah 7
Eliza 6
Emily 6
Emma 6
Elizabeth 4
Florence 4
Frances 4
Margaret 4
Ann 3
Charlotte 3
Alice 2
Amelia 2
Caroline 2
Esther 2
Harriett 2
Henrietta 2
Jane 2
Louisa 2
Adelade 1
Agnes 1
Amy 1
Annetta 1
Annie 1
Catherine 1
Cecila 1
Chas. 1
Clare 1
Edith 1
Ellen 1
Fanny 1
Gertrude 1
Gwendoline 1
Hariet 1
Harriet 1
Jesse 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
Lucil 1
Marian 1
Marie 1
Matilda 1
Minnie 1
Miriam 1
Rebecca 1
Rosa 1
Susan 1
Susanna 1
Thomas 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Culmer surname: questions and answers

How common was the Culmer surname in 1881?

In 1881, 210 people were recorded with the Culmer surname. That placed it at #12,440 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Culmer surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 238 in 2016. That gives Culmer a modern rank of #17,361.

What does the Culmer surname mean?

A habitational name referring to someone from Coulmer in Oxfordshire, England.

What does the Culmer map show?

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