NameCensus.

UK surname

Kilcullen

An Irish surname derived from a place name meaning "woodland church".

In the 1881 census there were 13 people recorded with the Kilcullen surname, ranking it #31,761 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 256, ranked #16,534, up from #31,761 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Tollcross, Drumoyne and Shieldhall and Gravesham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Kilcullen is 256 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 1869.2%.

1881 census count

13

Ranked #31,761

Modern count

256

2016, ranked #16,534

Peak year

2016

256 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Kilcullen had 13 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #31,761 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 256 in 2016, ranked #16,534.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 78 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Routine Occupations or Retirement.

Kilcullen surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Kilcullen surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Kilcullen 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 11 #31,309
1861 historical 16 #31,832
1881 historical 13 #31,761
1891 historical 55 #29,744
1901 historical 78 #25,500
1911 historical 17 #31,675
1997 modern 230 #16,109
1998 modern 243 #15,993
1999 modern 246 #15,974
2000 modern 244 #16,004
2001 modern 234 #16,205
2002 modern 234 #16,543
2003 modern 236 #16,236
2004 modern 230 #16,643
2005 modern 237 #16,244
2006 modern 240 #16,177
2007 modern 246 #16,086
2008 modern 240 #16,535
2009 modern 244 #16,706
2010 modern 251 #16,749
2011 modern 247 #16,783
2012 modern 242 #16,886
2013 modern 253 #16,642
2014 modern 251 #16,865
2015 modern 252 #16,705
2016 modern 256 #16,534

Geography

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Where Kilcullens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Tollcross, Drumoyne and Shieldhall, Gravesham, Parkhead West and Barrowfield and Stobswell. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Tollcross Glasgow City
2 Drumoyne and Shieldhall Glasgow City
3 Gravesham 005 Gravesham
4 Parkhead West and Barrowfield Glasgow City
5 Stobswell Dundee City

Forenames

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First names often paired with Kilcullen

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Kilcullen

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

Legacy Communities

Group

Routine Occupations or Retirement

Nationally, the Kilcullen surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Routine Occupations or Retirement, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Kilcullen 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 characterised by high proportions of single, often never-married adults of normal retirement age or older, including many that are in the most advanced age groups. Most adults are UK born and live at high residential densities, and many of the children living with parents are in adulthood. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are uncommon, but above average proportions of households include individuals that identify with different ethnic groups. Long-term disability is relatively common, and the dominant accommodation type is flats. Unemployment rates are high, with most of those employed working in routine occupations. Few individuals have high level qualifications. Car ownership is not high.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Kilcullen is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Kilcullen is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Kilcullen falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Kilcullen 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 - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Kilcullen

The surname Kilcullen originated in Ireland and can be traced back to the 11th century. It is an anglicized form of the Irish Gaelic name "O'Cillin," derived from the word "cill" meaning church or monastery, and the name of a place called Kilcullen, located in County Kildare, Ireland.

The earliest recorded use of the name Kilcullen dates back to the 12th century, when it appeared in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. The name is also mentioned in the Book of Leinster, a 12th-century manuscript that contains a collection of Irish literature and genealogies.

During the Norman invasion of Ireland in the 12th century, many Irish families adopted anglicized versions of their surnames to conform to English naming conventions. This is likely when the O'Cillin name became Kilcullen.

Notable individuals with the surname Kilcullen include:

1. John Kilcullen (c. 1580-1662), an Irish Franciscan friar and historian who wrote a chronicle of the Catholic Church in Ireland during the 16th and 17th centuries.

2. Patrick Kilcullen (1872-1939), an Irish Gaelic footballer who played for the Kildare county team in the late 19th century.

3. Thomas Kilcullen (1922-2005), an Irish politician who served as a Teachta Dála (Member of Parliament) for the Kildare constituency from 1954 to 1969.

4. Mary Kilcullen (born 1948), an Irish writer and journalist who has published several books on Irish history and culture.

5. Eoin Kilcullen (born 1983), an Irish hurler who played for the Kildare county team and was part of the team that won the Christy Ring Cup in 2013.

The name Kilcullen is also associated with several place names in Ireland, such as Kilcullen Bridge and Kilcullen Parish, both located in County Kildare, reflecting the historical ties of the name to the region.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Kilcullen families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Kilcullen 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. Angus leads with 7 Kilcullens recorded in 1881 and an index of 59.57x.

County Total Index
Angus 7 59.57x
Lancashire 4 2.66x
Cheshire 1 3.57x
Lanarkshire 1 2.44x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dundee in Angus leads with 7 Kilcullens recorded in 1881 and an index of 159.45x.

Place Total Index
Dundee 7 159.45x
Liverpool 3 32.82x
Govan 1 9.86x
Kirkdale 1 39.53x
Runcorn 1 153.85x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Thomas 2
John 1
Patrick 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Kilcullen households.

FAQ

Kilcullen surname: questions and answers

How common was the Kilcullen surname in 1881?

In 1881, 13 people were recorded with the Kilcullen surname. That placed it at #31,761 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Kilcullen surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 256 in 2016. That gives Kilcullen a modern rank of #16,534.

What does the Kilcullen surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from a place name meaning "woodland church".

What does the Kilcullen map show?

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