NameCensus.

UK surname

Mcculla

A variant of the Irish surname McCullough, derived from Scottish Gaelic meaning "descendant of the descendant of the ugly."

In the 1881 census there were 39 people recorded with the Mcculla surname, ranking it #28,137 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 132, ranked #25,882, up from #28,137 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Tyneside and Sandwell.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mcculla is 134 in 2011. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 238.5%.

1881 census count

39

Ranked #28,137

Modern count

132

2016, ranked #25,882

Peak year

2011

134 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mcculla had 39 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #28,137 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 132 in 2016, ranked #25,882.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 64 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Mcculla surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mcculla surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mcculla 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 14 #30,790
1861 historical 25 #30,804
1881 historical 39 #28,137
1891 historical 42 #31,018
1901 historical 63 #27,134
1911 historical 64 #26,435
1997 modern 128 #23,238
1998 modern 130 #23,603
1999 modern 131 #23,709
2000 modern 131 #23,672
2001 modern 126 #23,883
2002 modern 125 #24,492
2003 modern 123 #24,497
2004 modern 125 #24,443
2005 modern 120 #25,066
2006 modern 115 #25,969
2007 modern 116 #26,209
2008 modern 118 #26,212
2009 modern 122 #26,220
2010 modern 130 #25,775
2011 modern 134 #25,050
2012 modern 130 #25,559
2013 modern 130 #26,074
2014 modern 130 #26,216
2015 modern 128 #26,356
2016 modern 132 #25,882

Geography

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Where Mccullas 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 South Tyneside and Sandwell. 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 South Tyneside 007 South Tyneside
2 South Tyneside 009 South Tyneside
3 South Tyneside 017 South Tyneside
4 South Tyneside 015 South Tyneside
5 Sandwell 007 Sandwell

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mcculla

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mcculla

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Mcculla surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Mcculla household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Mcculla 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

Mcculla is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Mcculla 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 Mcculla 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 Mcculla, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Mcculla

The surname McCulla is of Scottish origin, tracing its roots back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated in the Highlands region of Scotland, particularly in the areas around Argyll and the Hebrides islands. The name is derived from the Gaelic words "mac" meaning "son" and "colla" which was a personal name derived from the Gaelic word "colladh" meaning "calf".

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the records of the Clan MacLea, also known as the Clan Livingstone. In these records, dating back to the late 16th century, there are mentions of individuals with the surname McCulla or variations such as McCoull or McColl.

In the 17th century, the surname appears in various parish records and land deeds in the Scottish counties of Argyll and Inverness-shire. One notable entry is that of Donald McCulla, who was recorded as a landowner in the parish of Kilmore, Argyll in 1642.

As the Scottish people began to migrate to other parts of the British Isles and beyond, the name spread to other regions. In the late 18th century, there are records of McCullas in the north of England, particularly in the counties of Northumberland and Durham, likely due to migration from Scotland.

One prominent individual bearing the name was John McCulla, a Scottish poet and writer born in 1743 in Argyll. He published several works of poetry and prose, including "The Highlander's Farewell" and "Poems on Various Subjects".

Another notable figure was William McCulla, a Scottish-born businessman and philanthropist who lived from 1788 to 1865. He made his fortune in the textile industry in England and later donated a significant portion of his wealth to establishing educational institutions in Scotland.

In the 19th century, the McCulla name can be found in records of Scottish immigrants to North America, particularly in Canada and the United States. One such individual was James McCulla, born in 1812 in Argyll, who emigrated to Nova Scotia, Canada in the 1840s and established a successful fishing business.

Another noteworthy McCulla was Robert McCulla, a Scottish-American soldier who fought in the American Civil War. Born in 1837 in Glasgow, Scotland, he later immigrated to the United States and served in the Union Army, earning recognition for his bravery at the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863.

These are just a few examples of individuals bearing the surname McCulla throughout history, but the name has a rich legacy that can be traced back to the Scottish Highlands and the Gaelic language.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mcculla families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mcculla 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 12 Mccullas recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.98x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 12 7.98x
Middlesex 1 0.79x

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 6 Mccullas recorded in 1881 and an index of 65.65x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 6 65.65x
Toxteth Park 6 117.88x
Mile End Old Town 1 50.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Catherine 2
Jane 2
Ann 1
Elizabeth 1
Margaret 1
Mary 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Philip 2
Edward 1
John 1
Thomas 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 Mcculla households.

FAQ

Mcculla surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mcculla surname in 1881?

In 1881, 39 people were recorded with the Mcculla surname. That placed it at #28,137 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mcculla surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 132 in 2016. That gives Mcculla a modern rank of #25,882.

What does the Mcculla surname mean?

A variant of the Irish surname McCullough, derived from Scottish Gaelic meaning "descendant of the descendant of the ugly."

What does the Mcculla map show?

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