NameCensus.

UK surname

Mccullough

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Cú Uladh," meaning "son of the hound of Ulster."

In the 1881 census there were 306 people recorded with the Mccullough surname, ranking it #9,586 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,210, ranked #2,935, up from #9,586 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Gateshead and Workington (Workington), Clossocks. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Vale of White Horse, Knowsley and Pendle.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mccullough is 2,214 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 622.2%.

1881 census count

306

Ranked #9,586

Modern count

2,210

2016, ranked #2,935

Peak year

2010

2,214 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Mccullough had 306 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,586 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,210 in 2016, ranked #2,935.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 488 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Mccullough surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mccullough surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mccullough 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 67 #21,440
1861 historical 76 #24,114
1881 historical 306 #9,586
1891 historical 297 #11,192
1901 historical 426 #9,067
1911 historical 488 #7,980
1997 modern 1,894 #3,186
1998 modern 1,958 #3,206
1999 modern 2,025 #3,153
2000 modern 1,990 #3,175
2001 modern 1,955 #3,165
2002 modern 1,995 #3,178
2003 modern 1,939 #3,193
2004 modern 1,953 #3,177
2005 modern 1,914 #3,202
2006 modern 1,940 #3,178
2007 modern 1,984 #3,145
2008 modern 2,053 #3,076
2009 modern 2,143 #3,026
2010 modern 2,214 #2,993
2011 modern 2,194 #2,978
2012 modern 2,168 #2,956
2013 modern 2,197 #2,970
2014 modern 2,213 #2,964
2015 modern 2,204 #2,946
2016 modern 2,210 #2,935

Geography

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Where Mcculloughs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Gateshead, Workington (Workington), Clossocks, Manchester and Preston. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Vale of White Horse, Knowsley, Pendle, Glenwood South and Copeland. 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 Gateshead Durham
3 Workington (Workington), Clossocks Cumberland
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Preston Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Vale of White Horse 016 Vale of White Horse
2 Knowsley 006 Knowsley
3 Pendle 010 Pendle
4 Glenwood South Glasgow City
5 Copeland 003 Copeland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mccullough

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mccullough

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Mccullough, 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 Mccullough surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Mccullough 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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Mccullough 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

Mccullough 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

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

Meaning and origin of Mccullough

The surname McCullough is of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic Mac Lughaidh, meaning "son of Lughaidh." Lughaidh was a personal name derived from the Old Irish word lughaidh, meaning "poet" or "skilled in verse." The name is first recorded in Scotland in the 13th century.

The McCullough clan was historically centered in the counties of Antrim and Down in Northern Ireland. The earliest recorded spelling of the name was MacCulloch, which appeared in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a record of Scottish nobles who swore allegiance to Edward I of England.

One of the earliest notable bearers of the name was Sir John McCullough, a Scottish knight who fought alongside Robert the Bruce in the Wars of Scottish Independence in the early 14th century. Another early figure was Hervey McCullough, a Scottish merchant who settled in Ulster, Ireland, in the late 16th century.

In the 17th century, the McCullough clan played a significant role in the Plantation of Ulster, a planned process of colonizing Ulster with Protestant settlers from Scotland and England. During this period, many McCulloughs established themselves as landowners and became influential in the region.

One of the most famous bearers of the name was Benjamin McCullough (1811-1862), an American businessman and politician who served as a Confederate general during the American Civil War. Another notable figure was Thomas McCullough (1776-1846), an Irish-American printer and newspaper publisher who co-founded the North American Trust and Banking Company in New York City.

Other historically significant individuals with the surname McCullough include:

1. James McCullough (1819-1893), an Irish-American politician who served as a U.S. Representative from Maryland. 2. Hugh McCullough (1808-1895), an American banker and statesman who served as the 27th United States Secretary of the Treasury. 3. John McCullough (1837-1885), an American actor and stage manager known for his performances in Shakespearean plays. 4. Colleen McCullough (1937-2015), an Australian author best known for her novel "The Thorn Birds." 5. David McCullough (1933-2022), an American author and historian who won two Pulitzer Prizes for his biographies of Presidents Harry S. Truman and John Adams.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mccullough families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mccullough 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 33 Mcculloughs recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.07x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 33 6.07x
Durham 7 5.13x
Cumberland 2 5.07x
Middlesex 2 0.44x
Cornwall 1 1.93x
Glamorgan 1 1.25x
Yorkshire 1 0.22x

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 14 Mcculloughs recorded in 1881 and an index of 42.39x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 14 42.39x
Preston 6 41.24x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 5 84.60x
Manchester 5 20.44x
Everton 4 23.08x
Kirkdale 3 32.79x
St Marylebone London 2 8.17x
Bradford 1 9.09x
Cardiff St John 1 38.31x
Falmouth 1 54.35x
Harton 1 185.19x
Stockton On Tees 1 15.22x
West Derby 1 6.29x
Whitehaven 1 47.62x
Workington 1 44.25x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Jane 4
Margaret 4
Mary 4
Elizabeth 2
Ann 1
Anna 1
Annie 1
Charlotte 1
Eleanor 1
Emma 1
Eunice 1
Julia 1
Margt. 1
Martha 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 4
Thomas 4
Patrick 2
Robert 2
Andrew 1
Chas.M. 1
David 1
Felix 1
Henry 1
Hugh 1
James 1
Joseph 1
Patk. 1
William 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 Mccullough households.

FAQ

Mccullough surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mccullough surname in 1881?

In 1881, 306 people were recorded with the Mccullough surname. That placed it at #9,586 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mccullough surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,210 in 2016. That gives Mccullough a modern rank of #2,935.

What does the Mccullough surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Cú Uladh," meaning "son of the hound of Ulster."

What does the Mccullough map show?

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