NameCensus.

UK surname

Mccullum

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Coluim," meaning "son of Colum" (Colum being a personal name).

In the 1881 census there were 157 people recorded with the Mccullum surname, ranking it #15,046 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 97, ranked #31,585, down from #15,046 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Govan Combination and Alverstoke, Gosport, Rowner. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Thanet, Plymouth and South Hams.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Mccullum is 242 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 38.2%.

1881 census count

157

Ranked #15,046

Modern count

97

2016, ranked #31,585

Peak year

1901

242 bearers

Map years

6

1851 to 2006

Key insights

  • Mccullum had 157 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,046 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 97 in 2016, ranked #31,585.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 242 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Mccullum surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Mccullum surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Mccullum 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 104 #16,746
1861 historical 93 #22,009
1881 historical 157 #15,046
1891 historical 156 #17,842
1901 historical 242 #13,392
1911 historical 49 #27,894
1997 modern 91 #28,215
1998 modern 101 #27,479
1999 modern 111 #26,182
2000 modern 103 #27,280
2001 modern 97 #27,823
2002 modern 102 #27,596
2003 modern 103 #27,234
2004 modern 99 #28,136
2005 modern 107 #26,875
2006 modern 104 #27,646
2007 modern 105 #27,868
2008 modern 113 #26,920
2009 modern 112 #27,685
2010 modern 113 #28,162
2011 modern 107 #28,979
2012 modern 103 #29,733
2013 modern 102 #30,415
2014 modern 99 #31,186
2015 modern 102 #30,624
2016 modern 97 #31,585

Geography

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Where Mccullums are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Govan Combination, Alverstoke, Gosport, Rowner and Toxteth Park. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Thanet, Plymouth, South Hams and Ipswich. 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 1
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 London parishes London 3
4 Alverstoke, Gosport, Rowner Hampshire
5 Toxteth Park Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Thanet 017 Thanet
2 Plymouth 029 Plymouth
3 South Hams 001 South Hams
4 Thanet 011 Thanet
5 Ipswich 001 Ipswich

Forenames

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First names often paired with Mccullum

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Mccullum

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Mccullum, 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 Mccullum surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Mccullum 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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Mccullum is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Mccullum 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

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

Meaning and origin of Mccullum

The surname McCullum has its origins in Scotland and dates back to the 12th century. It is a Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic name 'Mac Cullóch', which means 'son of the boar'. The name likely originated in the region of Wigtownshire, where a powerful family bearing the name held lands.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the McCullum name appears in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a record of Scottish landowners who swore fealty to King Edward I of England. The name is listed as 'M'Culloch' in this document, reflecting the older spelling variation.

In the 16th century, the McCullums were closely associated with the town of Drummore in Wigtownshire. John McCullum, born around 1520, was a prominent figure in the area and served as the Baillie of Drummore.

The McCullum name has also been linked to several notable figures throughout history. Sir Godfrey McCulloch (1575-1635) was a Scottish soldier and colonist who played a significant role in the establishment of the Plantation of Ulster in Ireland. Another notable bearer of the name was Horatio McCulloch (1805-1867), a renowned Scottish landscape painter known for his depictions of the Scottish Highlands.

Other notable McCullums include: 1. Robert McCullum (1810-1862), a Scottish-born merchant and politician in Nova Scotia, Canada. 2. John McCullum (1837-1920), a Scottish-born Australian politician and member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly. 3. Andrew McCullum (1855-1925), a Scottish-born Australian cricketer who played for New South Wales. 4. Hugh McCullum (1885-1944), a Scottish-born Australian politician and member of the Australian House of Representatives. 5. Brendon McCullum (born 1981), a former New Zealand cricketer and captain of the national team.

The McCullum surname has evolved over time, with various spellings such as McCullock, McCulloch, and McCullough emerging in different regions. However, the name's Scottish origins and connection to the Gaelic 'Mac Cullóch' have remained consistent throughout its history.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Mccullum families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Mccullum 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. Surrey leads with 5 Mccullums recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.84x.

County Total Index
Surrey 5 5.84x
Devon 4 10.94x
Hampshire 4 11.11x
Middlesex 3 1.71x
Royal Navy 1 47.85x
Warwickshire 1 2.26x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Alverstoke in Hampshire leads with 4 Mccullums recorded in 1881 and an index of 307.69x.

Place Total Index
Alverstoke 4 307.69x
Lambeth 4 26.13x
Plymouth Charles The 2 124.22x
Plymouth St Andrew 2 70.92x
Hackney London 1 10.16x
Newington 1 15.41x
Old Stratford 1 400.00x
St George Hanover 1 43.67x
St Marylebone London 1 10.67x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Ann 2
Amelia 1
Charlotte 1
Eliza 1
Emily 1
Jane 1
Martha 1
Wilhelmina 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 2
John 2
Andrew 1
Edward 1
George 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 Mccullum households.

FAQ

Mccullum surname: questions and answers

How common was the Mccullum surname in 1881?

In 1881, 157 people were recorded with the Mccullum surname. That placed it at #15,046 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Mccullum surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 97 in 2016. That gives Mccullum a modern rank of #31,585.

What does the Mccullum surname mean?

A Scottish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Coluim," meaning "son of Colum" (Colum being a personal name).

What does the Mccullum map show?

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