2000
#9,387
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,183
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.18
Rare Last name
Culberson
A Scottish habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "cold spring farm" or "farm with a well."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,692 Americans carry the last name Culberson. That puts it at #9,644 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 92,837 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Culberson surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
3.7K
1 in 92,837
Census rank
#9,644
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,220 bearers of the surname Culberson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9644th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Culberson, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.9%. The next largest groups are Black (27.1%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Culberson
The surname Culberson is of English origin, with its roots traced back to the medieval period. The name is believed to have derived from the Old English words "cul" meaning "cool" and "burna" meaning "stream" or "brook." It likely referred to a cool stream or a settlement near such a watercourse.
One of the earliest recorded instances of this surname can be found in the Feet of Fines for Essex, a legal record from 1285, where it appears as "Culburneson." This spelling variation demonstrates the evolution of the name over time.
While the name Culberson does not appear in the Domesday Book, a great survey of England commissioned in 1086 by William the Conqueror, it is possible that some of its earliest bearers were recorded under alternative spellings or variations.
In the 14th century, records from Norfolk mention a John Culbertson, indicating the presence of the name in that region during that time period. Additionally, the surname Culberson has been linked to various place names in England, such as Culberton in Devonshire and Culverton in Somerset.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Culberson. One such person was Sir John Culberson (c. 1525-1597), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Ipswich during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
Another prominent figure was William Culberson (1590-1662), a Puritan minister who emigrated from England to Massachusetts Bay Colony in the early 17th century. He played a significant role in the establishment of the town of Dedham, Massachusetts.
In the 19th century, David Culberson (1830-1900) was a Confederate soldier and politician from Texas, serving as a member of the Texas House of Representatives and the United States House of Representatives.
More recently, Charles A. Culberson (1855-1925) was a prominent lawyer and politician from Texas, serving as the 21st Governor of Texas from 1895 to 1899 and later as a United States Senator from 1899 to 1923.
Additionally, Charles B. Culberson (1892-1972) was an American politician who served as a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Texas from 1935 to 1945.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Culberson
Among Census respondents with the surname Culberson, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.9%. The next largest groups are Black (27.1%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Culberson bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Culberson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White63.9% · 2,057
- Black or African American27.1% · 874
- Two or more races4.6% · 149
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 92
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.1% · 36
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Culberson
Culberson appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#9,520
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,415
+232 bearers (+7.3%)
Per 100,000 1.16
Rank movement Down 133 places
2020
#9,644
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,220
-195 bearers (-5.7%)
Per 100,000 1.08
Rank movement Down 124 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,387 | 3,183 | 1.18 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,520 | 3,415 | 1.16 | +232 bearers (+7.3%) | Down 133 places |
| 2020 | #9,644 | 3,220 | 1.08 | -195 bearers (-5.7%) | Down 124 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Culberson surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #9,520 | #9,644 | -1.3% |
| Count | 3,415 | 3,220 | -5.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.16 | 1.08 | -7.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Culberson bearers went from 3,415 to 3,220 (-5.7% change). The surname moved down 124 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,520 to #9,644.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Culberson
FAQ
Culberson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Culberson?
Name Census estimates that about 3,692 living Americans carry the surname Culberson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 92,837 residents.
How common is Culberson?
Culberson ranks #9,644 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.08 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,220 people with the surname Culberson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,692), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.08 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Culberson.
Has Culberson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Culberson went from 3,415 recorded bearers to 3,220. That is a decrease of 195 (-5.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,520 to #9,644.
What does the Census say about the background of Culberson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Culberson, the largest self-reported group is White at 63.9%. The next largest groups are Black (27.1%) and Two or More Races (4.6%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Culberson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 63.9% (2,057 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Culberson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (63.9%), Black (27.1%), Two or More Races (4.6%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Culberson (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Culberson mean?
A Scottish habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "cold spring farm" or "farm with a well." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Culberson (1.08 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Culberson?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Culberson on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.