2000
#140,756
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Culberth
A rare surname derived from a placename containing the elements "cold" and "barrow" or "bere" meaning cultivated ground.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Culberth. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Culberth 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Culberth in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Culberth, the largest self-reported group is White at 51.3%. The next largest groups are Black (37.8%) and Hispanic (6.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Culberth
The surname Culberth is an anglicized form of the Scottish name Culbertson, which originated in the lands of Borthwick in Midlothian, Scotland during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "cul" meaning "cool" and "berht" meaning "bright" or "illustrious."
The earliest recorded instance of the name appears in the 13th century, with references to a Thomas de Culbertson who held lands in the barony of Borthwick. The name is also found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which recorded the names of Scottish landowners who swore fealty to King Edward I of England.
In the 15th century, the Culbertson family established themselves as a prominent clan in the Scottish Borders region. They held lands in Teviotdale and were known for their involvement in the Border Reivers, a group of families engaged in raids and feuds along the Anglo-Scottish border.
One notable member of the Culbertson clan was Thomas Culbertson, who was appointed as the Keeper of Hermitage Castle in the late 15th century. Hermitage Castle was a significant fortification in the Scottish Borders and played a crucial role in the region's conflicts.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Culbertsons, like many other Scottish families, sought opportunities in the New World. Some members of the clan emigrated to the American colonies, where they established themselves in various parts of the country, particularly in Pennsylvania and Virginia.
Among the notable individuals with the surname Culberth is William Culbertson (1768-1836), an American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio. Another prominent figure was John Culbertson (1817-1895), a Canadian politician and businessman who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba.
Other individuals with the surname Culberth include:
1. Alexander Culbertson (1809-1879), an American fur trader and explorer who was instrumental in establishing trade routes and relationships with Native American tribes in the Rocky Mountains.
2. David Culbertson (1887-1962), an American athlete who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics in London, winning a silver medal in the pole vault event.
3. Ely Culbertson (1891-1955), an American contract bridge player, author, and entrepreneur who popularized the game of contract bridge through his writings and teaching methods.
4. Paul Culbertson (1895-1981), an American professional baseball player who played in Major League Baseball for the Boston Red Sox and the Philadelphia Athletics.
While the spelling variation "Culberth" is relatively uncommon, it serves as a reminder of the diverse ways in which surnames can evolve and adapt over time, reflecting the rich histories and cultural influences that have shaped their origins and evolution.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Culberth
Among Census respondents with the surname Culberth, the largest self-reported group is White at 51.3%. The next largest groups are Black (37.8%) and Hispanic (6.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Culberth 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 Culberth surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White51.3% · 61
- Black or African American37.8% · 45
- Hispanic or Latino6.7% · 8
- Two or more races3.4% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Culberth
Culberth 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
#133,863
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
+17 bearers (+15.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 6,893 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
-7 bearers (-5.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,925 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #140,756 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #133,863 | 126 | 0.04 | +17 bearers (+15.6%) | Up 6,893 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-5.6%) | Down 8,925 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 Culberth 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 | #133,863 | #142,788 | -6.7% |
| Count | 126 | 119 | -5.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Culberth bearers went from 126 to 119 (-5.6% change). The surname moved down 8,925 positions in the national ranking, going from #133,863 to #142,788.
FAQ
Culberth surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Culberth?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Culberth. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Culberth?
Culberth ranks #142,788 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 119 people with the surname Culberth. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Culberth.
Has Culberth become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Culberth went from 126 recorded bearers to 119. That is a decrease of 7 (-5.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #133,863 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Culberth?
Among Census respondents with the surname Culberth, the largest self-reported group is White at 51.3%. The next largest groups are Black (37.8%) and Hispanic (6.7%). 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 Culberth in the 2020 Census, accounting for 51.3% (61 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Culberth appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (51.3%), Black (37.8%), Hispanic (6.7%). 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 Culberth (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 Culberth mean?
A rare surname derived from a placename containing the elements "cold" and "barrow" or "bere" meaning cultivated ground. 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 Culberth (0.04 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 many people have the last name Culberth?
If you just want to know how common the surname Culberth is, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.