Find out how popular the last name Culbertson is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Culbertson.

Culbertson, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Culbertson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Culbertson in America

Culbertson is the 3492nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Culbertson surname appeared 10,240 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Culbertson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Culbertson to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Culbertson

The surname Culbertson has its origins in Scotland, originating in the 12th century. It is a locational name derived from the lands of Culbertson in the parish of Closeburn, Nithsdale, Dumfriesshire. The name is thought to come from the Old English words "col" meaning "cool" or "cold" and "burna" meaning "stream" or "brook", referring to a cool stream near the lands.

Early records show the name spelled in various ways, including Culbertson, Culberson, Culbairn, and Culbairston. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which lists John deCulbertson as swearing fealty to King Edward I of England.

In the 16th century, the Culbertson family was prominent in the Scottish Borders region. John Culbertson of Holmends is mentioned in the Register of the Privy Seal of Scotland in 1589. Another notable figure was Sir Robert Culbertson, who was knighted by King James VI of Scotland in 1617.

The name also made its way to Ireland, where it appeared as Culberson. In 1659, a John Culberson is recorded as being granted lands in County Donegal.

Among the early Culbertsons who emigrated to the American colonies was Robert Culbertson, born in Scotland around 1655. He settled in Chester County, Pennsylvania in the late 17th century. Another early American bearer of the name was Samuel Culbertson, born in Ireland in 1720, who settled in Pennsylvania and served in the French and Indian War.

Other notable individuals with the surname include:

1. William Culbertson (1768-1848), an American lawyer and politician who served as a U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania.
2. John Culbertson (1793-1879), an American Baptist minister and educator who founded Masonic College, now Culver-Stockton College, in Missouri.
3. Alexander Culbertson (1815-1890), a prominent American fur trader and explorer who worked for the American Fur Company in the Pacific Northwest.
4. William Culbertson (1825-1906), a Scottish-born Australian businessman and politician who served as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly.
5. John Culbertson (1861-1934), an American lawyer and Republican politician who served as a U.S. Representative from Texas.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Culbertson

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Culbertson.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Culbertson was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Culbertson has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Culbertson was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Culbertson, please contact us.

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