2000
#12,919
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,181
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.81
Rare Last name
Culbreath
A Scottish and Irish topographic surname referring to someone who lived by a swift stream or current.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,620 Americans carry the last name Culbreath. That puts it at #12,872 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.76 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 130,822 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Culbreath 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
2.6K
1 in 130,822
Census rank
#12,872
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,285 bearers of the surname Culbreath in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.76 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12872nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Culbreath, the largest self-reported group is Black at 56.6%. The next largest groups are White (34.1%) and Two or More Races (6.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Culbreath
The surname CULBREATH is believed to have originated in Scotland during the medieval period, likely derived from a combination of the Old English words "col" meaning cole or charcoal, and "breth" meaning breath or vapour. This suggests the name may have been an occupational surname referring to someone who worked with charcoal or in a related industry, such as a blacksmith or coal miner.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the CULBREATH surname can be found in the Scottish Exchequer Rolls of 1456, where a "John Culbreth" is mentioned as a resident of Ayrshire. This indicates the name was already in use by the 15th century, although it may have existed earlier under slightly different spellings.
The CULBREATH name appears to have been concentrated primarily in the Scottish Lowlands, particularly in the counties of Ayrshire, Lanarkshire, and Renfrewshire. It is believed to have been associated with the village of Culbreath, which is now a part of the town of Dalry in North Ayrshire.
In the 17th century, a notable bearer of the CULBREATH surname was Sir James Culbreath (1612-1676), a Scottish merchant and landowner who served as Lord Provost of Edinburgh from 1669 to 1672. He was known for his involvement in the expansion of trade and commerce in the city.
Another historical figure with the CULBREATH surname was John Culbreath (1776-1848), a Scottish-born Canadian businessman and politician who served as a member of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1827 to 1830. He was involved in the shipping industry and was a prominent figure in the local community.
In the 19th century, a notable bearer of the CULBREATH name was William Culbreath (1832-1901), a Scottish-American engineer and inventor who was credited with numerous innovations in the field of steam engine technology. He held several patents and his work contributed to the advancement of industrial machinery.
The CULBREATH surname also has a presence in literary history, with the Scottish author and poet Alexander Culbreath (1860-1925) being a notable figure. He was known for his works celebrating the beauty of the Scottish countryside and his contributions to the Scottish literary Renaissance of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
While the CULBREATH surname is relatively uncommon, it has a rich history rooted in Scotland and has been borne by individuals who have made significant contributions in various fields throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Culbreath
Among Census respondents with the surname Culbreath, the largest self-reported group is Black at 56.6%. The next largest groups are White (34.1%) and Two or More Races (6.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Culbreath 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 Culbreath surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American56.6% · 1,294
- White34.1% · 779
- Two or more races6.0% · 137
- Hispanic or Latino2.3% · 53
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Culbreath
Culbreath 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
#13,101
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,340
+159 bearers (+7.3%)
Per 100,000 0.79
Rank movement Down 182 places
2020
#12,872
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,285
-55 bearers (-2.4%)
Per 100,000 0.76
Rank movement Up 229 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,919 | 2,181 | 0.81 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,101 | 2,340 | 0.79 | +159 bearers (+7.3%) | Down 182 places |
| 2020 | #12,872 | 2,285 | 0.76 | -55 bearers (-2.4%) | Up 229 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 Culbreath 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 | #13,101 | #12,872 | 1.7% |
| Count | 2,340 | 2,285 | -2.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.79 | 0.76 | -3.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Culbreath bearers went from 2,340 to 2,285 (-2.4% change). The surname moved up 229 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,101 to #12,872.
FAQ
Culbreath surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Culbreath?
Name Census estimates that about 2,620 living Americans carry the surname Culbreath. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 130,822 residents.
How common is Culbreath?
Culbreath ranks #12,872 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.76 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 2,285 people with the surname Culbreath. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,620), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.76 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.76 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 Culbreath.
Has Culbreath become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Culbreath went from 2,340 recorded bearers to 2,285. That is a decrease of 55 (-2.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #13,101 to #12,872.
What does the Census say about the background of Culbreath?
Among Census respondents with the surname Culbreath, the largest self-reported group is Black at 56.6%. The next largest groups are White (34.1%) and Two or More Races (6.0%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Culbreath in the 2020 Census, accounting for 56.6% (1,294 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Culbreath appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (56.6%), White (34.1%), Two or More Races (6.0%). 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 Culbreath (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 Culbreath mean?
A Scottish and Irish topographic surname referring to someone who lived by a swift stream or current. 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 Culbreath (0.76 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 surname Culbreath?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.