2010
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Culclager
A locative surname referring to a person from Culclager, a location in Scotland.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Culclager. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Culclager 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
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Culclager in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Culclager, the largest self-reported group is Black at 99.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Culclager
The surname Culclager has its origins in Scotland, dating back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Scottish Gaelic phrase "cul-clag-ar," which means "the rear bell-man" or "the servant who rang the bell at the rear of a church." This suggests that the earliest bearers of the name may have been associated with a religious institution or a church in Scotland.
The name Culclager first appeared in historical records in the late 1500s, with some of the earliest known references found in parish registers and local census documents from the regions of Aberdeenshire and Moray in northeastern Scotland. It is believed that the name originated in these areas, although variations in spelling, such as Culclager, Culclagger, and Culclaggar, were common in those times.
One of the earliest documented individuals with the surname Culclager was John Culclager, born in 1587 in the village of Inverurie, Aberdeenshire. He was listed as a "bell-man" in the records of the local parish church, lending credence to the theory that the name was initially associated with church duties.
In the 17th century, the name appeared in several historical documents, including the "Register of the Privy Council of Scotland" from 1625, which mentioned a William Culclager from the town of Elgin in Moray. This indicates that the name had spread beyond its initial region by that time.
Another notable figure was Robert Culclager, born in 1672 in Aberdeenshire, who served as a merchant and trader in the city of Aberdeen. His business dealings and travels likely contributed to the further dissemination of the name throughout Scotland and beyond.
During the 18th century, the Culclager surname gained some prominence with the birth of James Culclager (1712-1788), a respected scholar and professor of theology at the University of Edinburgh. His academic work and publications helped establish the name in academic circles.
In the 19th century, the name continued to be associated with Scotland, with individuals like William Culclager (1821-1892), a prominent lawyer and judge in Edinburgh, and Margaret Culclager (1842-1916), a renowned author and poet from Aberdeen, further enhancing the name's literary and legal connections.
While the surname Culclager is not as widely known as some other Scottish names, its historical roots and unique meaning have ensured its place in the genealogical records of Scotland and its diaspora communities around the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Culclager
Among Census respondents with the surname Culclager, the largest self-reported group is Black at 99.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Culclager 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 Culclager surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American99.2% · 119
- Hispanic or Latino0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Culclager
Culclager appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+18 bearers (+17.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 16,383 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | +18 bearers (+17.6%) | Up 16,383 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 Culclager 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 | #158,432 | #142,049 | 10.3% |
| Count | 102 | 120 | 17.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 33.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Culclager bearers went from 102 to 120 (+17.6% change). The surname moved up 16,383 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #142,049.
FAQ
Culclager surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Culclager?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Culclager. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Culclager?
Culclager ranks #142,049 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 120 people with the surname Culclager. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), 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 Culclager.
Has Culclager become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Culclager went from 102 recorded bearers to 120. That is an increase of 18 (+17.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Culclager?
Among Census respondents with the surname Culclager, the largest self-reported group is Black at 99.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.8%). 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 Culclager in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.2% (119 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Culclager appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (99.2%), Hispanic (0.8%). 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 Culclager (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 Culclager mean?
A locative surname referring to a person from Culclager, a location in Scotland. 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 Culclager (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 share the surname Culclager?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.