2000
#121,780
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 131
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Culey
A locational surname derived from the place name Culey in Normandy, France.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Culey. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Culey 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
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Culey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Culey, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Culey
The surname Culey originated in England during the late medieval period, likely derived from the Old French word "coulee," meaning a small stream or rivulet. It is believed to have been an occupational name for someone who lived near or worked with a small stream.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Culey can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which listed a John Culey from Oxfordshire. There are also references to a Walter Culey in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in 1317.
In the 16th century, the name appeared in various spellings such as Cooley, Cowley, and Culley, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling at the time. The Culey spelling seems to have been more prevalent in the southern counties of England, particularly in Dorset and Somerset.
The Domesday Book, the great survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not include any direct references to the name Culey. However, it does mention several place names that may have influenced the development of the surname, such as Cowley in Oxfordshire and Culley in Norfolk.
One notable individual with the surname Culey was John Culey, a merchant and alderman of Bristol who lived in the late 15th century. Another was Sir Hugh Culey, a landowner and Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire in the early 17th century (c. 1600-1670).
Other historical figures with the Culey surname include:
1. William Culey (c. 1530-1599), a prominent English clergyman and author.
2. Thomas Culey (c. 1640-1712), a merchant and shipowner from Bristol, known for his involvement in the West Indies trade.
3. Mary Culey (c. 1670-1745), a philanthropist and benefactor who established several charitable institutions in Somerset.
4. Richard Culey (c. 1720-1789), a military officer who served in the British Army during the Seven Years' War.
5. Elizabeth Culey (c. 1780-1853), a renowned author and poet from Dorset, known for her works celebrating the beauty of the English countryside.
While the surname Culey is not as common today as it once was, it continues to hold a place in the historic records and genealogical histories of England, reflecting the country's rich linguistic and cultural heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Culey
Among Census respondents with the surname Culey, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Culey 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 Culey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.4% · 113
- Two or more races2.6% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Culey
Culey 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
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-19 bearers (-14.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 25,473 places
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+4 bearers (+3.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,225 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #121,780 | 131 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | -19 bearers (-14.5%) | Down 25,473 places |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.6%) | Up 2,225 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 Culey 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 | #147,253 | #145,028 | 1.5% |
| Count | 112 | 116 | 3.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Culey bearers went from 112 to 116 (+3.6% change). The surname moved up 2,225 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #145,028.
FAQ
Culey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Culey?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Culey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Culey?
Culey ranks #145,028 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 116 people with the surname Culey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), 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 Culey.
Has Culey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Culey went from 112 recorded bearers to 116. That is an increase of 4 (+3.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #147,253 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Culey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Culey, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Culey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.4% (113 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Culey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.4%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Culey (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 Culey mean?
A locational surname derived from the place name Culey in Normandy, France. 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 Culey (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 Americans have the surname Culey?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.