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

Culhane, 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 Culhane surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Culhane in America

Culhane is the 14398th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Culhane surname appeared 2,076 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Culhane.

We can also compare 2010 data for Culhane 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 Culhane

The surname Culhane originates from Ireland and dates back to the 11th century. It is an Anglicized form of the Irish Gaelic name Ó Culacháin, which means "descendant of Culachán". Culachán was a personal name derived from the Irish word "culach", meaning "bakehouse" or "kitchen".

The name is believed to have originated in County Kerry, where the Culhane clan were among the most prominent septs (family groups) of the ancient Irish kingdom of Desmond. The earliest recorded instance of the name appears in the Annals of Inisfallen, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, which mentions a "Gillacholum Ó Culacháin" in 1122.

In the 14th century, the Culhanes were among the Irish families who were dispossessed of their lands during the Norman invasion of Ireland. Some members of the clan sought refuge in the mountainous regions of County Cork and County Kerry, where the name remained prevalent.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Donnell Culhane, a 16th-century Irish chieftain who led the Culhane clan in their resistance against the English forces of Sir Humphrey Gilbert during the Second Desmond Rebellion (1579-1583).

Another notable figure was Father John Culhane (1770-1845), a Catholic priest and Irish nationalist who played a significant role in the Irish Rebellion of 1798. He was arrested and imprisoned for his activities but later pardoned.

In the late 18th century, Cornelius Culhane (1754-1821) was a prominent Irish-born merchant and landowner who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. He was instrumental in establishing the city's first Catholic church and school.

During the Great Famine of the 1840s, many Irish families with the surname Culhane emigrated to countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia, seeking a better life and escaping the devastating effects of the potato blight.

One of the most renowned individuals with the surname Culhane was Mary Culhane (1893-1970), an Irish-American actress and vaudeville performer who appeared in numerous Broadway productions and Hollywood films in the early 20th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Culhane

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

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 Culhane 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 Culhane 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 Culhane was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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