2000
#14,292
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,922
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.71
Rare Last name
Culhane
An Irish surname derived from Ó Ceallachain, meaning "descendant of Ceallachán," a personal name meaning "bright-headed."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,321 Americans carry the last name Culhane. That puts it at #14,242 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.68 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 147,675 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Culhane 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Culhane with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.3K
1 in 147,675
Census rank
#14,242
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,024 bearers of the surname Culhane in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.68 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14242nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Culhane, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Culhane
Among Census respondents with the surname Culhane, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Culhane 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 Culhane surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.6% · 1,875
- Two or more races3.0% · 60
- Hispanic or Latino2.4% · 48
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 23
- Black or African American0.5% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Culhane
Culhane 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
#14,398
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,076
+154 bearers (+8.0%)
Per 100,000 0.70
Rank movement Down 106 places
2020
#14,242
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,024
-52 bearers (-2.5%)
Per 100,000 0.68
Rank movement Up 156 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,292 | 1,922 | 0.71 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,398 | 2,076 | 0.70 | +154 bearers (+8.0%) | Down 106 places |
| 2020 | #14,242 | 2,024 | 0.68 | -52 bearers (-2.5%) | Up 156 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 Culhane 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 | #14,398 | #14,242 | 1.1% |
| Count | 2,076 | 2,024 | -2.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.70 | 0.68 | -3.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Culhane bearers went from 2,076 to 2,024 (-2.5% change). The surname moved up 156 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,398 to #14,242.
FAQ
Culhane surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Culhane?
Name Census estimates that about 2,321 living Americans carry the surname Culhane. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 147,675 residents.
How common is Culhane?
Culhane ranks #14,242 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.68 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 2,024 people with the surname Culhane. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,321), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.68 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.68 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 Culhane.
Has Culhane become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Culhane went from 2,076 recorded bearers to 2,024. That is a decrease of 52 (-2.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,398 to #14,242.
What does the Census say about the background of Culhane?
Among Census respondents with the surname Culhane, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.4%). 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 Culhane in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.6% (1,875 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Culhane appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.6%), Two or More Races (3.0%), Hispanic (2.4%). 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 Culhane (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 Culhane mean?
An Irish surname derived from Ó Ceallachain, meaning "descendant of Ceallachán," a personal name meaning "bright-headed." 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 Culhane (0.68 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 Culhane?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.