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

Culkin, 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 Culkin surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Culkin in America

Culkin is the 32203rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Culkin surname appeared 716 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Culkin.

We can also compare 2010 data for Culkin 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 Culkin

The surname Culkin is of Irish origin, originating in County Sligo in the northwest of Ireland. It is derived from the Irish Gaelic words "culach" meaning "reed" and "dúin" meaning "fort" or "enclosure," suggesting that the name may have referred to someone who lived near a reed-covered fort or enclosure.

The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 16th century, with mentions of individuals named Culkin in various historical records from that era. One notable example is a reference to a John Culkin in the 1659 Census of Ireland, which documented landowners and their properties.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, the name appeared in several Irish parish records and land deeds, particularly in the counties of Sligo, Mayo, and Galway. This suggests that the Culkin family had a significant presence in this region during that time period.

One of the earliest documented individuals with the surname Culkin was Patrick Culkin, who was born in County Sligo in 1680. He was a farmer and landowner, and records indicate that he had several children who carried on the Culkin name.

Another notable figure was Bridget Culkin, born in 1745 in County Mayo. She was a seamstress and is mentioned in local records for her involvement in the local community and church activities.

In the 19th century, the name Culkin began to spread beyond Ireland as many Irish families immigrated to other parts of the world. For instance, Michael Culkin, born in 1825 in County Sligo, emigrated to the United States in the 1850s and settled in New York City, where he worked as a laborer.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname Culkin is the American actor Macaulay Culkin, born in 1980. He rose to fame as a child star in the popular "Home Alone" movies and has had a successful acting career spanning several decades.

Other notable individuals with the Culkin surname include James Culkin (1893-1976), an Irish-born American prelate who served as the Bishop of Altoona-Johnstown, and Brian Culkin (born 1968), an American writer and producer known for his work on television shows such as "Scrubs" and "Cougar Town."

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Culkin

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

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

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

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