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

Cullen, 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 Cullen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cullen in America

Cullen is the 1796th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cullen surname appeared 20,000 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 7 people would have the surname Cullen.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cullen 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 Cullen

The surname Cullen has its origins in Ireland, stemming from the Gaelic word "Cuillinn" which means "holly tree" or "holly". It is believed to have originated in the early medieval period, around the 10th or 11th century.

The name was initially concentrated in the counties of Laois and Offaly, where it was closely associated with several important septs or clans. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, which mentions a Cullen chieftain named Donnchadh Ó Cuillinn in the year 1141.

During the Norman invasion of Ireland in the 12th century, the Cullen name spread to other parts of the country, particularly in counties such as Kilkenny, Tipperary, and Cork. The name also appeared in various anglicized forms, such as Cullin, Cullenan, and Cullinane.

In the 16th century, the Cullen surname gained prominence with the rise of Hugh Cullen, an influential landowner and military leader from County Laois. Hugh Cullen played a pivotal role in the Elizabethan wars and was granted extensive lands by the English Crown for his loyalty.

Another notable figure bearing the Cullen name was Father Peter Cullen (1650-1736), an Irish Jesuit priest and philosopher who was renowned for his contributions to the fields of logic and metaphysics. He taught at various universities across Europe and authored several influential works.

In the 18th century, the Cullen surname was further spread throughout Ireland and beyond due to the large-scale Irish diaspora. One prominent individual from this era was Dr. William Cullen (1710-1790), a Scottish physician, chemist, and agriculturalist who made significant contributions to the study of medicine and the development of modern chemistry.

The 19th century saw the rise of several influential Cullens, including Cardinal Paul Cullen (1803-1878), the first Irish Cardinal and the Archbishop of Dublin. He played a key role in the Catholic Church's response to the Irish Famine and the establishment of the Catholic University of Ireland.

Another notable figure was William Cullen Bryant (1794-1878), an American romantic poet, journalist, and long-term editor of the New York Evening Post. He was a prominent figure in the literary circles of his time and an influential voice in the abolitionist movement.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cullen

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

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

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

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