2000
#9,163
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,273
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.21
Rare Last name
Culley
An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "wood or clearing frequented by hawks."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,895 Americans carry the last name Culley. That puts it at #9,216 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.14 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 87,999 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Culley 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 Culley with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.9K
1 in 87,999
Census rank
#9,216
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,397 bearers of the surname Culley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.14 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9216th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Culley, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.2%. The next largest groups are Black (10.2%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Culley
The surname Culley is of English origin, with its roots traced back to the Middle Ages. The name is believed to have originated from the Old English words 'cul' or 'coll', meaning 'charcoal burner' or 'coal miner', and the suffix '-ey', indicating a place name. This suggests that the surname may have been derived from a place where charcoal burning or coal mining was a prevalent industry.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Culley can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as 'Colley'. This historical document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, provides a comprehensive record of land ownership and taxation in England at the time.
During the 13th and 14th centuries, the surname was commonly spelled as 'Colly' or 'Collie', reflecting the evolution of language and regional variations in pronunciation. These variations likely stemmed from the name's association with various place names, such as Colley in Worcestershire or Colley Gate in Lancashire.
Notable individuals bearing the surname Culley throughout history include Sir John Culley (1733-1785), a renowned agriculturist and improver of livestock breeds in Northumberland. His pioneering work on selective breeding and animal husbandry made significant contributions to the development of modern farming practices.
Another prominent figure was Robert Culley (1737-1810), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Sedgefield in County Durham. He published several works on theology and natural history, including a treatise on the flora and fauna of the Northumbrian coast.
In the realm of literature, Jonathon Culley (1785-1862) was a noted English poet and writer from Newcastle upon Tyne. His poetic works, often inspired by the landscapes of Northumberland and Durham, were widely acclaimed during his lifetime.
Thomas Culley (1741-1818), a brother of Sir John Culley, was a renowned farmer and livestock breeder who significantly influenced the development of the Shorthorn cattle breed in England.
Additionally, Richard Culley (1875-1946) was a notable English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Northamptonshire County Cricket Club in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Culley
Among Census respondents with the surname Culley, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.2%. The next largest groups are Black (10.2%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Culley 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 Culley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.2% · 2,691
- Black or African American10.2% · 348
- Two or more races4.4% · 149
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 126
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.9% · 63
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 20
Timeline
Historical Census data for Culley
Culley 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
#9,241
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,522
+249 bearers (+7.6%)
Per 100,000 1.19
Rank movement Down 78 places
2020
#9,216
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,397
-125 bearers (-3.5%)
Per 100,000 1.14
Rank movement Up 25 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,163 | 3,273 | 1.21 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,241 | 3,522 | 1.19 | +249 bearers (+7.6%) | Down 78 places |
| 2020 | #9,216 | 3,397 | 1.14 | -125 bearers (-3.5%) | Up 25 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 Culley 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 | #9,241 | #9,216 | 0.3% |
| Count | 3,522 | 3,397 | -3.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.19 | 1.14 | -4.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Culley bearers went from 3,522 to 3,397 (-3.5% change). The surname moved up 25 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,241 to #9,216.
FAQ
Culley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Culley?
Name Census estimates that about 3,895 living Americans carry the surname Culley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 87,999 residents.
How common is Culley?
Culley ranks #9,216 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.14 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 3,397 people with the surname Culley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,895), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.14 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.14 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 Culley.
Has Culley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Culley went from 3,522 recorded bearers to 3,397. That is a decrease of 125 (-3.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,241 to #9,216.
What does the Census say about the background of Culley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Culley, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.2%. The next largest groups are Black (10.2%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Culley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.2% (2,691 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Culley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (79.2%), Black (10.2%), Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Culley (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 Culley mean?
An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "wood or clearing frequented by hawks." 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 Culley (1.14 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 people have the surname Culley?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.