2010
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Cullingford
A habitational name for someone from a place named Cullingford or Cullingworth.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Cullingford. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cullingford 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 Cullingford with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Cullingford in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cullingford, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cullingford
The surname Cullingford has its origins in the county of Oxfordshire, England, and dates back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from a locational name, likely referring to a place called Cullingford, the meaning of which is uncertain but may be related to the Old English words "culling" meaning a man's name, and "ford" meaning a shallow river crossing.
One of the earliest records of the name Cullingford can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1195, where a John de Cullingford is mentioned. The Pipe Rolls were a series of administrative records maintained by the English Exchequer, providing valuable insights into the names and locations of individuals during that period.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which were administrative records kept by the Crown. These rolls documented the names of landholders and their holdings throughout various counties in England, including Oxfordshire, where a William de Cullingford was recorded as a landholder.
During the 14th century, the Cullingford name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of 1327, which were tax records compiled by the government. These rolls listed individuals liable for taxation, and in Oxfordshire, a Robert de Cullingford was listed among the taxpayers.
One notable person with the Cullingford surname was Sir John Cullingford (c. 1390-1451), a Member of Parliament for Oxfordshire in 1420 and 1425. He was also a Sheriff of Oxfordshire and Berkshire in 1429.
In the 16th century, the Cullingford name appears in the Parish Registers of St. Mary's Church in Culworth, Northamptonshire, where several baptisms, marriages, and burials of individuals with the surname were recorded, including Thomas Cullingford (baptized in 1568) and Elizabeth Cullingford (married in 1592).
Another notable figure was Sir William Cullingford (c. 1585-1652), a prominent lawyer and judge who served as a Justice of the King's Bench during the reign of King Charles I. He was born in Oxfordshire and later became a member of the Inner Temple, one of the four prestigious Inns of Court in London.
In the 17th century, the Cullingford name was also found in the records of the College of Arms, the official authority on heraldry and coats of arms in England. A coat of arms was granted to the Cullingford family in 1634, indicating their status and recognition as a notable family during that period.
The 18th century saw the birth of John Cullingford (1718-1785), a renowned English architect and surveyor. He was responsible for designing and overseeing the construction of several notable buildings in London, including the Waterloo Bridge.
In the 19th century, the Cullingford name gained further prominence with the birth of Sir Edward Cullingford (1807-1879), a British colonial administrator who served as the Governor of Natal, South Africa, from 1859 to 1873. He played a crucial role in the development and governance of the colony during his tenure.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cullingford
Among Census respondents with the surname Cullingford, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Cullingford 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 Cullingford surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.7% · 111
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cullingford
Cullingford appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+1 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 887 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.9%) | Down 887 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 Cullingford 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 | #144,141 | #145,028 | -0.6% |
| Count | 115 | 116 | 0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cullingford bearers went from 115 to 116 (+0.9% change). The surname moved down 887 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #145,028.
FAQ
Cullingford surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cullingford?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Cullingford. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Cullingford?
Cullingford ranks #145,028 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 116 people with the surname Cullingford. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Cullingford.
Has Cullingford become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cullingford went from 115 recorded bearers to 116. That is an increase of 1 (+0.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #144,141 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Cullingford?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cullingford, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%). 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 Cullingford in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.7% (111 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cullingford appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.7%), Hispanic (4.3%). 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 Cullingford (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 Cullingford mean?
A habitational name for someone from a place named Cullingford or Cullingworth. 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 Cullingford (0.04 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 last name Cullingford?
See how many people are called Cullingford on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.