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

Cullins, 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 Cullins surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cullins in America

Cullins is the 9283rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cullins surname appeared 3,506 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Cullins.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cullins 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 Cullins

The surname Cullins has its origins in Ireland, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be an Anglicized version of the Irish Gaelic name Ó Cuilinn, which translates to "descendant of Cuilinn." The name Cuilinn itself is derived from the Irish word "cuileann," meaning "holly" or "holly tree."

The earliest recorded instances of the Cullins surname can be found in the Irish Annals, where members of the Ó Cuilinn family are mentioned as early as the 15th century. One notable example is Ruaidhrí Ó Cuilinn, a chieftain from County Mayo, who is mentioned in the Annals of the Four Masters in the year 1497.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Cullins surname was most prevalent in counties Mayo and Sligo, particularly in the areas around Ballina and Sligo town. The name is also found in historical records from these regions, such as the Fiants of the Tudor Monarchs and the Civil Survey of 1654-56.

In the 18th century, the Cullins surname began to spread beyond its traditional strongholds in the west of Ireland. One notable individual from this period was Dominick Cullins, a Catholic priest who lived in County Kilkenny in the mid-1700s.

As the Cullins family dispersed throughout Ireland and beyond, various spellings of the name emerged, including Cullen, Cullin, and Cullens. This was a common occurrence with many Irish surnames due to the inconsistencies in translation and record-keeping.

Several individuals with the Cullins surname have achieved recognition throughout history. Among them are:

1. Michael Cullins (1875-1947), an Irish-born American labor leader and politician from New York.
2. Bridget Cullins (1878-1958), an Irish-born American teacher and activist in the labor and suffrage movements.
3. James Cullins (1904-1991), an Irish hurler who played for the Waterford senior team in the 1920s and 1930s.
4. Patrick Cullins (1932-2008), an Irish-born American writer and academic who taught at the University of Notre Dame.
5. John Cullins (born 1962), an American actor and producer best known for his role in the television series "Northern Exposure."

While the Cullins surname may not be as widespread as some others, it has a rich history rooted in the Irish tradition, with descendants scattered across Ireland and beyond, contributing to various fields throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cullins

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

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

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

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