2000
#2,547
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,035
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.83
Uncommon Last name
Culp
Derived from the Middle English word "culpe," meaning a fault or sin, likely referring to a wrongdoer or sinner.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 14,268 Americans carry the last name Culp. That puts it at #2,816 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.16 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 24,023 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Culp 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.
Bearers in the US
14K
1 in 24,023
Census rank
#2,816
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
12K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 12,442 bearers of the surname Culp in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.16 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2816th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Culp, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.9%. The next largest groups are Black (8.0%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Culp
The surname CULP originated in England, with the earliest known records dating back to the late 12th century. The name is derived from the Old English word "culp," meaning a piece or lump, and was likely initially used as a descriptive nickname for someone of a particular build or stature.
One of the earliest documented references to the CULP surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire from 1195, where a person named Robert Culp is mentioned. The name also appears in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, which lists a Reginald Culp as a landowner.
During the medieval period, the CULP surname was primarily concentrated in the counties of Worcestershire, Oxfordshire, and Gloucestershire. The variant spellings "Culpe" and "Culpes" were also commonly used in early records.
In the 16th century, a notable figure with the CULP surname was John Culp (c. 1520 - 1589), a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of Bristol. He was involved in the city's governance and served as the Mayor of Bristol in 1577.
Another historical person of note was Sir Thomas Culp (1588 - 1662), a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire during the English Civil War. He supported the Parliamentarian cause and was knighted by Oliver Cromwell in 1657.
In the 18th century, the CULP surname gained recognition through the work of Samuel Culp (1735 - 1805), a prominent English landscape painter known for his picturesque views of the English countryside.
Moving into the 19th century, one of the most notable individuals with the CULP surname was William Culp (1819 - 1892), a renowned architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Royal Opera House and the National Portrait Gallery.
Another influential figure was Elizabeth Culp (1867 - 1943), a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights. She founded one of the first all-girls schools in London and was actively involved in the suffragette movement.
Throughout its history, the CULP surname has maintained a strong presence in England, particularly in the counties where it originated. While the name has spread to other parts of the world through migration, its roots can be traced back to the medieval period and the descriptive nickname used by the English people.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Culp
Among Census respondents with the surname Culp, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.9%. The next largest groups are Black (8.0%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Culp 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 Culp surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.9% · 10,442
- Black or African American8.0% · 994
- Two or more races3.7% · 457
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 395
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 91
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 63
Timeline
Historical Census data for Culp
Culp 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
#2,756
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,081
+46 bearers (+0.4%)
Per 100,000 4.43
Rank movement Down 209 places
2020
#2,816
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,442
-639 bearers (-4.9%)
Per 100,000 4.16
Rank movement Down 60 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,547 | 13,035 | 4.83 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,756 | 13,081 | 4.43 | +46 bearers (+0.4%) | Down 209 places |
| 2020 | #2,816 | 12,442 | 4.16 | -639 bearers (-4.9%) | Down 60 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 Culp 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 | #2,756 | #2,816 | -2.2% |
| Count | 13,081 | 12,442 | -4.9% |
| Per 100K | 4.43 | 4.16 | -6.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Culp bearers went from 13,081 to 12,442 (-4.9% change). The surname moved down 60 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,756 to #2,816.
FAQ
Culp surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Culp?
Name Census estimates that about 14,268 living Americans carry the surname Culp. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 24,023 residents.
How common is Culp?
Culp ranks #2,816 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.16 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 12,442 people with the surname Culp. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (14,268), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.16 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.16 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Culp.
Has Culp become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Culp went from 13,081 recorded bearers to 12,442. That is a decrease of 639 (-4.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,756 to #2,816.
What does the Census say about the background of Culp?
Among Census respondents with the surname Culp, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.9%. The next largest groups are Black (8.0%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Culp in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.9% (10,442 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Culp appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.9%), Black (8.0%), Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Culp (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 Culp mean?
Derived from the Middle English word "culpe," meaning a fault or sin, likely referring to a wrongdoer or sinner. 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 Culp (4.16 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 Culp?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.