2010
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Cultra
A rare surname possibly derived from a place name or habitation in Ireland.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Cultra. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cultra 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Cultra in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cultra, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cultra
The surname Cultra has its origins in Northern Ireland, specifically in County Down. It is believed to have emerged during the 16th century, initially as a locational name derived from the townland of Cultra, a small coastal village located a few miles east of Belfast.
The name Cultra itself is thought to have derived from the Irish Gaelic words "cul" meaning "back" or "rear" and "trath" meaning "strand" or "beach." This suggests that the name likely referred to the location of the settlement, perhaps being situated at the back of a beach or coastal area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Cultra can be found in the Hearth Money Rolls of 1663, which were tax records compiled during the reign of King Charles II. These rolls list several individuals with the surname Cultra residing in the Holywood area of County Down.
In the 18th century, the Cultra name appears in various land records and parish registers throughout County Down. Notable individuals from this era include John Cultra (1720-1789), a landowner and farmer from the Newtownards area, and Margaret Cultra (1745-1817), whose marriage to William McCormick is recorded in the parish records of Holywood in 1769.
The 19th century saw the Cultra name spread beyond County Down, with individuals bearing the surname appearing in census records and other documents across various parts of Ireland and the United Kingdom. One prominent figure was William Cultra (1818-1892), a successful merchant and businessman from Belfast who served as a local magistrate and was involved in various charitable endeavors.
Another notable individual was Robert Cultra (1856-1924), an Irish-born engineer and inventor who emigrated to the United States in the late 19th century. He was responsible for several pioneering innovations in the field of electricity and held numerous patents for his inventions.
In the early 20th century, the Cultra name gained further recognition through the work of Sir Stanley Cultra (1890-1976), a renowned architect and urban planner. He was instrumental in the design and development of several notable buildings and public spaces in London and other parts of the United Kingdom.
While the surname Cultra remains relatively uncommon globally, it has maintained a strong presence in its ancestral homeland of Northern Ireland, particularly in the areas around Belfast and County Down. The name continues to be a reminder of the rich historical and cultural heritage of this region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cultra
Among Census respondents with the surname Cultra, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Cultra 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 Cultra surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.3% · 105
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cultra
Cultra 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
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
+8 bearers (+7.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 9,507 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #159,712 | 101 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+7.9%) | Up 9,507 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 Cultra 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 | #159,712 | #150,205 | 6.0% |
| Count | 101 | 109 | 7.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 21.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cultra bearers went from 101 to 109 (+7.9% change). The surname moved up 9,507 positions in the national ranking, going from #159,712 to #150,205.
FAQ
Cultra surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cultra?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Cultra. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Cultra?
Cultra ranks #150,205 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 109 people with the surname Cultra. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), 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 Cultra.
Has Cultra become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cultra went from 101 recorded bearers to 109. That is an increase of 8 (+7.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #159,712 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Cultra?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cultra, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%). 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 Cultra in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.3% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cultra appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.3%), Hispanic (1.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%). 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 Cultra (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 Cultra mean?
A rare surname possibly derived from a place name or habitation in Ireland. 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 Cultra (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 common is the surname Cultra?
Find out how many people have the surname Cultra on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.