2000
#18,034
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,426
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.53
Rare Last name
Culwell
A locational surname derived from an English place name referring to a well or spring near a hill.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,604 Americans carry the last name Culwell. That puts it at #19,355 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.47 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 213,687 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Culwell 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
1.6K
1 in 213,687
Census rank
#19,355
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,399 bearers of the surname Culwell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.47 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 19355th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Culwell, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.5%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Culwell
The surname Culwell has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "cull" meaning a culmination or peak, and "well" referring to a water source or spring. Thus, the name likely originated from a geographical feature, perhaps a settlement situated near a prominent hill or peak with a nearby well or water source.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname can be traced back to the 13th century. One notable mention is found in the Pipe Rolls of Warwickshire from 1275, where a certain Robert de Culwell is listed as a landowner. This suggests that the name was already established in the region at that time.
In the 14th century, the Culwell surname appeared in various records across the English counties of Warwickshire, Staffordshire, and Worcestershire. The spellings varied slightly, with forms such as Cullewelle, Culewell, and Cullewell being documented.
The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the Culwell name. However, it does mention several places with similar names, such as Culworth in Northamptonshire and Colwell in Bedfordshire, indicating the potential for the surname to have originated from these or similar place names.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the Culwell surname was John Culwell, who was born in Warwickshire around 1450. He was a notable landowner and served as a magistrate in the county during the latter half of the 15th century.
In the 16th century, the Culwell family continued to hold prominence in Warwickshire. Thomas Culwell (1510-1588) was a wealthy merchant and landowner who served as the High Sheriff of Warwickshire in 1562.
Another notable figure was Richard Culwell (1625-1689), a wealthy merchant and philanthropist from Worcestershire. He was a significant benefactor to the city of Worcester and contributed greatly to the construction of several notable buildings, including the Guildhall.
In the 18th century, the Culwell family had spread to various parts of England, with branches in Staffordshire, Shropshire, and Gloucestershire. One notable individual was William Culwell (1738-1821), a prominent lawyer and judge from Staffordshire.
One of the most famous individuals with the Culwell surname was Sir Thomas Culwell (1800-1879), a renowned British architect and civil engineer. He was responsible for designing several iconic buildings and structures, including the iconic Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol.
While the Culwell surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through immigration to North America and other English-speaking countries. However, the historical records and notable individuals mentioned above provide insight into the rich heritage and evolution of this surname over several centuries in its country of origin.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Culwell
Among Census respondents with the surname Culwell, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.5%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Culwell 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 Culwell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.8% · 1,187
- Hispanic or Latino7.5% · 105
- Two or more races4.0% · 56
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.0% · 28
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 13
- Black or African American0.7% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Culwell
Culwell 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
#18,786
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,459
+33 bearers (+2.3%)
Per 100,000 0.49
Rank movement Down 752 places
2020
#19,355
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,399
-60 bearers (-4.1%)
Per 100,000 0.47
Rank movement Down 569 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #18,034 | 1,426 | 0.53 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #18,786 | 1,459 | 0.49 | +33 bearers (+2.3%) | Down 752 places |
| 2020 | #19,355 | 1,399 | 0.47 | -60 bearers (-4.1%) | Down 569 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 Culwell 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 | #18,786 | #19,355 | -3.0% |
| Count | 1,459 | 1,399 | -4.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.49 | 0.47 | -4.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Culwell bearers went from 1,459 to 1,399 (-4.1% change). The surname moved down 569 positions in the national ranking, going from #18,786 to #19,355.
FAQ
Culwell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Culwell?
Name Census estimates that about 1,604 living Americans carry the surname Culwell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 213,687 residents.
How common is Culwell?
Culwell ranks #19,355 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.47 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 1,399 people with the surname Culwell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,604), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.47 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.47 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 Culwell.
Has Culwell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Culwell went from 1,459 recorded bearers to 1,399. That is a decrease of 60 (-4.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #18,786 to #19,355.
What does the Census say about the background of Culwell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Culwell, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.5%) and Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Culwell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.8% (1,187 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Culwell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.8%), Hispanic (7.5%), Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Culwell (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 Culwell mean?
A locational surname derived from an English place name referring to a well or spring near a hill. 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 Culwell (0.47 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 Culwell?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.