2000
#13,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,158
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.80
Rare Last name
Mccullen
An Anglicized form of the Irish surname Mac Cuilinn, meaning "son of Cuilinn," a personal name of uncertain origin.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,273 Americans carry the last name Mccullen. That puts it at #14,475 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.66 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 150,794 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mccullen 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 Mccullen with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.3K
1 in 150,794
Census rank
#14,475
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,982 bearers of the surname Mccullen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.66 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14475th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mccullen, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.3%. The next largest groups are Black (19.7%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mccullen
The surname McCullen is of Scottish origin and is a variant of the Irish surname McCullen or MacCullen. The name is derived from the Gaelic Mac Cuilinn, meaning "son of Cuilenn," which is believed to be a personal name.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 16th century in Scotland. In 1510, a John McCullen is mentioned in the records of the Barony of Renfrew. Another early reference is found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, where a David McCullen is mentioned in 1532.
The McCullen surname was particularly prominent in the Scottish Highlands, especially in the regions of Argyll and Bute. Some records suggest that the name may have originated in the area around Loch Awe, where the family held lands.
In the 17th century, the McCullen name appears in various Scottish records, including the Register of the Privy Council of Scotland. In 1636, a John McCullen from Argyll was listed as a rebel against King Charles I.
One notable figure with the surname was Sir Archibald McCullen (1775-1853), a Scottish merchant and diplomat. He served as the British Consul-General in Tripoli and played a significant role in negotiating treaties with the Ottoman Empire and various North African states.
Another prominent McCullen was William McCullen (1807-1887), a Scottish-American businessman and politician. He served as the Mayor of Youngstown, Ohio, and was instrumental in the development of the city's iron and steel industries.
In the 19th century, the McCullen surname spread to other parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and Australia, due to Scottish immigration. One notable figure from this period was John McCullen (1828-1900), an Irish-born American politician who served as the Mayor of Brooklyn, New York.
Another individual of note was James McCullen (1845-1922), a Scottish-born Australian businessman and politician. He was a member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly and played a crucial role in the development of the mining industry in Victoria.
In the United States, the McCullen name can be found in various historical records, including the American Revolutionary War records. A John McCullen from Pennsylvania served as a private in the Continental Army during the war.
Overall, the surname McCullen has a rich history and can be traced back to its Scottish roots, with various prominent individuals bearing the name throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mccullen
Among Census respondents with the surname Mccullen, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.3%. The next largest groups are Black (19.7%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Mccullen 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 Mccullen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White73.3% · 1,452
- Black or African American19.7% · 391
- Two or more races3.1% · 62
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 51
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 22
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mccullen
Mccullen 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
#13,160
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,324
+166 bearers (+7.7%)
Per 100,000 0.79
Rank movement Down 132 places
2020
#14,475
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,982
-342 bearers (-14.7%)
Per 100,000 0.66
Rank movement Down 1,315 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,028 | 2,158 | 0.80 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,160 | 2,324 | 0.79 | +166 bearers (+7.7%) | Down 132 places |
| 2020 | #14,475 | 1,982 | 0.66 | -342 bearers (-14.7%) | Down 1,315 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 Mccullen 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 | #13,160 | #14,475 | -10.0% |
| Count | 2,324 | 1,982 | -14.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.79 | 0.66 | -16.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mccullen bearers went from 2,324 to 1,982 (-14.7% change). The surname moved down 1,315 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,160 to #14,475.
FAQ
Mccullen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mccullen?
Name Census estimates that about 2,273 living Americans carry the surname Mccullen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 150,794 residents.
How common is Mccullen?
Mccullen ranks #14,475 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.66 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,982 people with the surname Mccullen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,273), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.66 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.66 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Mccullen.
Has Mccullen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mccullen went from 2,324 recorded bearers to 1,982. That is a decrease of 342 (-14.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,160 to #14,475.
What does the Census say about the background of Mccullen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mccullen, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.3%. The next largest groups are Black (19.7%) and Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Mccullen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 73.3% (1,452 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mccullen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (73.3%), Black (19.7%), Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Mccullen (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 Mccullen mean?
An Anglicized form of the Irish surname Mac Cuilinn, meaning "son of Cuilinn," a personal name of uncertain origin. 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 Mccullen (0.66 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 Mccullen?
You can see how many people are called Mccullen on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.