Cullen
What is the origin of the last name Cullen?
Meaning and origin
The surname Cullen has Irish origins, derived from the Gaelic name "Ó Cuilinn" which means "descendant of Cuilinn". Cuilinn itself is derived from the word "coill" meaning "wood" or "holly". The name Cullen is primarily found in counties Tipperary and Cork in Ireland, and has spread to various parts of the world through Irish emigration.
The longer story
The name is derived from several different sources, including both Irish and English origins.
In Irish, Cullen is an anglicized form of the Gaelic surname Ó Cuilinn, meaning "descendant of Cuilinn." The name Cuilinn is derived from the word cuileann, which means "holly."
Historically, the Cullen surname has been primarily found in County Cork and County Wexford in Ireland. It originated as a clan name and was associated with several different clans in these regions. The name was often associated with land ownership and represented a familial connection to specific areas.
Surname origins are rarely settled: one spelling can have several sources, and families often took a name for reasons nobody wrote down. Check it against the sources below before you rely on it.
Similar spellings
#1,796
Cullen was the 1,796th most common surname in the 2010 US Census, with 20,000 people, about 6.5 in every 100,000.
Who carries it
Surnames like Cullen
Names it is linked with, then names with the same origin and a similar standing.
Check the sources
- Forebears: where Cullen is found around the world
- The Internet Surname Database: a second opinion on the origin
- US Census Bureau: the 2010 surname figures used here
For a name you are serious about, compare the dictionaries: Reaney and Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames; Hanks, Dictionary of American Family Names.