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Cullen Family History

Cullen Surname Meaning

Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Cuileáin ‘descendant of Cuileán’ a variant of the personal name Coileán meaning ‘puppy’ or ‘young hound’ (see Collin).

Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Cuilinn ‘descendant of Cuileann’ a byname meaning ‘holly’.

Scottish: habitational name from Cullen in Banff so named from Gaelic cùilen a diminutive of còil cùil ‘nook recess’.

English: habitational name from the Rhineland city of Cologne (Old French form of Middle High German Köln named with Latin colonia ‘colony’).

English: variant of Cooling.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Cullen family from?

You can see how Cullen families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Cullen family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Cullen families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 874 Cullen families living in Lancashire. This was about 23% of all the recorded Cullen's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Cullen families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Cullen surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Cullen ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Cullen. 14% of Cullen men worked as a General Labourer and 66% of Cullen women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Cullen were Farmer and Domestic Servant.

View Census Data for Cullen | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    14%
  • Builders Labourer
    5%
  • Colliery Hewer
    3%
  • Farmer
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    66%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Housewife
    2%
  • Domestic Servant
    2%

What Cullen family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 255,000 census records available for the last name Cullen. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Cullen census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Cullen

Passenger Lists

There are 50,000 immigration records available for the last name Cullen. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Cullen immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 34,000 military records available for the last name Cullen. For the veterans among your Cullen ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Cullen military records

You've only scratched the surface of Cullen family history

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What is the average Cullen lifespan?

Between 1943 and 2004, in the United States, Cullen life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1947, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Cullen in 1943 was 34, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Cullen

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Cullen ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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