CULL
The surname Cull is of English origin and can be traced back to the British Isles. It appears consistently in historical records from England and has survived into modern times with a modest but recognisable presence in other English‑speaking countries.
In its earliest form the name derives from the Old English word cullan, meaning “to pick” or “to gather”. As a surname it was most likely introduced as a nickname for an individual who gathered or picked crops, and it may also have functioned as an occupational name for a harvest worker. In some contexts the term could denote a person who lived near a place where crops were gathered, giving the name a topographic element.
An alternative origin recognised by some scholars is a derivation from a medieval personal name Cul, formed as a short version of various Old Norse names that begin with the element Kol. In Old Norse the term is thought to mean “black” or “coal”, so that the surname may have been applied to someone with a dark complexion or dark hair. The same linguistic element appears in the variant Coll and in related surnames such as Cullen.
Historical references to the name are found as early as the late 12th century. The record of Richard Coll in the deeds of the Knight Templars in Warwickshire dates to 1185, while a reference to John le Col appears in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1321. A later entry records Abraham Cull being christened at St Nicholas Acons in London on 19 December 1572. These documents confirm the use of the surname in a variety of spellings, including Coll, Colle, Culle, Cullen and others.
The surname also shows connections to the Gaelic tradition. In Ireland it may be an Anglicised form of the patronymic Mac giolla Chomhghaill, which translates as “son of the servant of St Comhghall”. The name MacCuilinn meaning “son of Cuileann” likewise produces the surname Cull in some families, although these connections are most clearly established on the island of Ireland than in England.
Throughout the British Isles the name Cull has been recorded with a range of spellings that reflect regional accents and the lack of standardised orthography until the modern era. Variants that have evolved include Cullis, Cullion, Cullett and, in rare cases, Culver or Culling. The earliest recorded spelling differences are often attributed to the differences in scribal convention and local dialectal pronunciation rather than to deliberate alteration of the name.
In modern times the surname remains most widespread in English counties such as the South East and the West Midlands. Emigration during the 19th and 20th centuries brought individuals bearing the name to the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, where it can still be encountered today, though it remains less common than many other English surnames.
Because the etymology of surnames can be difficult to trace with precision, the exact origin of Cull for a particular family line may depend on its genealogical history. Nonetheless, the documented evidence supports its roots in Old English and Old Norse personal names, its occupational and topographic usage in medieval England, and its occasional adoption from Gaelic patronymics in Ireland.
Typical given names associated with the Cull surname
Male
- Andrew
- David
- James
- John
- Martin
- Matthew
- Michael
- Paul
- Robert
- Stephen
Female
- Christine
- Dawn
- Deborah
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Jane
- Janet
- Laura
- Margaret
- Mary
- Patricia
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
- Call
- Caul
- Clee
- Coell
- Coello
- Cool
- Coole
- Coul
- Coulie
- Coull
- Coulley
- Coullie
- Coulls
- Coully
- Couls
- Coyle
- Cuell
- Cuhls
- Cul
- Cula
- Culd
- Culea
- Culey
- Culf
- Culi
- Culla
- Cullagh
- Cullais
- Cullay
- Culle
- Culley
- Cullf
- Cullie
- Cullis
- Culloo
- Cullow
- Culls
- Cully
- Culm
- Culo
- Culow
- Culp
- Cult
- Culy
- Gale
- Galea
- Gall
- Gallie
- Gallo
- Gaul
- Gul
- Kalu
- Keal
- Khull
- Koul
- Kuhl
- Kul
- Kull
- Kulla
- Kyle
- Quail
- Quayle
- Quill
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Cull in...
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There are approximately 2,765 people named Cull in the UK. That makes it roughly the 3,236th most common surname in Britain. Around 42 in a million people in Britain are named Cull.
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Cull
- John Cull - Football player (1900 to 1)
- George Cull - Cricketer (1856 to 1898)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.