Explore the Family Name Cullum
The meaning of Cullum
1. English: habitational name, in part from places in Oxfordshire and Berkshire called Culham, or from Colham Green in Middlesex. The first is named with an Old English personal name Cūla + hamm ‘river meadow’; the Berkshire name is from Old English cyln ‘kiln’ + Old English hām ‘homestead’ or hamm ‘river meadow’; and the Middlesex name is from the Old English personal name Cola + hamm ‘river meadow’. 2. English: variant of Colomb 2. 3. Scottish: possibly a shortened form of McCollum.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Cullum in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Cullum has seen a slight dip from 2000 to 2010. Ranked as the 7224th most popular name in 2000, it fell to the 7508th position in 2010, marking a change of -3.93%. However, the number of individuals with this surname increased from 4258 to 4435 individuals, showing a growth of 4.16% over the ten-year period. The proportion per 100,000 people also saw a mild decrease of -5.06%, moving from 1.58 to 1.5.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #7,224 | #7,508 | -3.93% |
| Count | 4,258 | 4,435 | 4.16% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.58 | 1.5 | -5.06% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Cullum
The Decennial U.S. Census data shows an interesting shift in the ethnic identity associated with the surname Cullum from 2000 to 2010. While the majority of the population with this surname identified as White—down slightly from 87.11% to 83.97% — there were notable increases in other categories. The Asian/Pacific Islander group showed a significant increase, from 0.16% to 0.45%, a change of 181.25%. Similarly, those identifying with two or more races increased by 51.77%, and Hispanic ethnicity grew by 52.69%. The Black community saw a modest rise from 9.04% to 10.28%. The American Indian and Alaskan Native remained steady at 0.61%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 87.11% | 83.97% | -3.6% |
| Black | 9.04% | 10.28% | 13.72% |
| Hispanic | 1.67% | 2.55% | 52.69% |
| Two or More Races | 1.41% | 2.14% | 51.77% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.61% | 0.61% | 0% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.16% | 0.45% | 181.25% |
Cullum ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Cullum is British & Irish, which comprises 61.4% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (21.8%) and Spanish & Portuguese (3.4%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Eastern European, Nigerian, Indigenous American, and Italian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 61.4% |
| French & German | 21.8% |
| Spanish & Portuguese | 3.4% |
| Other | 13.4% |
Possible origins of the surname Cullum
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Cullum have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 89.70% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 89.70% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 89.70% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 89.70% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 89.70% |
What Cullum haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Cullum is O-F2415, which is predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Haplogroup O-F2415 is descended from haplogroup O-M1359. Other common haplogroups include E-M183 and O-F2859, which are predominantly found among people with European and East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Cullum surname are: H1, J1c, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins O-M1359
Your paternal lineage may be linked to the Cham
One of the many populations harboring members of haplogroup O1b1a1a1a1 is the Cham ethnic group, a group of people who speak Austronesian languages in Mainland Southeast Asia. Austronesian languages make up a language family that is extremely large and widespread, comprising over 350 million people on islands such as Madagascar, Easter Island, and many others. However, Austronesian languages are less common on mainland Asia, with a notable exception being the Chamic language. Research suggests that ancestors of the Cham people migrated from Southeast Asian islands to the mainland around the year 500 BCE, and that early Cham populations quickly began mixing with indigenous southern Vietnamese populations. As a result, the Chamic language now has words that were borrowed from languages spoken by indigenous Vietnamese people. It is likely that an ancestral Kinh population was one of the populations that mixed with the Cham people shortly after their migration to mainland Asia.
Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Cullum have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Cullum" Surname 48.1%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Cullum" Surname 39.1%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Cullum" Surname 34.3%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Cullum" Surname 19.8%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Cullum?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Cullum are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition