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Show ContentsMcCulloch History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
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Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

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The ancient name McCulloch was first used by the Strathclyde people of the Scottish/English Borderlands. It is derived from the Gaelic personal name Cullach, meaning boar.

Early Origins of the McCulloch family

The surname McCulloch was first found in Wigtownshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Bhaile na h-Uige), formerly a county in southwestern Scotland, now part of the Council Area of Dumfries and Galloway where one of the first on record was Andrew MacCulloch who served King William the Lion of Scotland and received the lands of Myretoun (now Monreith near Whitehorn in Wigtown). However ancient records show the Clan as being mentioned in the year 743 in that area.

Early History of the McCulloch family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our McCulloch research. Another 76 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1354, 1470, 1640, 1697 and 1890 are included under the topic Early McCulloch History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McCulloch Spelling Variations

In Medieval times, spelling and translation were not nearly so highly developed as today. They were generally carried out according to the sound and intuition of the bearer. For that reason spelling variations are extremely common among early Scottish names. McCulloch has been spelled MacCulloch, MacCullagh, MacCully, MacCullough, MacCulley, MacCullaugh, MacCullock, MacCullie, MacLulich and many more.

Early Notables of the McCulloch family

Notable amongst the family at this time was

  • Sir Godfrey McCulloch, 2nd Baronet of Mertoun (c.1640-1697), a Scottish politician executed for the murder of William Gordon who died from a shot in the leg, partly as a result of a long-standing feud...
  • Sir Walter Scott, a distant relative quoted a story that McCulloch was in fact saved from execution by a gnome whom he had done a favour for earlier in life, and that he was never seen again...

McCulloch World Ranking

In the United States, the name McCulloch is the 3,346th most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 1 However, in Australia, the name McCulloch is ranked the 870th most popular surname with an estimated 4,557 people with that name. 2 And in New Zealand, the name McCulloch is the 781st popular surname with an estimated 933 people with that name. 3

Ireland Migration of the McCulloch family to Ireland

Some of the McCulloch family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 60 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

United States McCulloch migration to the United States +

Unrest, poverty, and persecution caused thousands to look for opportunity and freedom in the North American colonies. The crossing was long, overcrowded, and unsanitary, though, and came only at great expense. Many Strathclyde families settled on the east coast of North America in communities that would form the backbone of what would become the great nations of the United States and Canada. The American War of Independence caused those who remained loyal to England to move north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. In the 20th century, Strathclyde and other Scottish families across North America began to recover their collective heritage through highland games and Clan societies. Among them:

McCulloch Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Roderick McCulloch, who landed in Virginia in 1727 4
  • Sarah McCulloch, who arrived in New England in 1764 4
  • Adam McCulloch, who arrived in Maine in 1766 4
McCulloch Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Catharine McCulloch, aged 6, who landed in New York in 1854 4
  • Edward McCulloch, aged 40, who landed in New York in 1854 4
  • Henry McCulloch, aged 21, who landed in New York in 1854 4
  • Thomas McCulloch, aged 4, who landed in New York in 1854 4
  • Mary McCulloch, aged 27, who landed in New York in 1854 4
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Canada McCulloch migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

McCulloch Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • James McCulloch, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1783
  • Mr. James McCulloch U.E. who settled in St. Mary's, Guysborough County, Nova Scotia c. 1784 5
McCulloch Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Miss. Catherine McCulloch, aged 4 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Christiana" departing 8th April 1847 from Londonderry, Ireland; the ship arrived on 10th June 1847 but she died on board 6

Australia McCulloch migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

McCulloch Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. William Mcculloch, (b. 1813), aged 17, Scottish stable boy who was convicted in Edinburgh, Scotland for life for pick pocketing, transported aboard the "Dunvegan Castle" on 13th March 1830, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1834 7
  • Mr. Matthew McCulloch, English convict who was convicted in London, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Elphinstone" on 27th May 1837, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 8
  • Alexander McCulloch, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Orleana" in 1839 9
  • Margaret McCulloch, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Orleana" in 1839 9

New Zealand McCulloch migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

McCulloch Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Thomas McCulloch, aged 23, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Duchess of Argyle" in 1842
  • Lydia McCulloch, aged 20, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Stately" in 1851
  • Miss McCulloch, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Slains Castle" arriving in Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 9th November 1852 10
  • Robert McCulloch, aged 36, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Agra" in 1852 11
  • Euphemia McCulloch, aged 33, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Agra" in 1852 11
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name McCulloch (post 1700) +

  • Ernest Armstrong McCulloch OC OOnt FRS FRSC (1926-2011), Canadian University of Toronto cellular biologist, who co-discovered stem cells with James Till in 1961
  • Brigadier-General William Alexander McCulloch (1889-1959), American Commanding Officer 35th Infantry Regiment (1940) 12
  • Warren Sturgis McCulloch (1899-1969), American neurophysiologist and cybernetician
  • Benjamin McCulloch (1811-1862), American brigadier general in the army of the Confederate States during the American Civil War
  • Robert Paxton McCulloch (1911-1977), American entrepreneur, founder of McCulloch chainsaws
  • Hugh McCulloch (1808-1895), American statesman
  • Benjamin McCulloch (1811-1862), American politician, Member of Texas Republic Congress, 1839 13
  • Allen McCulloch, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from New Mexico, 2008 13
  • Alexander McCulloch, American Democratic Party politician, Postmaster at Point Pleasant, Virginia, 1829-32 13
  • Albert P. McCulloch, American politician, Representative from Massachusetts 12th District, 1936 13
  • ... (Another 40 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
HMAS Sydney II
  • Mr. Sidney McCulloch (1920-1941), English Able Seaman from West Rochester, Kent, England, who sailed into battle aboard HMAS Sydney II and died in the sinking 14
Lady of the Lake
  • Mr. John McCulloch (b. 1831), Irish traveller from Crookstown, Ireland who sailed aboard the "Lady of the Lake" from Greenock, Scotland on 8th April 1833 to Quebec, Canada when the ship hit ice and sunk of the coast of Newfoundland on the 11th May 1833 and he died in the sinking
  • Miss Mary McCulloch (b. 1803), Irish traveller from Crookstown, Ireland who sailed aboard the "Lady of the Lake" from Greenock, Scotland on 8th April 1833 to Quebec, Canada when the ship hit ice and sunk of the coast of Newfoundland on the 11th May 1833 and she died in the sinking

The McCulloch Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Vi et animo
Motto Translation: By strength and courage.
  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. "Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
  3. "Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
  4. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  5. Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
  6. Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 86)
  7. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 12th August 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/dunvegan-castle
  8. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 18th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elphinstone
  9. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) ORLEANA 1839. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1839Orleana.htm
  10. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  11. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  12. Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2013, February 12) William McCulloch. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/McCulloch/William_Alexander/USA.html
  13. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 20) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  14. HMAS Sydney II, Finding Sydney Foundation - Roll of Honour. (Retrieved 2014, April 24) . Retrieved from http://www.findingsydney.com/roll.asp
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