Contents [hide]

McCullough History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Suggested Reading Citations

McCullough History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

The roots of the McCullough family stretch back to the Strathclyde people of the Scottish/English Borderlands, who were the first to use this surname. It is derived from the Gaelic personal name Cullach, meaning boar.

Early Origins of the McCullough family

The surname McCullough 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 McCullough family

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

McCullough Spelling Variations

Before the printing press standardized spelling in the last few hundred years, no general rules existed in the English language. Spelling variations in Scottish names from the Middle Ages are common even within a single document. McCullough has been spelled MacCulloch, MacCullagh, MacCully, MacCullough, MacCulley, MacCullaugh, MacCullock, MacCullie, MacLulich and many more.

Early Notables of the McCullough 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. Following the execution, much of his family emigrated to America...
Another 52 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early McCullough Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

McCullough Ranking

In the United States, the name McCullough is the 739^th most popular surname with an estimated 39,792 people with that name. [1] However, in New Zealand, the name McCullough is ranked the 702^nd most popular surname with an estimated 1,012 people with that name. [2]

Migration of the McCullough family to Ireland

Some of the McCullough 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.

McCullough migration to the United States +

For Scottish immigrants, the great expense of travel to North America did not seem such a problem in those unstable times. Acres of land awaited them and many got the chance to fight for their freedom in the American War of Independence. These Scots and their ancestors went on to play important roles in the forging of the great nations of the United States and Canada. Among them:

McCullough Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Alexander McCullough, who landed in Washington County, Pennsylvania in 1802 [3]
Alexander McCullough, aged 10, who arrived in Baltimore, Maryland in 1803 [3]
Andw McCullough, aged 16, who arrived in Baltimore, Maryland in 1803 [3]
Hers McCullough, aged 27, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1803 [3]
Jean McCullough, aged 14, who landed in Baltimore, Maryland in 1803 [3]
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

McCullough migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

McCullough Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Adam McCullough, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1760
Alex McCullough, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1760

McCullough Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

William McCullough, aged 22, a weaver, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the brig "Dorcas Savage" from Belfast, Ireland
George McCullough, aged 24, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the schooner "Sarah" from Belfast, Ireland
Mr. Denis McCullough, aged 20 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Wellington" departing from the port of Liverpool, England but died on Grosse Isle in September 1847 [4]
Mrs. Jane McCullough, aged 48 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Virgilia" departing from the port of Liverpool, England but died on Grosse Isle on 27th September 1847 [4]
Mrs. Margaret Armstrong McCullough, aged 82 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Lotus" departing from the port of Liverpool, England but died on Grosse Isle on 5th June 1847 [4]

McCullough migration to Australia +

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

McCullough Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Bridgit McCullough, who arrived in Port Misery aboard the ship "Duchess of Northumberland" in 1839 [5]

McCullough 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:

McCullough Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. John Mccullough, British settler as part of the 8th Detachment of the Royal New Zealand Fencibles travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Oriental Queen" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 18th September 1849 [6]
Mr. William Mccullough, (b. 1830), aged 32, English tailor from Middlesex travelling from London aboard the ship "Zealandia" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 23rd May 1862 [6]
Mr. Robert James Mccullough, (b. 1861), aged 8 months, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Mystery" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 7th January 1862 [7]
Mr. Thomas Mccullough, (b. 1831), aged 30, British labourer travelling from London aboard the ship "Mystery" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 7th January 1862 [7]
Mrs. Mary Mccullough, (b. 1833), aged 28, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Mystery" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 7th January 1862 [7]
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name McCullough (post 1700) +

David Gaub McCullough (1933-2022), American author, narrator, popular historian, and lecturer, two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award, recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2006
Kimberly Anne McCullough (b. 1978), American multiple Daytime Emmy and Soap Opera Digest Award winning actress, singer and dancer, best known for her longtime role as Robin Scorpio on the soap opera General Hospital
Donald W. McCullough (b. 1949), American Christian minister, former President of San Francisco Theological Seminary
Brian McCullough (b. 1985), American college head coach of the Longwood Lancers baseball program
John Edward McCullough (1837-1885), Irish-born, American actor who was thought to have been murdered backstage at Ford's Theatre by a fellow actor, buried by members of the acting company in a cellar beneath the stage, and has been a resident ghost in the theatre for many years
Clyde McCullough (1917-1982), American Major League Baseball catcher who played from 1940 to 1956 for the Chicago Cubs, National League All-Star selection (1948, 1953)
Sultan McCullough (b. 1980), American NFL running back
John C. McCullough (1858-1920), former Attorney General of California
Conde McCullough (1887-1946), American bridge engineer
Mike McCullough (b. 1945), American professional PGA golfer
... (Another 73 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the McCullough family +

HMAS Sydney II

Mr. Samuel James McCullough (1914-1941), Australian Wireman from Annerley, Queensland, Australia, who sailed into battle aboard HMAS Sydney II and died in the sinking [8]

The McCullough 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.

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
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)
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. 43)
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) THE DUCHESS OF NORTHUMBERLAND - 1839. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1839DuchessOfNorthumberland.htm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
HMAS Sydney II, Finding Sydney Foundation - Roll of Honour. (Retrieved 2014, April 24) . Retrieved from http://www.findingsydney.com/roll.asp