Cullo History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Italy
Scotland
Ireland

In the Scottish/English Borderlands, the Strathclyde Britons were the first to use the name Cullo. It is derived from the Gaelic personal name Cullach, meaning boar.

Early Origins of the Cullo family

The surname Cullo 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 Cullo family

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

Cullo Spelling Variations

Scribes in Medieval Scotland spelled names by sound rather than any set of rules, so an enormous number of spelling variations exist in names of that era. Cullo has been spelled MacCulloch, MacCullagh, MacCully, MacCullough, MacCulley, MacCullaugh, MacCullock, MacCullie, MacLulich and many more.

Early Notables of the Cullo 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...

Migration of the Cullo family to Ireland

Some of the Cullo 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.

Migration of the Cullo family

The number of Strathclyde Clan families sailing for North America increased steadily as the persecution continued. In the colonies, they could find not only freedom from the iron hand of the English government, but land to settle on. The American War of Independence allowed many of these settlers to prove their independence, while some chose to go to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. Scots played essential roles in the forging of both great nations. Among them: Robert MacCullaugh who settled in Jamaica in 1716; John and Jane MacCulloch settled in Charles Town in 1762; Barbara and Hugh MacCullock settled in Maryland in 1774.

The Cullo 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.