Show ContentsCulpan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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  • Scotland
Culpan Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Etymology of Culpan

What does the name Culpan mean?

A family in the Pictish tribe of ancient Scotland was the first to use the name Culpan. They lived in the place named Colp in Aberdeenshire.

Early Origins of the Culpan family

The surname Culpan was first found in Aberdeenshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Obar Dheathain), a historic county, and present day Council Area of Aberdeen, located in the Grampian region of northeastern Scotland.

One of the first records of the family was Johannes Coup who was recorded there in Aberdeen in 1408. "A 'commone hande bell, with ale proffetis,' was granted to William Colp and his son, David Colp in the same town in 1503, and a payment was made in 1518 to Sir Andrew Cup, evidently a cleric." 1

Early History of the Culpan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Culpan research. Another 160 words (11 lines of text) covering the year 1408 is included under the topic Early Culpan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Culpan Spelling Variations

In medieval Scotland, names were more often spelled according to sound than any regular set of rules. An enormous number of spelling variations were the result. Over the years, the name Culpan has been spelled Culp, Colp, Cup, Cope and others.

Early Notables of the Culpan family

More information is included under the topic Early Culpan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Culpan 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:

Culpan Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • William Culpan, who landed in Auckland, New Zealand in 1842
  • Mary Culpan, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Jane Gifford" in 1842 2
  • William Culpan, aged 23, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Jane Gifford" in 1842 2
  • Sarah Ann Culpan, aged 19, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Jane Gifford" in 1842 2
  • Joseph Culpan, aged 19, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Jane Gifford" in 1842 2
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Culpan (post 1700) +

  • Bruce Ewen Culpan (1930-2021), New Zealand rower who won silver medals representing his country at the 1950 British Empire Games and 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games
  • Craig Culpan (b. 1982), Canadian rugby union player
  1. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
  2. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html

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