Cullen

Cullen - A very unique male name

Cullen appeared on the charts for the first time in 1913 on position #788. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Cullen and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Cullen? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Cullen. The baby boy name Cullen was given to 149 baby boys in 2025, ranking #1080 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 9,841 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Cullen peaked in popularity 16 years ago in 2010 on position 412.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Cullen, 1-5?

Cullen is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Cullen is currently topping the baby name charts in Louisiana at position #460 - and is the least popular in California at position #2,543.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Cullen is where you live.

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Cullen origin and meaning

Irish — transferred surname

A transferred Irish surname, from Ó Cuilinn — Cuilinn from Gaelic cuileann, 'holly (tree)'

Cullen is an Irish holly-tree surname with a long, quiet history as a first name, recorded since 1913. It jumped in the late 2000s — its 2010 peak is no coincidence: Edward Cullen of Twilight made the surname famous just as surname names were booming — and it has fallen since the franchise faded.

Attested etymology

Cullen is a 6 letter name with 2 syllables.

To see famous people named Cullen, pop culture references for the name Cullen and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Cullen

We've found the following names that sound similar to Cullen, sorted by popularity.

Colin / Collin / Callum / Coleman / Callan / Callen / Callahan / Cillian / Calum / Clem /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Cullen

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Cullen a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Cullen?

2 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

KUL-en · /ˈkʌlən/

Around the world

No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.

Spellings and nicknames

• Cullin — A rarer spelling variant.

Famous bearers

• Edward Cullen — The vampire hero of Stephenie Meyer's Twilight books and films — Cullen is his surname, and the franchise is the documented driver of this name's 2010 peak as a first name (Fictional, 2005) Fictional

Style

Surname

Why parents choose it

Cullen is a gentle Irish surname name whose moment was powered by Twilight; parents choosing it now get the soft sound without the frenzy. It suits families with the surname in their own tree especially well.

Worth knowing

• The Twilight association is the first thing most people will mention.
• Sounds close to Colin and Kellan, inviting mix-ups.