Culbert is a personal name that seems to have originated in Europe. The earliest records for this
surname
In some cultures, a surname, family name, or last name is the portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family, tribe or community.
Practices vary by culture. The family name may be placed at either the start of a person's full name ...
are found in
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
,
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
, and
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
. The use of surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
, heritable surnames started to form in the 11th century, and were common in most areas by 1400. The poll tax introduced in
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
in the 14th century (considered a head tax) is probably the first time this common usage of surnames was documented.
Culbert origins
A specific origin for this name is not known; however, it does not appear to be derived from a place, nor from an occupation, two common sources for peoples' names.
The following references suggest that Culbert may be derived from other names that describe a person's character. For example, Culbert may stem from ''Culbheart,'' which is a Gaelic form meaning "crafty".
[William Arthur, An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names: With an Essay on Their Derivation and Import, Gale Research Co., 1969] However, Culbert is not a Gaelic name. It is possible the earliest Culberts in
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
came there from Scotland and England as a result of the creation of the Plantations of Ulster in the early 1600s. The earliest Culbert record found to date in Ireland is for James Culbert, born in 1651.
Also, crafty is related to "wisdom," and this suggests a possible connection with the surname
Cuthbert
Cuthbert of Lindisfarne ( – 20 March 687) was an Anglo-Saxon saint of the early Northumbrian church in the Celtic tradition. He was a monk, bishop and hermit, associated with the monasteries of Melrose and Lindisfarne in the Kingdom of Nort ...
, a name from the Anglo Saxon, which means "famous, bright, of clear skill or knowledge".
It is also believed by some researchers that Culbert is derived from Cutbert. This earlier spelling is very similar to
Cuthbert
Cuthbert of Lindisfarne ( – 20 March 687) was an Anglo-Saxon saint of the early Northumbrian church in the Celtic tradition. He was a monk, bishop and hermit, associated with the monasteries of Melrose and Lindisfarne in the Kingdom of Nort ...
and
Cuthbertson, one reason for the close relationship between these surnames. The surname is also closely related to
Culbertson and
Culberson, which mean son of Culbert.
With regards to claims of origin, MacLysaght states that the surname Culbert is of
Huguenot
The Huguenots ( , also , ) were a religious group of French Protestants who held to the Reformed, or Calvinist, tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, the Genevan burgomaster Be ...
origin, and is found mainly in Ireland's northern province of Ulster. However, no record has yet been found to document that any Culbert was a Huguenot or a Huguenot descendant.
[The Culbert Family Genealogy Project, James H. Culbert, Registration No. 4096, Guild of One-Name Studies]
In
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
, it was reported by Camden that a deed was witnessed by a nobleman who signed as "Culuerti filii Doncani," i.e. Culuert son of Duncan. This deed, made by King Malcolm, was recorded in 1097 wherein land was granted for a church in Coldingham. Based upon this information, Lewis R. Culbertson suggested that there "is but little doubt that Culuert, son of Duncan, was the first of the Culberts."
Also in
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
, Culbert is considered a variant of
Colbert, derived from the Anglo-Saxon ''Ceolberht/Ceolbeorht'' (in Old English, ''ceol'' = ship and ''berht/beorht'' = bright). They suggest Culbert is a personal name dating from the 700s in
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
; however, no actual records have been found in England for another 850 years.
Also for
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
, one heraldry-related website claims that Culbert is one of the names of people who migrated there from Normandy following the Norman Conquest, and that Culbert has been found in the Counties of Cheshire and Lancashire. Unfortunately, these records also have not been uncovered. The earliest Culbert found in FamilySearch records for Cheshire is William Culbert b. bef. 1706, and for Lancashire is Thomas Culbert b. bef. 1764. The oldest Culbert record found to date anywhere is for Mutton Culbert, who married Alice Legge on 27 Mar 1554 at St. Nicholas, Ipswich, Suffolk,
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
.
The earliest home of a Culbertson (son of Culbert) so far found by Lewis R. Culbertson, is located in the County of Roxburg,
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
, at a small village named Morebattle, eight miles south of Kelso. Here Culbertson people have reportedly lived continuously since the year 1400 AD. This is in the Lowlands and is about five miles from the Cheviot Hills, which form the boundary between
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
and
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
.
Culbert distribution
As migrations from Europe became more common in the 19th and 20th Centuries, Culbert people have spread from Europe and have now become more predominant in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
and
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
.
For example, in the 1881 Census of the United Kingdom (including
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
,
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
,
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...
, and
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
), 91 Culbert individuals were indexed, compared to 256 individuals in the 1881 Canada Census, and compared to 620 individuals in the 1880 U.S. Federal Census.
In 2000, the surname Culbert was ranked 12,650 in terms of the most common surnames in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
, with 2,244 occurrences in the 2000 U.S. Federal Census. The racial/ethnic breakdown included nearly 77 percent White, almost 20 percent Black, a little more than 2 percent Hispanic, about 1 percent Non-Hispanic of two or more races, and minor amounts (less than 1 percent) of Asian and Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native.
An extract of an Office of National Statistics database containing a list of surnames in use in
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
,
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...
and the
Isle of Mann in September 2002 suggests that Culbert was ranked 13,686, with 389 occurrences.
People
Culbert is used as both a given name and as a surname, as in the following examples of persons:
*
Culbert Olson
Culbert Levy Olson (November 7, 1876 – April 13, 1962) was an American lawyer and politician. A Democratic Party member, Olson was involved in Utah and California politics and was elected as the 29th governor of California from 1939 to 1943. ...
was an American politician and governor of
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
.
*
David Culbert
David Thomas Culbert (born 17 March 1967 in Sydney) is a former international track and field athlete. In an international long jump career that spanned ten years, he won two Commonwealth Games silver medals in 1990 and 1994 and also made fin ...
, from Australia, is a former international track and field athlete who specialized in the long jump.
*
Harold William Culbert (1944–2005) was a member of the
House of Commons of Canada
The House of Commons of Canada (french: Chambre des communes du Canada) is the lower house of the Parliament of Canada. Together with the Crown and the Senate of Canada, they comprise the bicameral legislature of Canada.
The House of Common ...
from 1993 to 1997.
*
Katharine Culbert Lyall was the former president (retired, 2004) of the
University of Wisconsin System.
*
Major Culbert
Major Culbert (born December 29, 1987) is a former American football linebacker. He first enrolled at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln before transferring to Abilene Christian University. He attended Narbonne High School in Harbor City, Los A ...
(born 1987), American football player.
*
Sidney S. Culbert (1913–2003) was an American
psychologist
A psychologist is a professional who practices psychology and studies mental states, perceptual, cognitive, emotional, and social processes and behavior. Their work often involves the experimentation, observation, and interpretation of how indi ...
and
Esperantist
An Esperantist ( eo, esperantisto) is a person who speaks, reads or writes Esperanto. According to the Declaration of Boulogne, a document agreed upon at the first World Esperanto Congress in 1905, an Esperantist is someone who speaks Esperanto ...
.
Places and things named Culbert
The following places and objects carrying the name Culbert have been identified to date. Their geographic diversity indicates the geographic diversity of Culbert people.
Australia
* Culbert Learning Center, Calvary Christian College, Queensland.
ote: This college is located on three campuses, and it is uncertain which one holds this Center, announced in 2022.* Culbert Street, Spring Farm, Sydney, NSW 2570
ote: this road was on a Feb 2021 house sale listing, but cannot be found on Google Maps.
The Bahamas
* Culbert's Hill, Nassau GPS: 25.04296590999284, -77.2727677307507
* Culbert's Bay, Nassau GPS: 25.029230463410634, -77.26378769497185
Canada
* Culbert Lake, Northern Manitoba, near the border with Nunavut. Location not yet found. Named for Frederick Campbell Culbert, Royal Canadian Air Force, who was in a bomber shot down over Germany in 1943.
* Culbert Drive, Woodstock, New Brunswick E7M1N9 GPS: 46.169384440400016, -67.58216000153968
* Wendy Culbert Cres, Newmarket, Ontario L3X0E9 GPS: 44.029745793712756, -79.45483234391597
* Culbert Creek and Culbert Lake, Algoma (North), Ontario GPS: beginning in south at 48.95583073017929, -83.98440542745253, and flowing north through Culbert Lake at 48.96574908949619, -83.98633661792923, and continuing north to creek junction at 49.057301995716195, -83.97676649616454
U.K.
* Culbert Avenue, Didsbury, Manchester, England, U.K. M20 6HB
mage availableGPS: 53.420271692859906, -2.2205261878677227
* Culbert Lodge, near Eland Street, New Basford, Nottinghamshire, England, U.K.
* Culbert's Court, located in the middle of Little York Street, Belfast
reland, now Northern Ireland, U.K.; had 15 small houses in 1860.* Culbert Street, Portsoy, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, U.K. GPS: 57.68347814374989, -2.690704060138086 [ref. Councillor Jack Mair, 6 Oct 2008: The people in Portsoy used to call Culbert Street - The Culbert Rig, which is a refurbished traditional fisherman's cottage. Our late local historian, Jim Slater, had a theory that a gentleman named Culbert had a croft at this location. I do not know what evidence he had to arrive at this conclusion. The street slopes down from The Square and at the bottom of the street there is a culvert which carries the water from the Loch, formerly the mill dam, to the sea. I have heard culvert mispronounced culbert. There is also a possibility that Culbert may be a misspelling of Gilbert. When the registration of Births, Deaths and Marriages came into effect a number of people were illiterate and it depended on the Registrar how names were spelled. Gilbert may have been mispronounced to sound like Culbert.]
U.S.
* Culbert Hollow Spring, Cherokee, Alabama 35616 GPS: 34.82035530092676, -88.07649664490704
* There is, or at least was, a Culbert County, Alabama, containing Sheffield and Muscle Shoals. There still is a Colbert County, Alabama.
* Culbert Street, Livingston, Sumter County, Alabama GPS: 32.46172066418088, -88.12850989628917
* Culbert Street, Phoenix, Arizona
* Culbert Street, Little Rock, Arkansas
* Culbert P.O., Randolph County, Georgia.
n 1860 Census; Culbert and/or Cuthbert Post Office; 1870 Randolph County, Georgia, there at least to early 1900s.* Culbert Street, Bainbridge, Decatur County, Georgia
* Culbert Mine, Upson County, Georgia, U.S.A., c. 1943
e. photo on EBay* Double Culbert Cemetery, Fayette County, Kentucky
ef. Fayette County Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 5, Issue 3, Fall 1990* Culbert Zeigler Cemetery, 25197 Zeigler Cemetery Road, Livingston, Louisiana GPS: 30.433060448818836, -90.70209099359329
* Culbert Street, Mattapan (Boston), Massachusetts GPS: 42.27383535283655, -71.0944025727904
n inquiry sent to Public Works, Boston on 28 Sep 2004 had no response.
* Culbert Place, Roxbury Crossing (Boston), Massachusetts. Found in Boston City Directories from 1872 to 1915, when it was changed to Vitale Place.
* Culbert Drive, Hastings, Michigan 49058 GPS: 42.6983551991604, -85.26472217278128
* Culbert Road, between Hillsdale and Hudson, Hillsdale County, Michigan. GPS: 41.898658323538264, -84.45091400163452
robably associated with the David Culbert family who settled in Hillsdale County.
* Culbert Road, Moss Point, Jackson County, Mississippi GPS: 30.580779716363004, -88.56492340183996
* Culbert Lake, (part of the Pascagoula River), south of Wade, Jackson County, Mississippi GPS: 30.58613731442976, -88.57129855899265
* Culbert Street, New York City, New York
* Culbert's Hotel on Buffalo Avenue in the LaSalle neighborhood of Niagara Falls, New York GPS: 43.07775547859788, -78.96243484393693
ow permanently closed* Culbert Street in Syracuse, New York GPS; 43.07225896231679, -76.14990844393702
* Culbert Street, Mount Airy, Surry County, North Carolina GPS: 36.49063257061876, -80.60356304406895
* Culbert school-house; located 2 miles east of Centerville, PA.
entioned in connection with sermons preached there by Rev. Peter Sahm, after 1836, as part of the history of St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church, New Florence, PA.; * Culbert Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. [Notes: Moak's "Philadelphia Street Name Changes" had no listing for "Culbert"; 1839 - Culbert Street joined Charlotte Street; 1859 Phila. Directory on the web contains 7 listings for a street named "Culbert". Here is what I found for "Culbert": street addresses from "below third" to "2052"; intersections with "Canal", "Charlotte", and "Mechanic"]
* Culbert Street, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.
* Culbert Branch Missionary Baptist Church, 647 Elko Street, Williston, South Carolina. (803) 266-4252 GPS: 33.402026737434454, -81.41267414597611
* Culbert Beverage Company, Aberdeen, South Dakota; bottled ROBO drinks
* South Culbert Avenue, Sioux Falls, Minnehaha County, South Dakota GPS: 43.4968754642374, -96.82331991509153
amed for the Richard Lyle Culbert family who had a farm here* South Culbert Avenue, Sioux Falls, Lincoln County, South Dakota GPS: 43.497899437494, -96.82338428650814
* Culbert Drive, Marion, Virginia GPS: 36.85046934087106, -81.5047607440623
* Ken Culbert, Jr. Road, Purcellville, Loudoun County, Virginia GPS: 39.13751434247276, -77.70248115936316
amed for Kenneth William Culbert, 1939-2003
Other Culbert names
* A bark, the ''M. H. Culbert'', which operated at least from 1866 to 1867
* Ship ''Culbert'' – "Orkney Shipping, Sailed from Stromness, Sept. 13, Culbert, from Gottenburgh, with iron and deals"
* Ship ''Culbert'' – "Ship News, Sailed, 18th, Culbert, oats"
* Ship ''St. Culbert'' – "Ship Arrivals. From Calcutta.
hip
In vertebrate anatomy, hip (or "coxa"Latin ''coxa'' was used by Celsus in the sense "hip", but by Pliny the Elder in the sense "hip bone" (Diab, p 77) in medical terminology) refers to either an anatomical region or a joint.
The hip region is ...
St. Culbert, Toombs, of Portsmouth, from New York, just arrived."
* Schooner ''Culbert'' – "Ship News, Port of Philadelphia, Arrived, Schooner Culbert,
rom
Rom, or ROM may refer to:
Biomechanics and medicine
* Risk of mortality, a medical classification to estimate the likelihood of death for a patient
* Rupture of membranes, a term used during pregnancy to describe a rupture of the amniotic sac
* ...
Virginia"
[General Advertiser, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.A., 21 May 1793, p. 3]
References
External links
The Culbert Family Genealogy Project a One Name Study registered with the
Guild of One-Name Studies
The Guild of One-Name Studies is a UK-based charitable organisation founded in 1979 for one-name studies.
History
The Guild developed as an offshoot of the Federation of Family History Societies. The FFHS was founded on 8 June 1974. By 1977 on ...
.
{{surname