Surname McCulloch - Meaning and Origin
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I. McCulloch
read moreMcCulloch: What does the surname McCulloch mean?
McCulloch is a Scottish surname of Gaelic origin. It is derived from the personal name "Culloch," which in turn comes from the Gaelic word "cúlach" meaning "boar." Thus, the literal meaning of McCulloch is "son of Culloch" or "son of the boar." The boar, a wild pig noted for its courage and fierceness, was a symbol of war and was often used in Celtic and Gaelic names. The more extended translation can imply attributes of might, bravery, and fierceness, given the association with the wild boar. The McCullochs were part of the Scottish clans, particularly prevalent in Galloway in the southwestern part of the country. The name has various spellings including MacCulloch, MacCullagh, and others.
Order DNA origin analysisMcCulloch: Where does the name McCulloch come from?
The surname McCulloch is of Scottish origin. It is derived from the Gaelic personal name “Cullach”, meaning boar. The "Mc" or "Mac" prefix means "son of", hence McCulloch translates to "son of Cullach." There are families with the McCulloch surname in several regions in Scotland including Galloway, Wigtownshire, and Argyll.
Today, the surname McCulloch remains popular in Scotland. It is also common in other countries with a significant Scottish diaspora, primarily in English-speaking countries like the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
Variations of the surname McCulloch
The surname McCulloch is of Irish and Scottish Celtic origin. It is derived from the Gaelic 'MacCullaich' meaning 'son of the boar.' It is common in Scotland, particularly in Galloway and Ayrshire.
Different variants of the surname McCulloch can be attributed to the translation from Gaelic to English where spellings are often phonetic and inconsistent. Alternate spellings for McCulloch include: MacCulloch, McCullagh, McCullaugh, MacCullough, MacCulla, McCullouch, McCoullough, McCullick, and even McCullock.
Due to geographic dispersion and spelling variations over several centuries, the surname has further been anglicized to forms such as Cullagh, Cullah, and Culloch.
Often, the "Mc" or "Mac" prefix, which signifies "son of," may be dropped, leading to other variations such as Culloch, Cullach, or Cullaich.
Despite this wide range of variations, they all essentially belong to the same lineage and trace back to the Gaelic 'MacCullaich'. The surname and its variations are scattered across countries such as Scotland, Ireland, Canada, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand among others.
So, even with different spelling and variant forms, they all symbolize descendants of the original bearer of the name - the 'son of the boar'.
Famous people with the name McCulloch
- Kristin McCulloch: professional triathlete
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- John McCulloch: Scottish National Party councillor
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- William T. McCulloch: American congressman
- Robert M. McCulloch: founder of McCulloch Motors
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- Neil McCulloch: British professional squash player
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- Bill McCulloch: Canadian curler
- Kenneth McCulloch: former police officer and politician