Boy’s name · Irish, Scottish

Cullen

How to say it: KUL-un · /ˈkʌlən/

From Irish 'Cuileann' meaning holly; also a Scottish place-name meaning at the back of the river.

Cullen was the 994th most popular boys’ name in the United States in 2025, given to 194 babies (Social Security Administration). Its busiest decade was the 2010s, its births are down about 60% in ten years, and it is projected to slip to #1,422 by 2030.

Updated · SSA 2025 data, published May 2026 · How we compute these figures

#994for boys in 2025
1 in 17,089US babies
194born in 2025
#1,422projected for 2030
2010sits peak decade
under 1 in 200chance a classmate shares it

Key facts

Key facts about Cullen
Rank among boys’ names, 2025#994
Babies born in 2025194
Share of births1 in 17,089
Peak decade2010s
Change over 10 years−60%
Projected rank for 2030 (estimate)#1,422

Sources: Social Security Administration (SSA). How we compute these figures.

Its life, decade by decade

Climbing to a high in the 2010s, Cullen has eased since while staying in use. It now stands well below that high and may slip further.

1900195020002020–25
Peak: 269 per million births, 2010s.

What goes with it

Solid with soft yet crisp sounds, Cullen feels strong. Nolan shares its style.

Nicknames

  • Cull
  • Cully

Other spellings

Honouring a Cullen in the family

In the classroom

In a class of 25 children born in 2025, the chance that another child is called Cullen is about under 1 in 200.

Around the world

This spelling is used in English, Irish.

Ireland: #378.

Famous people named Cullen

  • Cullen Jones (born 1984)American swimmer, Olympic gold medalist, world champion, former world record-holder
  • Cullen Moss (born 1981)American actor
  • Cullen Landis (1896–1975)American actor, director

From Wikidata and Wikipedia

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