Total births
16,591
Boys' name · since 1880
Cullen
Cullen has 16,591 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2010 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #1126
- among boys today
- 16,591
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 92%
- more common than other boys
Cullen currently ranks #1126 among boys' names in America, with 16,591 babies recorded since 1880.
Cullen has 16,591 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #1126 as of the latest data, more common than 92% of boys, busiest in the 2010s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #1126 among boys today
- 16,591 born since 1880
- 2010s peak decade
- 92% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Cullen is currently the #1126 boys' name in America, more common than 92% of boys - 16,591 born since 1880, peaking in the 2010s.
- #1126
- among boys today
- 16,591
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 92%
- more common than other boys
Cullen vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1126
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 92% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
31% of everyone ever named Cullen was born in this single decade.
2010
Single peak year
679 babies were named Cullen in 2010 - its busiest year on record.
How Cullen compares
16,591 Top 6% higher than 94% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Cullen's all-time total is 45x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Cullen | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 16,591 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 679 | 23 | 22,252 |
Cullen's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Cullen's SSA record in two at 1961 and the more recent half accounts for 92% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 8%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1887, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 2010 peak of 679, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Cullen at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2010
Current rank
#1,126
Active since
1880
Cullen popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (2010)
- 679
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Cullen popularity over time - girls
112 total births recorded since 1974 (Cullen as girls' name)
Cullen by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Cullen's strongest decade.
5,067 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 31% of all-time use.
Cullen births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 20
1880s
20 births
- 1890s 29
1890s
29 births
- 1900s 33
1900s
33 births
- 1910s 243
1910s
243 births
- 1920s 308
1920s
308 births
- 1930s 226
1930s
226 births
- 1940s 231
1940s
231 births
- 1950s 250
1950s
250 births
- 1960s 323
1960s
323 births
- 1970s 647
1970s
647 births
- 1980s 1,183
1980s
1,183 births
- 1990s
1990s
3,219 births
- 2000s
2000s
3,240 births
- 2010s
2010s
5,067 births
- 2020s 1,572
2020s
1,572 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 5,067 births (31% of all-time use).
How Cullen compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Cullen's total volume
Cullen vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Cullen by state
Where Cullen concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 1,710 | 10.3% |
| #2 | Louisiana | | 842 | 5.1% |
| #3 | Minnesota | | 734 | 4.4% |
| #4 | Pennsylvania | | 706 | 4.3% |
| #5 | California | | 611 | 3.7% |
| #6 | Virginia | | 548 | 3.3% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 545 | 3.3% |
| #8 | North Carolina | | 535 | 3.2% |
Texas share of Cullen's total US births 10.3%
Even split
1,710 of 16,591 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 45 reporting states.
Cullen appears in 45 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Cullen? ▼
16,591 babies have been named Cullen since 1880. It currently ranks #1126 among boys. The peak year was 2010 with 679 births.
When was Cullen most popular? ▼
Cullen was most popular in the 2010s decade with 5,067 total births. The single peak year was 2010.
Where is Cullen most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Cullen are Texas (1,710 births), Louisiana (842 births), Minnesota (734 births).
How long has the name Cullen been used? ▼
Cullen has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Cullen? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Cullin, Cullan, Cully, Culver, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Cullen's data
- Cullen's decade-level peak was the 2010s (5,067 total births); usage has since declined to 1,572 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Cullens (1,710 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Cullen
Nearby Names Like Cullen
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Cullen
Cullin Boy
403 births
Cullan Boy
329 births
Cully Boy
250 births
Culver Boy
#9982 164 births
Culley Boy
80 births
Compare Cullen side by side: Cullen vs Cullin Cullen vs Cullan Cullen vs Cully
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Cullen
Kalel #1125
4,400 births · Peak 2014
Zephyr #1127
2,528 births · Peak 2022
Coen #1124
4,506 births · Peak 2016
Brecken #1128
5,037 births · Peak 2017
Kristian #1123
20,814 births · Peak 1997
Simeon #1129
9,462 births · Peak 2019
Aurelius #1122
1,764 births · Peak 2025
Mikael #1130
5,939 births · Peak 2023
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Cullen: #1126 Boys' Name - 16,591 Births, Peak 2010." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/cullen. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Cullen draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.