Cullen

Variations – O’Cullen, Cullin, O’Cullin
Racial – Irish
Source – A given name

“O’Cullin” is the Gaelic form of the clan name from which the Anglicized family names of Cullen, O’Cullen, Cullin and O’Cullin have been developed. The founder of the clan, a chieftain by the name of “Cullin.” Was a great-grandson of “Core,” a contemporary of St. Patrick.  Hence it will be seen that this family or clan name is of great antiquity, much older than the bulk of the family names of England, Scotland and the Continent.

Indeed, the ancient Irish records give this chieftain “Core” the credit of being the ancestor of the Scottish Stewart clan, and hence of the Stewart line of English monarchs.

According to the fragmentary histories this “Core” fled to Scotland in his youth, where he married a daughter of the Pictish king.  One of his sons, “Main Leamhns,” remained in that country and founded the line of the “Mor Mhair Leamhna,” the “mormaors” or the “Great Stewarts” of Lenox.  Core returned to Ireland, but was never converted to Christianity, though he was appointed to a committee of scholars, including the High Monarch, the saint himself and number of bishops, to codify and classify the historical records of the High Kingdom of Ireland.