Etymograph

English

McCullen

McCullen comes from Irish Mac Cuilinn ‘son of Cuileann’, from cuileann ‘holly’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kelh₂- ‘to beat, break’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*kelh₂-‘to beat, break’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Celticc. 1300–800 BCE*kolinos‘holly’reconstructed
  3. Old Irishc. 600–900cuilenn‘(wood of the) holly-tree’
  4. Irishc. 1200–presentcuileann‘holly’
  5. Irish, derivedc. 1200–presentMac Cuilinn‘son of Cuileann’
  6. EnglishtodayMcCullen

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*kelh₂-‘to beat, break’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Celticc. 1300–800 BCE*kolinos‘holly’reconstructed
  3. Old Irishc. 600–900cuilenn‘(wood of the) holly-tree’
  4. Irishc. 1200–presentcuileann‘holly’
  5. Irish, derivedc. 1200–presentMac Cuilinn‘son of Cuileann’
  6. EnglishtodayMcCullen

The story

Anglicized form of Irish Mac Cuilinn (‘son of Cuileann’), a byname from cuileann (‘holly’).

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *kelh₂- ‘to beat, break’

coup, clerk, holt, holly, clergy, calamity, gladiator, cleric, calamitous, clade, clematis, gladiolus, 30 more

Today it means

name A surname from Irish.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *kelh₂- / McCullen

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