McCullough

McCullough is a surname of Irish and Scottish origin. It is one of several Anglicized forms that emerged from Gaelic names, and it has been used in various English-speaking countries since the modern period. The spelling McCullough is closely related to variants such as McCulloch and MacCulloch, among others, and these forms often share a common ancestral lineage in family name records.

The name is most commonly encountered in the United States, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and Canada, reflecting patterns of migration from the British Isles. As with many surnames derived from Gaelic personal names, regional pronunciations and spellings shifted over time, leading to multiple closely related variants in historical documents.

Notable individuals with the surname include David McCullough (1930–2022), an American historian and author renowned for biographies of figures such as John Adams and Truman, for which he received multiple awards including two Pulitzer Prizes. His son, David McCullough Jr. (born 1968), is an educator and author who has spoken and written on education and civics.

See also: McCulloch (surname) and MacCulloch. These related names share common origin and historical usage with McCullough and appear in similar genealogical and biographical contexts.