Culross

This is a rare Scottish locational surname. It is so rare that it does not seem to be included in any of the standard dictionaries of Scottish surnames. It is also rare by being locational, the vast majority of Gaelic surnames both in Ireland and Scotland, being originally patronymics. Locational surnames are usually 'from' names. That is to say names that were given to people after they left their original homes to move somewhere else. However this rule does not seem to apply in some areas which would seem to include the east and north coasts of Scotland and Cornwall far off in the West of England. Sometimes everybody in a particular village had the same surname, which would be the name of the village! Not surprisingly this lead to confusion and the development of individual nicknames, known only to 'The locals'. Culross may mean 'Giants hill' from the Celtic 'Cil-rhos' but other explanations are possible. Recordings of surnames include James Cullross at Abdie in Fifeshire, on October 20th 1706, and John Culross at Collessie, also Fife, on August 14th 1711.