2000
#46,523
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 431
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.16
Very Rare Last name
Coast
A geographical surname derived from a location near a coastline or coastal region.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 518 Americans carry the last name Coast. That puts it at #50,074 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.15 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 661,688 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Coast surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Coast with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
518
1 in 661,688
Census rank
#50,074
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
452
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 452 bearers of the surname Coast in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.15 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 50074th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Coast, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.9%) and Black (6.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Coast
The surname COAST is of English origin, with its roots tracing back to the late 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "coste," which referred to a dweller near the coast or a coastal region.
During the medieval period, the name was commonly found in areas along the English coastline, particularly in counties such as Devon, Dorset, and Cornwall. The earliest known record of the surname appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1296, where one Richard atte Coste is mentioned.
In the 14th century, the surname COAST was also documented in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire, which contained tax records from the region. This suggests that the name had spread to other parts of England by that time.
The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the surname COAST. However, it does mention several place names with the word "coste" or similar variations, indicating that the surname likely originated from these locations.
One of the earliest recorded bearers of the COAST surname was John Coast, born in the late 15th century in Gloucestershire, England. He served as a member of the local gentry and held land in the village of Tewkesbury.
In the 16th century, the COAST surname gained prominence with the explorer and navigator Sir William Coast (c. 1520-1580). He was a prominent figure in the English maritime expeditions of the era and is credited with mapping several coastlines in the Americas.
Another notable figure was Thomas Coast (1608-1672), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Stockport in Cheshire. He wrote several theological works and was known for his sermons.
During the 17th century, the COAST surname appeared in various parish records across England, with families settled in areas such as Suffolk, Norfolk, and Yorkshire. One notable bearer was John Coast (1644-1712), a merchant and landowner from Lincolnshire who served as a Justice of the Peace.
In the 18th century, Captain James Coast (1724-1799) was a British Royal Navy officer who gained recognition for his contributions to naval navigation and cartography. He published several navigational charts and sailing directions that were widely used by mariners of the time.
Throughout its history, the COAST surname has maintained a strong presence in various regions of England, reflecting its origins as a name associated with coastal areas and maritime activities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Coast
Among Census respondents with the surname Coast, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.9%) and Black (6.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Coast bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Coast surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.3% · 372
- Two or more races6.9% · 31
- Black or African American6.0% · 27
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 12
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.1% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Coast
Coast appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#45,804
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 466
+35 bearers (+8.1%)
Per 100,000 0.16
Rank movement Up 719 places
2020
#50,074
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 452
-14 bearers (-3.0%)
Per 100,000 0.15
Rank movement Down 4,270 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #46,523 | 431 | 0.16 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #45,804 | 466 | 0.16 | +35 bearers (+8.1%) | Up 719 places |
| 2020 | #50,074 | 452 | 0.15 | -14 bearers (-3.0%) | Down 4,270 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Coast surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #45,804 | #50,074 | -9.3% |
| Count | 466 | 452 | -3.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.16 | 0.15 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Coast bearers went from 466 to 452 (-3.0% change). The surname moved down 4,270 positions in the national ranking, going from #45,804 to #50,074.
FAQ
Coast surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Coast?
Name Census estimates that about 518 living Americans carry the surname Coast. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 661,688 residents.
How common is Coast?
Coast ranks #50,074 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.15 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 452 people with the surname Coast. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (518), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.15 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.15 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Coast.
Has Coast become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Coast went from 466 recorded bearers to 452. That is a decrease of 14 (-3.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #45,804 to #50,074.
What does the Census say about the background of Coast?
Among Census respondents with the surname Coast, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.9%) and Black (6.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Coast in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.3% (372 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Coast appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.3%), Two or More Races (6.9%), Black (6.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Coast (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Coast mean?
A geographical surname derived from a location near a coastline or coastal region. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Coast (0.15 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Coast?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.