2000
#1,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,706
First available Census row
Per 100,000 6.19
Uncommon Last name
Coe
A surname of English origin, derived from the Old English word "cofa," meaning a small shed or shelter.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 18,246 Americans carry the last name Coe. That puts it at #2,231 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.32 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 18,785 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Coe 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 Coe with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
18K
1 in 18,785
Census rank
#2,231
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
16K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 15,911 bearers of the surname Coe in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.32 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2231st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Coe, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.0%. The next largest groups are Black (10.8%) and Hispanic (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Coe
The surname Coe has its origins in England, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "co," which means a small valley or low ground, suggesting that the name was originally a topographic surname given to someone who lived near a low-lying area or a small valley.
One of the earliest known references to the surname Coe can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which lists a John de la Cowe in Oxfordshire. This early spelling variation highlights the name's evolution from its Old English roots.
During the 14th century, the surname appeared in various records, including the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, where a William atte Cowe was mentioned. This alternate spelling, "atte Cowe," further reinforces the name's connection to its topographic origins.
In the 15th century, the surname Coe gained prominence with the birth of Robert Coe (c. 1460 - c. 1520), a notable English clergyman and theologian who served as the Chancellor of the University of Cambridge from 1508 to 1513.
The Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landholdings in England compiled in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the surname Coe. However, it does mention several place names that may have contributed to the surname's evolution, such as Covehithe in Suffolk and Cowpen in Northumberland.
Another notable bearer of the surname Coe was Sir Edmund Coe (1572 - 1634), an English lawyer and Member of Parliament for the borough of Gatton during the reign of King James I. He played a significant role in the legal affairs of his time.
In the 18th century, the Coe family gained prominence with the birth of Thomas Coe (1718 - 1801), an English horticulturist and nurseryman who is credited with introducing several new plant species to England, including the Chinese Wisteria.
The 19th century saw the birth of James Coe (1838 - 1921), an American politician and businessman who served as the mayor of Bangor, Maine, and played a pivotal role in the development of the city's infrastructure.
Other notable individuals with the surname Coe include Sebastian Coe (born 1956), a British athlete and former Olympic champion in track and field, and David Coe (born 1962), an American singer-songwriter known for his work in the Christian music industry.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Coe
Among Census respondents with the surname Coe, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.0%. The next largest groups are Black (10.8%) and Hispanic (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Coe 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 Coe surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.0% · 12,726
- Black or African American10.8% · 1,711
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 611
- Two or more races3.8% · 600
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 192
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 71
Timeline
Historical Census data for Coe
Coe 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
#2,157
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,819
+113 bearers (+0.7%)
Per 100,000 5.70
Rank movement Down 168 places
2020
#2,231
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 15,911
-908 bearers (-5.4%)
Per 100,000 5.32
Rank movement Down 74 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,989 | 16,706 | 6.19 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,157 | 16,819 | 5.70 | +113 bearers (+0.7%) | Down 168 places |
| 2020 | #2,231 | 15,911 | 5.32 | -908 bearers (-5.4%) | Down 74 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 Coe 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 | #2,157 | #2,231 | -3.4% |
| Count | 16,819 | 15,911 | -5.4% |
| Per 100K | 5.70 | 5.32 | -6.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Coe bearers went from 16,819 to 15,911 (-5.4% change). The surname moved down 74 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,157 to #2,231.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Coe
FAQ
Coe surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Coe?
Name Census estimates that about 18,246 living Americans carry the surname Coe. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 18,785 residents.
How common is Coe?
Coe ranks #2,231 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.32 per 100,000 residents, which is about 5 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 15,911 people with the surname Coe. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (18,246), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.32 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.32 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 5 of them to have the surname Coe.
Has Coe become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Coe went from 16,819 recorded bearers to 15,911. That is a decrease of 908 (-5.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,157 to #2,231.
What does the Census say about the background of Coe?
Among Census respondents with the surname Coe, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.0%. The next largest groups are Black (10.8%) and Hispanic (3.8%). 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 Coe in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.0% (12,726 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Coe appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.0%), Black (10.8%), Hispanic (3.8%). 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 Coe (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 Coe mean?
A surname of English origin, derived from the Old English word "cofa," meaning a small shed or shelter. 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 Coe (5.32 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 common is the surname Coe?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Coe is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.