2000
#3,558
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,171
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.40
Uncommon Last name
Coombs
A topographic surname referring to someone who lived in a valley or hollow.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 11,022 Americans carry the last name Coombs. That puts it at #3,611 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.22 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 31,097 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Coombs 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 Coombs with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
11K
1 in 31,097
Census rank
#3,611
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.6K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 9,612 bearers of the surname Coombs in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.22 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3611th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Coombs, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.8%. The next largest groups are Black (12.7%) and Hispanic (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Coombs
The surname Coombs has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "cumb," meaning a small valley or hollow between hills. This name likely originated as a topographic surname, given to someone who lived near or in such a geographical feature.
The earliest known record of the name appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1275, where it is spelled "Combe." Over time, various spellings emerged, including Coombes, Combes, and the modern form, Coombs. These variations reflect the regional dialects and phonetic interpretations of the name.
One notable historical reference is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which records several places with names derived from "cumb," such as Combe in Somerset and Coombes in Sussex. These place names suggest that the surname may have originated from people associated with those locations.
The earliest recorded bearer of the surname Coombs was John Combe, who was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Warwickshire in 1332. Another early example is William Coombes, mentioned in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire in 1379.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Coombs. One prominent figure was William Coombs (1647-1724), an English merchant and politician who served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1687. Another was Anthony Coombs (1742-1827), a British naval officer who participated in the American Revolutionary War and later became an admiral.
In the literary world, John Coombs (1767-1832) was an English poet and writer known for his works on rural life and natural history. James Coombs (1832-1899) was a British architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the National Liberal Club.
One of the earliest recorded Coombs settlers in America was Walter Coombs, who arrived in Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1635. His descendants later established themselves in various parts of New England and played roles in the American Revolutionary War and the development of the young nation.
While the surname Coombs has its roots in England, it has since spread across the globe, with notable bearers in countries like the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. The name continues to hold a rich historical legacy, reflecting its origins in the geographic features of the English landscape.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Coombs
Among Census respondents with the surname Coombs, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.8%. The next largest groups are Black (12.7%) and Hispanic (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Coombs 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 Coombs surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.8% · 7,578
- Black or African American12.7% · 1,216
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 359
- Two or more races3.6% · 349
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 70
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 40
Timeline
Historical Census data for Coombs
Coombs 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
#3,631
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,780
+609 bearers (+6.6%)
Per 100,000 3.32
Rank movement Down 73 places
2020
#3,611
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,612
-168 bearers (-1.7%)
Per 100,000 3.22
Rank movement Up 20 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,558 | 9,171 | 3.40 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,631 | 9,780 | 3.32 | +609 bearers (+6.6%) | Down 73 places |
| 2020 | #3,611 | 9,612 | 3.22 | -168 bearers (-1.7%) | Up 20 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 Coombs 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 | #3,631 | #3,611 | 0.6% |
| Count | 9,780 | 9,612 | -1.7% |
| Per 100K | 3.32 | 3.22 | -3.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Coombs bearers went from 9,780 to 9,612 (-1.7% change). The surname moved up 20 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,631 to #3,611.
FAQ
Coombs surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Coombs?
Name Census estimates that about 11,022 living Americans carry the surname Coombs. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 31,097 residents.
How common is Coombs?
Coombs ranks #3,611 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.22 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 9,612 people with the surname Coombs. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (11,022), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.22 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.22 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Coombs.
Has Coombs become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Coombs went from 9,780 recorded bearers to 9,612. That is a decrease of 168 (-1.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #3,631 to #3,611.
What does the Census say about the background of Coombs?
Among Census respondents with the surname Coombs, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.8%. The next largest groups are Black (12.7%) and Hispanic (3.7%). 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 Coombs in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.8% (7,578 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Coombs appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (78.8%), Black (12.7%), Hispanic (3.7%). 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 Coombs (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 Coombs mean?
A topographic surname referring to someone who lived in a valley or hollow. 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 Coombs (3.22 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 Coombs?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Coombs on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.