2000
#2,176
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 15,314
First available Census row
Per 100,000 5.68
Uncommon Last name
Cornett
A surname of French origin referring to someone who played the cornet or lived near a horn-shaped geographical feature.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 16,980 Americans carry the last name Cornett. That puts it at #2,400 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.95 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 20,186 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cornett 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 Cornett with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
17K
1 in 20,186
Census rank
#2,400
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
15K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 14,807 bearers of the surname Cornett in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.95 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2400th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cornett, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Black (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cornett
The surname Cornett originates from France and can be traced back to the early 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "corn," meaning a horn or trumpet, and was likely an occupational name for a horn player or trumpeter.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Cornet." This suggests that the name was already in use in England during the Norman Conquest.
In the 13th century, the name was documented in various forms, including "Cornet," "Cornette," and "Cornett," in various regions of France, such as Normandy and Brittany.
Records from the 14th century indicate that the name was also present in England, with references to individuals like John Cornet, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1379.
During the 16th century, the name gained prominence in France, with notable individuals bearing the surname. One such person was Balthasar Cornet, a French Catholic priest and theologian born in 1592, who played a significant role in the Jansenist controversy.
Another notable figure was Thomas Cornette, a French painter and engraver born in 1575, who was known for his religious works and portraits.
In the 17th century, the name spread to other parts of Europe, including the Netherlands and Germany. One notable bearer was Adriaen Cornet, a Dutch Golden Age painter born in 1618, who specialized in genre scenes and portraits.
The 18th century saw the emergence of Jacques-François Cornette, a French historian and writer born in 1737, who authored several works on the history of France and Europe.
As the name continued to spread globally, notable individuals in the 19th and early 20th centuries included Thomas Cornett, an American Civil War soldier and Medal of Honor recipient, born in 1835, and Adolphe Cornette, a French politician and lawyer born in 1853.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cornett
Among Census respondents with the surname Cornett, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Black (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Cornett 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 Cornett surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.1% · 13,038
- Two or more races4.4% · 657
- Black or African American4.0% · 594
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 380
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 83
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 55
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cornett
Cornett 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
#2,322
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 15,733
+419 bearers (+2.7%)
Per 100,000 5.33
Rank movement Down 146 places
2020
#2,400
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 14,807
-926 bearers (-5.9%)
Per 100,000 4.95
Rank movement Down 78 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,176 | 15,314 | 5.68 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,322 | 15,733 | 5.33 | +419 bearers (+2.7%) | Down 146 places |
| 2020 | #2,400 | 14,807 | 4.95 | -926 bearers (-5.9%) | Down 78 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 Cornett 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 | #2,322 | #2,400 | -3.4% |
| Count | 15,733 | 14,807 | -5.9% |
| Per 100K | 5.33 | 4.95 | -7.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cornett bearers went from 15,733 to 14,807 (-5.9% change). The surname moved down 78 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,322 to #2,400.
FAQ
Cornett surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cornett?
Name Census estimates that about 16,980 living Americans carry the surname Cornett. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 20,186 residents.
How common is Cornett?
Cornett ranks #2,400 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.95 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 14,807 people with the surname Cornett. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (16,980), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.95 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.95 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 Cornett.
Has Cornett become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cornett went from 15,733 recorded bearers to 14,807. That is a decrease of 926 (-5.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,322 to #2,400.
What does the Census say about the background of Cornett?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cornett, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Black (4.0%). 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 Cornett in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.1% (13,038 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cornett appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.1%), Two or More Races (4.4%), Black (4.0%). 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 Cornett (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 Cornett mean?
A surname of French origin referring to someone who played the cornet or lived near a horn-shaped geographical feature. 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 Cornett (4.95 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 last name Cornett?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Cornett is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.