2000
#4,160
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,887
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.92
Rare Last name
Cornish
Denoting a person from Cornwall, England, or referring to the Cornish language or people.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,802 Americans carry the last name Cornish. That puts it at #4,485 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.57 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 38,941 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cornish 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 Cornish with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
8.8K
1 in 38,941
Census rank
#4,485
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,676 bearers of the surname Cornish in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.57 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4485th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cornish, the largest self-reported group is White at 60.7%. The next largest groups are Black (29.4%) and Two or More Races (5.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cornish
The surname Cornish originated from the county of Cornwall in the south-western region of England. It is a locational name derived from the Old English word "Cornwalum" meaning the people of Cornwall. The name first appeared in records during the 11th century.
The earliest recorded example of the surname Cornish can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive record of landowners and properties commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name is listed as "Cornubiensis," the Latin form of Cornish, referring to individuals from Cornwall.
During the Middle Ages, the surname Cornish was often associated with individuals who migrated from Cornwall to other parts of England or abroad. It became a way to identify their place of origin and distinguish them from the local population.
One notable bearer of the surname was Sir William Cornish (c. 1470-1535), a Member of Parliament and Sheriff of Devon during the reign of King Henry VIII. Another prominent figure was Thomas Cornish (c. 1519-1608), a Church of England clergyman who served as the Bishop of Thetford and later the Bishop of Bristol.
In the 17th century, the Cornish surname gained recognition through the work of Samuel Cornish (1615-1670), a noted English theologian and writer who authored several religious treatises and sermons. His son, Henry Cornish (1658-1718), followed in his footsteps as a clergyman and served as the Dean of Peterborough Cathedral.
The name Cornish also has connections to the mining industry, as Cornwall was a significant center for tin and copper mining. One notable figure in this field was Joseph Cornish (1816-1902), a Cornish mining engineer and author who wrote extensively about mining practices and techniques.
Other notable individuals with the surname Cornish include:
- Hubert Cornish (1908-1986), a British actor known for his roles in several Carry On films.
- John Cornish (1917-2014), an American artist and illustrator renowned for his landscape paintings and illustrations.
- Vaughan Cornish (1880-1948), a British geographer and geologist who made significant contributions to the study of coastal landforms.
The surname Cornish has a rich history and has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including politicians, clergy, authors, engineers, and artists, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and accomplishments of those who hailed from the county of Cornwall.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cornish
Among Census respondents with the surname Cornish, the largest self-reported group is White at 60.7%. The next largest groups are Black (29.4%) and Two or More Races (5.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Cornish 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 Cornish surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White60.7% · 4,661
- Black or African American29.4% · 2,258
- Two or more races5.1% · 394
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 252
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 64
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 47
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cornish
Cornish 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
#4,410
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,050
+163 bearers (+2.1%)
Per 100,000 2.73
Rank movement Down 250 places
2020
#4,485
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,676
-374 bearers (-4.6%)
Per 100,000 2.57
Rank movement Down 75 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,160 | 7,887 | 2.92 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,410 | 8,050 | 2.73 | +163 bearers (+2.1%) | Down 250 places |
| 2020 | #4,485 | 7,676 | 2.57 | -374 bearers (-4.6%) | Down 75 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 Cornish 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 | #4,410 | #4,485 | -1.7% |
| Count | 8,050 | 7,676 | -4.6% |
| Per 100K | 2.73 | 2.57 | -5.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cornish bearers went from 8,050 to 7,676 (-4.6% change). The surname moved down 75 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,410 to #4,485.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Cornish
FAQ
Cornish surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cornish?
Name Census estimates that about 8,802 living Americans carry the surname Cornish. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 38,941 residents.
How common is Cornish?
Cornish ranks #4,485 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.57 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 7,676 people with the surname Cornish. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,802), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.57 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.57 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 Cornish.
Has Cornish become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cornish went from 8,050 recorded bearers to 7,676. That is a decrease of 374 (-4.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,410 to #4,485.
What does the Census say about the background of Cornish?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cornish, the largest self-reported group is White at 60.7%. The next largest groups are Black (29.4%) and Two or More Races (5.1%). 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 Cornish in the 2020 Census, accounting for 60.7% (4,661 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cornish appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (60.7%), Black (29.4%), Two or More Races (5.1%). 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 Cornish (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 Cornish mean?
Denoting a person from Cornwall, England, or referring to the Cornish language or people. 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 Cornish (2.57 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 Americans have the surname Cornish?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.