2000
#5,584
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,704
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.11
Rare Last name
Cory
From the Old Norse byname Kori, derived from the word "kórr," meaning "curly" or "curly-haired."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,996 Americans carry the last name Cory. That puts it at #6,262 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.75 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 57,164 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cory 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 Cory with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.0K
1 in 57,164
Census rank
#6,262
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,229 bearers of the surname Cory in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.75 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6262nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cory, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cory
The surname Cory originated in England and has its roots in the Old English word "cor," which meant a small dwelling or hut. It is believed that the name first emerged as a descriptive name for someone who lived in a small hut or cottage.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 13th century, with one of the earliest known bearers being Walter le Cory, who was mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1272. Another early reference to the name is found in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex, where a Thomas Cory was listed in 1296.
During the Middle Ages, the name was often spelled in various ways, including Cori, Coree, and Corry. It is also believed that the name may have been derived from certain place names, such as Cory in Somerset or Corby in Northamptonshire, which may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.
One notable bearer of the surname was Sir John Cory (c. 1520 - 1597), an English politician and Member of Parliament who served during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another prominent figure was Thomas Cory (1791 - 1873), a British engineer and inventor who contributed significantly to the development of early steam engines and railways.
In the literary world, William Johnson Cory (1823 - 1892) was an English educator, poet, and author best known for his lyrical poetry and his influence on the Aesthetic Movement. Giles Cory (c. 1619 - 1692) was a notable figure in the Salem Witch Trials, where he was accused of witchcraft but refused to enter a plea, leading to his tragic death by being pressed with heavy stones.
The surname Cory has also been associated with various places and locations throughout history. For example, the Cory family was once prominent landowners in the village of Cory in Somerset, while the Cory Trow, a famous boat used for transporting goods along the River Parrett in Somerset, was named after the family.
Overall, the surname Cory has a rich history rooted in the English language and culture, with its origins stretching back to the Middle Ages and its bearers leaving their mark across various fields, from politics and engineering to literature and even the infamous Salem Witch Trials.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cory
Among Census respondents with the surname Cory, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Cory 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 Cory surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.3% · 4,669
- Two or more races3.7% · 194
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 190
- Black or African American1.7% · 91
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 57
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 28
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cory
Cory 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
#5,867
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,879
+175 bearers (+3.1%)
Per 100,000 1.99
Rank movement Down 283 places
2020
#6,262
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,229
-650 bearers (-11.1%)
Per 100,000 1.75
Rank movement Down 395 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,584 | 5,704 | 2.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,867 | 5,879 | 1.99 | +175 bearers (+3.1%) | Down 283 places |
| 2020 | #6,262 | 5,229 | 1.75 | -650 bearers (-11.1%) | Down 395 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 Cory 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 | #5,867 | #6,262 | -6.7% |
| Count | 5,879 | 5,229 | -11.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.99 | 1.75 | -12.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cory bearers went from 5,879 to 5,229 (-11.1% change). The surname moved down 395 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,867 to #6,262.
FAQ
Cory surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cory?
Name Census estimates that about 5,996 living Americans carry the surname Cory. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 57,164 residents.
How common is Cory?
Cory ranks #6,262 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.75 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,229 people with the surname Cory. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,996), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.75 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.75 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Cory.
Has Cory become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cory went from 5,879 recorded bearers to 5,229. That is a decrease of 650 (-11.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,867 to #6,262.
What does the Census say about the background of Cory?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cory, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Cory in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.3% (4,669 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cory appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.3%), Two or More Races (3.7%), Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Cory (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 Cory mean?
From the Old Norse byname Kori, derived from the word "kórr," meaning "curly" or "curly-haired." 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 Cory (1.75 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 Cory?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Cory, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.