2000
#198
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 131,896
First available Census row
Per 100,000 48.89
Common Last name
Cunningham
A habitational surname referring to someone from a town called Cunningham, meaning "dwelling of the chief's family."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 147,777 Americans carry the last name Cunningham. That puts it at #229 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 43.11 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,319 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cunningham 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 Cunningham with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
148K
1 in 2,319
Census rank
#229
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
43.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
129K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 128,869 bearers of the surname Cunningham in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 43.11 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 229th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cunningham, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.6%. The next largest groups are Black (20.6%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cunningham
The surname Cunningham has its origins in Scotland, dating back to the 12th century. The name is derived from the Gaelic words "cuinneag" meaning "milk pail" and "àm" meaning "place or time." This suggests that the name may have originated from a place where dairy cows were kept or milked.
The earliest recorded instance of the name is found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which lists the names of Scottish noblemen who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. One of the names appearing in the rolls is "Willelmus de Cunyngham," indicating the presence of the Cunningham family in Ayrshire, Scotland, during that period.
The Cunninghams were an influential Scottish clan, with their ancestral lands located in the parish of Kilmaurs in Ayrshire. They played a significant role in Scottish history, particularly during the Wars of Scottish Independence. Sir William Cunningham (c. 1230-1285) was a notable figure who fought alongside Sir William Wallace against the English.
In the 14th century, the Cunninghams were granted the lands of Kilmaurs and Glengarnock by King Robert the Bruce. This led to the establishment of their power and influence in the region. Sir Robert Cunningham (c. 1300-1384) was a prominent member of the clan who served as a close advisor to King David II of Scotland.
The name Cunningham has also been linked to various place names in Scotland, such as Cunninghamhead, Cunninghamlands, and Cunninghamhill. These place names reflect the presence and influence of the Cunningham clan in different areas of the country.
Other notable individuals with the Cunningham surname include:
1. William Cunningham, 4th Earl of Glencairn (1490-1547), a Scottish nobleman and Protestant reformer.
2. Alexander Cunningham (1654-1737), a Scottish philosopher and historian.
3. Allan Cunningham (1784-1842), a Scottish poet and author.
4. Sir Alexander Cunningham (1814-1893), a British archaeologist who conducted extensive research in India.
5. Walter Cunningham (1932-), an American astronaut who participated in the Apollo 7 mission in 1968.
The surname Cunningham has a rich history, deeply rooted in the Scottish heritage and the influential Cunningham clan. Its origins can be traced back to the 12th century, and it has been associated with various notable individuals throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cunningham
Among Census respondents with the surname Cunningham, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.6%. The next largest groups are Black (20.6%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Cunningham 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 Cunningham surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White70.6% · 90,983
- Black or African American20.6% · 26,531
- Two or more races4.0% · 5,193
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 4,667
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 881
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 614
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cunningham
Cunningham 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
#211
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 135,718
+3,822 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 46.01
Rank movement Down 13 places
2020
#229
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128,869
-6,849 bearers (-5.0%)
Per 100,000 43.11
Rank movement Down 18 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #198 | 131,896 | 48.89 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #211 | 135,718 | 46.01 | +3,822 bearers (+2.9%) | Down 13 places |
| 2020 | #229 | 128,869 | 43.11 | -6,849 bearers (-5.0%) | Down 18 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 Cunningham 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 | #211 | #229 | -8.5% |
| Count | 135,718 | 128,869 | -5.0% |
| Per 100K | 46.01 | 43.11 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cunningham bearers went from 135,718 to 128,869 (-5.0% change). The surname moved down 18 positions in the national ranking, going from #211 to #229.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Cunningham
FAQ
Cunningham surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cunningham?
Name Census estimates that about 147,777 living Americans carry the surname Cunningham. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,319 residents.
How common is Cunningham?
Cunningham ranks #229 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 43.11 per 100,000 residents, which is about 43 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 128,869 people with the surname Cunningham. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (147,777), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 43.11 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 43.11 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 43 of them to have the surname Cunningham.
Has Cunningham become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cunningham went from 135,718 recorded bearers to 128,869. That is a decrease of 6,849 (-5.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #211 to #229.
What does the Census say about the background of Cunningham?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cunningham, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.6%. The next largest groups are Black (20.6%) and Two or More Races (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 Cunningham in the 2020 Census, accounting for 70.6% (90,983 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cunningham appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (70.6%), Black (20.6%), Two or More Races (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 Cunningham (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 Cunningham mean?
A habitational surname referring to someone from a town called Cunningham, meaning "dwelling of the chief's family." 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 Cunningham (43.11 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 Cunningham?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.