2000
#34,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 615
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.23
Very Rare Last name
Cuoco
An Italian surname meaning "cook" or "chef".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 702 Americans carry the last name Cuoco. That puts it at #38,883 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.20 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 488,254 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cuoco 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.
Bearers in the US
702
1 in 488,254
Census rank
#38,883
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
612
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 612 bearers of the surname Cuoco in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.20 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 38883rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cuoco, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.2%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cuoco
The surname "CUOCO" is of Italian origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Italian word "cuoco," which translates to "cook" or "chef." This occupational surname was likely given to individuals who worked as cooks or held culinary professions during the Middle Ages.
The earliest recorded instances of the "CUOCO" surname can be found in various historical documents from the 13th and 14th centuries, primarily concentrated in the regions of Tuscany, Lazio, and Campania. Notable examples include a record from 1275 mentioning a certain "Petrus Cuoco" in the city of Siena, and a document from 1327 referencing a "Guido Cuoco" in Rome.
One of the earliest known bearers of the "CUOCO" surname was Giovanni Cuoco, a renowned chef and culinary author who lived in Naples during the 15th century. His influential cookbook, "Cuoco Napolitano," published in 1499, became a seminal work in the development of Neapolitan cuisine.
During the Renaissance period, the "CUOCO" surname gained further prominence with the birth of Vincenzo Cuoco (1770-1823), a celebrated Italian writer, philosopher, and political theorist. His influential work, "Saggio Storico sulla Rivoluzione Napoletana del 1799" (Historical Essay on the Neapolitan Revolution of 1799), is considered a landmark in Italian historiography.
Another notable figure with the "CUOCO" surname was Camillo Cuoco (1808-1891), an Italian artist and painter who specialized in landscape and genre scenes. His works were widely acclaimed and exhibited in major galleries across Europe during the 19th century.
The "CUOCO" surname has also been associated with various place names throughout Italy, such as the town of Cuoco in the province of Salerno, Campania. This suggests that some branches of the family may have adopted the surname from their place of origin or residence.
While the "CUOCO" surname has a strong presence in Italy, it has also spread to other parts of the world due to Italian immigration. Prominent individuals with this surname can be found in various fields, including literature, art, and academia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cuoco
Among Census respondents with the surname Cuoco, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.2%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Cuoco 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 Cuoco surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.7% · 555
- Hispanic or Latino5.2% · 32
- Two or more races2.8% · 17
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cuoco
Cuoco 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
#35,912
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 625
+10 bearers (+1.6%)
Per 100,000 0.21
Rank movement Down 1,155 places
2020
#38,883
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 612
-13 bearers (-2.1%)
Per 100,000 0.20
Rank movement Down 2,971 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #34,757 | 615 | 0.23 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #35,912 | 625 | 0.21 | +10 bearers (+1.6%) | Down 1,155 places |
| 2020 | #38,883 | 612 | 0.20 | -13 bearers (-2.1%) | Down 2,971 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 Cuoco 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 | #35,912 | #38,883 | -8.3% |
| Count | 625 | 612 | -2.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.21 | 0.20 | -2.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cuoco bearers went from 625 to 612 (-2.1% change). The surname moved down 2,971 positions in the national ranking, going from #35,912 to #38,883.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Cuoco
FAQ
Cuoco surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cuoco?
Name Census estimates that about 702 living Americans carry the surname Cuoco. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 488,254 residents.
How common is Cuoco?
Cuoco ranks #38,883 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.20 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 612 people with the surname Cuoco. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (702), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.2 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.20 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Cuoco.
Has Cuoco become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cuoco went from 625 recorded bearers to 612. That is a decrease of 13 (-2.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #35,912 to #38,883.
What does the Census say about the background of Cuoco?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cuoco, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.2%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Cuoco in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.7% (555 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cuoco appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.7%), Hispanic (5.2%), Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Cuoco (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 Cuoco mean?
An Italian surname meaning "cook" or "chef". 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 Cuoco (0.20 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 are called Cuoco?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Cuoco on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.