Find out how popular the last name Co is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Co.

Co, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Co surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Co in America

Co is the 11846th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Co surname appeared 2,642 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Co.

We can also compare 2010 data for Co to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Co

The surname Co has its origins in northern Italy, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Italian word "collo," meaning "neck" or "hill." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived on a hill or a person with a distinctive neck.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Co can be found in the Codice Diplomatico Longobardo, a collection of legal documents from the Lombard period in Italy, which dates back to the 8th century. The name appears in various forms, such as "Collo" and "Colo."

In the 13th century, the name Co gained prominence in the city of Genoa, where several notable individuals bore this surname. One of the earliest recorded examples is Giovanni Co, a merchant and banker who lived in the late 1200s. Another notable figure was Marco Co, a renowned navigator and explorer who participated in several expeditions to the Mediterranean and the Black Sea in the early 14th century.

The surname Co also has strong ties to the island of Sardinia, where it is believed to have originated from the Sardinian word "coghiu," meaning "hill" or "slope." In the 15th century, the name appears in several historical records from the region, including the Codice Cartaceo di Arborea, a collection of documents related to the Giudicato of Arborea, a sovereign state that existed on the island from the 10th to the 15th century.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname Co was Girolamo Co, a Sardinian poet and playwright who lived in the late 16th century. His works, such as the pastoral play "S'Arrescogghida," are considered among the earliest examples of Sardinian literature.

In the 17th century, the name Co spread to other parts of Italy, including the regions of Lombardy and Veneto. Notable figures from this period include Giacomo Co, a Venetian architect who designed several notable buildings in the city, including the Church of Santa Maria dei Derelitti.

Other notable individuals with the surname Co throughout history include Vincenzo Co, an Italian painter and sculptor from the 18th century, known for his works in the Baroque style; Antonio Co, a 19th-century Italian mathematician and physicist who made significant contributions to the study of electromagnetism; and Emilio Co, a 20th-century Italian footballer who played for several clubs in Italy and represented the national team in the 1930s.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Co

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Co.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Co was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Co has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Co was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Co, please contact us.

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