2000
#1,523
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 21,652
First available Census row
Per 100,000 8.03
Uncommon Last name
Coates
An English toponymic surname derived from any of various places named Coates, meaning "cottages" or "sheds."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 26,031 Americans carry the last name Coates. That puts it at #1,541 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 7.59 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 13,167 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Coates 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 Coates with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
26K
1 in 13,167
Census rank
#1,541
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
7.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
23K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 22,700 bearers of the surname Coates in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 7.59 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1541st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Coates, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.7%. The next largest groups are Black (24.3%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Coates
The surname Coates originated in England during the medieval period, deriving from the Anglo-Saxon word "cot," meaning a small homestead or cottage. It was a topographic name referring to someone who lived in a small dwelling or near a cluster of cottages.
The name can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appeared in various spellings, such as "Cotes" and "Cottes." These early records suggest that the name was prevalent in several counties, including Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Nottinghamshire.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Pipe Rolls of Northumberland in 1195, where a William de Cotes is mentioned. The surname also appears in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, with the entry of a Richard de Cotes.
The name Coates is closely associated with several place names across England, such as Coates in Gloucestershire, Coates in Cambridgeshire, and Coates in Lincolnshire. These localities likely contributed to the spread and adoption of the surname in their respective regions.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Coates. One such figure is Robert Coates (1772-1848), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars and was awarded the Naval Gold Medal for his bravery. Another prominent bearer of the name was Thomas Coates (1766-1832), an English architect known for his work on the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge.
In the literary realm, Mary Coates (1784-1857) was a British writer and poet who published several volumes of poetry and religious works. Albert Coates (1882-1953), a British conductor and composer, is also remembered for his contributions to music.
The surname Coates has also been associated with notable figures in sports. One example is John Coates (born 1950), an Australian sports administrator who served as the President of the Australian Olympic Committee and Vice President of the International Olympic Committee.
These examples illustrate the diverse backgrounds and achievements of individuals bearing the surname Coates, which has its roots firmly planted in the history and geography of England.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Coates
Among Census respondents with the surname Coates, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.7%. The next largest groups are Black (24.3%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Coates 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 Coates surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White66.7% · 15,144
- Black or African American24.3% · 5,516
- Two or more races4.4% · 1,003
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 784
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 137
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 116
Timeline
Historical Census data for Coates
Coates 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
#1,512
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 23,725
+2,073 bearers (+9.6%)
Per 100,000 8.04
Rank movement Up 11 places
2020
#1,541
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 22,700
-1,025 bearers (-4.3%)
Per 100,000 7.59
Rank movement Down 29 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,523 | 21,652 | 8.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,512 | 23,725 | 8.04 | +2,073 bearers (+9.6%) | Up 11 places |
| 2020 | #1,541 | 22,700 | 7.59 | -1,025 bearers (-4.3%) | Down 29 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 Coates 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 | #1,512 | #1,541 | -1.9% |
| Count | 23,725 | 22,700 | -4.3% |
| Per 100K | 8.04 | 7.59 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Coates bearers went from 23,725 to 22,700 (-4.3% change). The surname moved down 29 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,512 to #1,541.
FAQ
Coates surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Coates?
Name Census estimates that about 26,031 living Americans carry the surname Coates. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 13,167 residents.
How common is Coates?
Coates ranks #1,541 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 7.59 per 100,000 residents, which is about 8 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 22,700 people with the surname Coates. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (26,031), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 7.59 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 7.59 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 8 of them to have the surname Coates.
Has Coates become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Coates went from 23,725 recorded bearers to 22,700. That is a decrease of 1,025 (-4.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,512 to #1,541.
What does the Census say about the background of Coates?
Among Census respondents with the surname Coates, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.7%. The next largest groups are Black (24.3%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Coates in the 2020 Census, accounting for 66.7% (15,144 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Coates appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (66.7%), Black (24.3%), Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Coates (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 Coates mean?
An English toponymic surname derived from any of various places named Coates, meaning "cottages" or "sheds." 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 Coates (7.59 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 Coates?
If you just want to know how many people are called Coates, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.