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

Cobey, 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 Cobey surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cobey in America

Cobey is the 53667th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cobey surname appeared 385 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Cobey.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cobey 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 Cobey

The surname COBEY has its origins in England, with the earliest known records dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "cob," meaning a rounded mass or lump, which was likely used as a nickname for someone with a rounded or stocky build.

One of the earliest known references to the name COBEY can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1176, where a person named Robert Cobbe is mentioned. The spelling variations in those early records include Cob, Cobbe, and Cobby.

The COBEY surname has also been linked to certain place names in England, such as Cobham in Surrey and Cobley in Staffordshire. These place names may have influenced the development of the surname, as people often adopted surnames based on the places they lived or originated from.

In the 13th century, a Thomas Cobbe is recorded in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273. Additionally, the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1296 mention a John Cobbe, suggesting the surname's presence in various parts of England during that period.

Notable individuals bearing the surname COBEY throughout history include:

1. Sir Thomas Cobey (1539-1619), an English merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1588.
2. William Cobey (1647-1709), an English clergyman and author who wrote several works on theology and philosophy.
3. Jane Cobey (1767-1842), an English artist known for her landscape paintings and portraits.
4. Robert Cobey (1824-1899), a British businessman and philanthropist who founded the Cobey Trust, an organization dedicated to improving the living conditions of the working class.
5. Alice Cobey (1876-1958), a British suffragette and activist who campaigned for women's rights and social reforms in the early 20th century.

While the surname COBEY may have evolved and gained variations over time, its origins can be traced back to medieval England, where it likely emerged as a descriptive nickname or was influenced by specific place names.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cobey

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

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 Cobey 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 Cobey 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 Cobey was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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