2000
#10,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,933
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.09
Rare Last name
Coblentz
A toponymic surname indicating an inhabitant of Koblenz, a city in western Germany.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,786 Americans carry the last name Coblentz. That puts it at #7,646 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.40 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 71,616 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Coblentz 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
4.8K
1 in 71,616
Census rank
#7,646
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,174 bearers of the surname Coblentz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.40 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7646th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Coblentz, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (1.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Coblentz
The surname Coblentz originated in the German Rhineland area, specifically in the city of Koblenz. The name is derived from the German word "Covelenz," an old spelling of the city's name, which means "at the confluence" referring to the confluence of the Moselle and Rhine rivers.
The earliest recorded use of the surname Coblentz dates back to the 13th century, when it appeared in medieval records of the region. One of the earliest known individuals bearing the name was Johannes Covelenz, a merchant who lived in Koblenz in the late 1200s.
In the 14th century, the Coblentz surname spread to other parts of Germany and neighboring regions. The name was sometimes spelled differently, such as Coblenz, Coblenzer, or Koblenz, reflecting regional variations in spelling and pronunciation.
One notable historical figure with the surname Coblentz was Johann Philipp Coblentz (1640-1707), a German Catholic theologian and writer who authored several works on religious subjects.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, some Coblentz families migrated to other parts of Europe, including the Netherlands and Switzerland. In the late 17th century, the first Coblentz immigrants arrived in the American colonies, settling in Pennsylvania and other regions with significant German populations.
One of the earliest known Coblentz immigrants to America was Hans Coblentz, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1683. His descendants went on to become prominent figures in various fields, including business and politics.
Another notable Coblentz was John Coblentz (1797-1882), an American businessman and politician from Ohio who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives in the mid-19th century.
In the 19th and early 20th centuries, the Coblentz surname was found among German-American communities across the United States, particularly in states with large German immigrant populations, such as Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Wisconsin.
One of the most famous individuals with the surname Coblentz was William Wilson Coblentz (1873-1962), an American physicist and pioneer in the field of infrared spectroscopy, who made significant contributions to the study of infrared radiation and its applications.
Overall, the surname Coblentz has a rich history rooted in the German Rhineland region, and its bearers have played roles in various fields throughout history, from religion and politics to business and science.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Coblentz
Among Census respondents with the surname Coblentz, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (1.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Coblentz 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 Coblentz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.5% · 3,946
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 134
- Two or more races1.4% · 58
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 14
- Black or African American0.3% · 11
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Coblentz
Coblentz 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
#8,814
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,714
+781 bearers (+26.6%)
Per 100,000 1.26
Rank movement Up 1,300 places
2020
#7,646
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,174
+460 bearers (+12.4%)
Per 100,000 1.40
Rank movement Up 1,168 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,114 | 2,933 | 1.09 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,814 | 3,714 | 1.26 | +781 bearers (+26.6%) | Up 1,300 places |
| 2020 | #7,646 | 4,174 | 1.40 | +460 bearers (+12.4%) | Up 1,168 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 Coblentz 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 | #8,814 | #7,646 | 13.3% |
| Count | 3,714 | 4,174 | 12.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.26 | 1.40 | 10.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Coblentz bearers went from 3,714 to 4,174 (+12.4% change). The surname moved up 1,168 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,814 to #7,646.
FAQ
Coblentz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Coblentz?
Name Census estimates that about 4,786 living Americans carry the surname Coblentz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 71,616 residents.
How common is Coblentz?
Coblentz ranks #7,646 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.40 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,174 people with the surname Coblentz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,786), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.4 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.40 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Coblentz.
Has Coblentz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Coblentz went from 3,714 recorded bearers to 4,174. That is an increase of 460 (+12.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,814 to #7,646.
What does the Census say about the background of Coblentz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Coblentz, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (1.4%). 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 Coblentz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.5% (3,946 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Coblentz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.5%), Hispanic (3.2%), Two or More Races (1.4%). 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 Coblentz (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 Coblentz mean?
A toponymic surname indicating an inhabitant of Koblenz, a city in western Germany. 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 Coblentz (1.40 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 Coblentz?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Coblentz at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.