2000
#148,244
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Coborn
A locational surname deriving from the place names Cobbourne or Coburn in England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Coborn. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Coborn 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Coborn in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Coborn, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Coborn
The surname Coborn is of English origin and can be traced back to the early medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "co" meaning "cow" and "burn" meaning "stream" or "brook." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to a person who lived near a stream where cows were kept or watered.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Coborn can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings and inhabitants in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name is listed as "Coburne" in the county of Somerset.
Throughout the centuries, the name underwent various spelling variations, including Cobourne, Coburn, Cooburn, and Coburne. These variations were common due to inconsistencies in record-keeping and regional dialects in different parts of England.
In the 13th century, a John de Coburn was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire, indicating the presence of the name in that region. The "de" prefix suggests that the family may have originated from a specific location called Coburn.
One notable figure with the Coborn surname was Sir Nathaniel Coburn (1619-1691), an English merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London from 1689 to 1690. He played a significant role in the Glorious Revolution that brought William of Orange and Mary to the English throne.
Another individual of historical significance was John Coburn (1825-1908), an American artist and painter known for his landscapes and genre scenes. He was born in Pennsylvania and received training in Europe before establishing himself as a prominent figure in the Hudson River School of American art.
In the literary world, Grace Coburn (1892-1976) was a renowned American author and poet. She published several collections of poetry and novels, including "The Grist Mill" and "The Huntress," which explored themes of nature and rural life in New England.
William Coburn (1804-1888) was a Scottish-born Canadian businessman and politician who served as a member of the Legislative Council of Canada from 1867 to 1873. He was also involved in the establishment of several educational institutions, including the University of Toronto.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Coborn surname in a place name can be found in Coburn, a small village in Northumberland, England. This suggests that the family may have originated from or held lands in this area, contributing to the formation of the surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Coborn
Among Census respondents with the surname Coborn, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Coborn 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 Coborn surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.5% · 100
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 4
- Two or more races3.5% · 4
- Black or African American2.7% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Coborn
Coborn 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
#145,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+12 bearers (+11.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,024 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-1 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,001 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #148,244 | 102 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #145,220 | 114 | 0.04 | +12 bearers (+11.8%) | Up 3,024 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 2,001 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 Coborn 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 | #145,220 | #147,221 | -1.4% |
| Count | 114 | 113 | -0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Coborn bearers went from 114 to 113 (-0.9% change). The surname moved down 2,001 positions in the national ranking, going from #145,220 to #147,221.
FAQ
Coborn surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Coborn?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Coborn. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Coborn?
Coborn ranks #147,221 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 113 people with the surname Coborn. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Coborn.
Has Coborn become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Coborn went from 114 recorded bearers to 113. That is a decrease of 1 (-0.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #145,220 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Coborn?
Among Census respondents with the surname Coborn, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Coborn in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.5% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Coborn appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.5%), Hispanic (3.5%), Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Coborn (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 Coborn mean?
A locational surname deriving from the place names Cobbourne or Coburn in England. 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 Coborn (0.04 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 Coborn?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Coborn at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.