Cobos last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Cobos

A Spanish topographic surname referring to an area with wolves or deriving from the Spanish word "covo" meaning "cove."

Cobos, 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 Cobos surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cobos in America

Cobos is the 6773rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cobos surname appeared 4,980 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Cobos.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cobos 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 6773 8164 -18.62%
Count 4,980 3,736 28.55%
Proportion per 100k 1.69 1.38 20.20%

The history of the last name Cobos

The surname COBOS originated in Spain during the medieval period. It is derived from the Spanish word "cobos," which means "heaps" or "piles," possibly referring to a geographical feature or occupation related to farming or mining. The name was likely initially adopted by someone who lived near a heap or pile or worked in a profession involving mounds or stockpiles.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname COBOS can be traced back to the 13th century in the regions of Castile and Andalusia. In particular, the name appears in historical records from the city of Úbeda in the province of Jaén, Andalusia. This area was under Moorish rule until the Reconquista in the late 15th century, which may have influenced the name's origins.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname COBOS was Francisco de los Cobos y Molina (c. 1477-1547), a Spanish statesman and Secretary of State under Emperor Charles V. He served as a powerful advisor and played a crucial role in the governance of the Spanish Empire during the 16th century.

Another prominent figure was Diego de Cobos y Molina (c. 1490-1560), a Spanish military commander and diplomat who served as the ambassador to Rome and Venice. He was also involved in the negotiations for the marriage of Philip II of Spain to Mary I of England.

In the 17th century, Fray Diego de Cobos (1588-1652) was a Spanish Franciscan friar and missionary who traveled to the Philippines and worked to establish the Franciscan order in the region. He is known for his efforts in evangelization and his writings on the indigenous peoples of the Philippines.

During the 18th century, José Antonio de Cobos y Bermúdez (1703-1783) was a Spanish military officer and colonial administrator who served as the Governor of Puerto Rico from 1768 to 1776. He played a significant role in the defense and development of the island during his tenure.

In the 19th century, José María Cobos y Patino (1813-1892) was a Spanish painter renowned for his portraits and historical scenes. He studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando in Madrid and his works can be found in various museums and collections in Spain.

While the surname COBOS has its roots in Spain, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to Spanish colonization and migration. However, the name remains particularly prevalent in Spanish-speaking countries and regions with strong historical ties to Spain.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cobos

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

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 Cobos was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 6.95% 346
Non-Hispanic Black Only 0.32% 16
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.12% 6
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.18% 9
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 0.18% 9
Hispanic Origin 92.25% 4,594

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 Cobos has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 6.95% 8.54% -20.53%
Black 0.32% 0.21% 41.51%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.12% 0.59% -132.39%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.18% 0.27% -40.00%
Two or More Races 0.18% 0.32% -56.00%
Hispanic 92.25% 90.07% 2.39%

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Cobos last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on December 26, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/cobos-surname-popularity/.

"Cobos last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/cobos-surname-popularity/. Accessed 26 December, 2024

Cobos last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/cobos-surname-popularity/.

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