2000
#16,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,582
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.59
Rare Last name
Coca
A Catalan habitational surname derived from coca, referring to a cake or pastry, likely indicating a baker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,406 Americans carry the last name Coca. That puts it at #13,798 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.70 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 142,458 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Coca 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
2.4K
1 in 142,458
Census rank
#13,798
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,098 bearers of the surname Coca in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.70 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13798th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Coca, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 81.8%. The next largest groups are White (15.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Coca
The surname Coca originated from the Spanish region of Catalonia during the 14th century. It is believed to be derived from the Catalan word "coca," which means "bread" or "cake." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who worked as a baker or was associated with the baking industry.
The earliest recorded instance of the name Coca can be found in the archives of the town of Perpignan, located in the Roussillon region of Catalonia. In a document dated 1375, a certain Pere Coca is mentioned as a resident of the town. This document provides valuable insight into the antiquity of the name and its widespread use in the region.
During the 15th century, the name Coca appeared in various manuscripts and records across Catalonia and the neighboring regions of Aragon and Valencia. One notable example is the mention of a Jaume Coca in a land registry of the city of Barcelona, dated 1472.
As the centuries passed, the name Coca spread beyond its Catalan roots. In the 16th century, it found its way to the Spanish colonies in the Americas, where it was adopted by individuals of Spanish descent. One prominent figure from this era was Diego de Coca, a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Peru alongside Francisco Pizarro in the 1530s.
In the 17th century, the name Coca gained recognition in the literary world with the birth of Gaspar de Coca y Velasco (1589-1659), a Spanish playwright and poet. His works, which included plays and religious poetry, were widely acclaimed during his lifetime and contributed to the cultural legacy of the Golden Age of Spanish literature.
Another notable bearer of the name Coca was Joaquín de Coca y Argiz (1784-1852), a Spanish military officer and politician who served as the Governor of Puerto Rico from 1832 to 1837. His tenure was marked by significant reforms and infrastructure development in the island colony.
As the 19th century progressed, the Coca surname continued to be found in various parts of Spain and its former colonies. One prominent figure from this era was Mateo de Coca y Lucio (1801-1868), a Spanish lawyer and politician who served as the Minister of Justice and Interior Affairs during the reign of Queen Isabella II.
These are just a few examples of individuals who have carried the surname Coca throughout history, showcasing its rich heritage and diverse backgrounds.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Coca
Among Census respondents with the surname Coca, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 81.8%. The next largest groups are White (15.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Coca 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 Coca surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino81.8% · 1,716
- White15.3% · 321
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.4% · 29
- Black or African American0.6% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 11
- Two or more races0.4% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Coca
Coca 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
#13,955
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,162
+580 bearers (+36.7%)
Per 100,000 0.73
Rank movement Up 2,710 places
2020
#13,798
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,098
-64 bearers (-3.0%)
Per 100,000 0.70
Rank movement Up 157 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #16,665 | 1,582 | 0.59 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,955 | 2,162 | 0.73 | +580 bearers (+36.7%) | Up 2,710 places |
| 2020 | #13,798 | 2,098 | 0.70 | -64 bearers (-3.0%) | Up 157 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 Coca 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 | #13,955 | #13,798 | 1.1% |
| Count | 2,162 | 2,098 | -3.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.73 | 0.70 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Coca bearers went from 2,162 to 2,098 (-3.0% change). The surname moved up 157 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,955 to #13,798.
FAQ
Coca surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Coca?
Name Census estimates that about 2,406 living Americans carry the surname Coca. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 142,458 residents.
How common is Coca?
Coca ranks #13,798 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.70 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 2,098 people with the surname Coca. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,406), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.7 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.70 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 Coca.
Has Coca become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Coca went from 2,162 recorded bearers to 2,098. That is a decrease of 64 (-3.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #13,955 to #13,798.
What does the Census say about the background of Coca?
Among Census respondents with the surname Coca, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 81.8%. The next largest groups are White (15.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Coca in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.8% (1,716 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Coca appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (81.8%), White (15.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (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 Coca (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 Coca mean?
A Catalan habitational surname derived from coca, referring to a cake or pastry, likely indicating a baker. 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 Coca (0.70 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 have the surname Coca?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.