2000
#128,797
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Cochard
A French surname derived from the Old French word "coche" meaning pig or sow.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Cochard. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cochard 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Cochard in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cochard, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.4%) and Two or More Races (6.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cochard
The surname COCHARD is believed to have originated in France during the medieval period, likely in the northern regions of the country. It is derived from the Old French word "cochard," which referred to a miser or someone who was overly frugal.
The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 13th century, with references found in various parish records and tax rolls from the regions of Normandy and Picardy. One of the earliest documented individuals with this surname was Jean Cochard, a landowner from the village of Rouvray, near Rouen, who was mentioned in a land transfer document dated 1286.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in several manuscripts, including the "Livre des Bourgeois de Rouen," which listed a merchant named Robert Cochard among the notable citizens of the city of Rouen in 1347. This record suggests that the Cochard family had established itself as a prominent mercantile family in the region by that time.
During the Renaissance period, the Cochard name was associated with several notable figures, including Jacques Cochard (1495-1564), a French painter and engraver from Beauvais, who was known for his religious works and portraits. Another notable figure was Pierre Cochard (1532-1598), a French theologian and philosopher who taught at the University of Paris and wrote several treatises on religious subjects.
In the 17th century, a branch of the Cochard family migrated to the French colony of Acadia (present-day Nova Scotia, Canada), where they established themselves as farmers and landowners. One of the earliest recorded Cochards in Acadia was Pierre Cochard, who was born in Port-Royal (now Annapolis Royal) in 1645.
The 18th century saw the emergence of several notable military figures with the Cochard surname, including General Jacques-Louis Cochard (1737-1809), a French officer who served in the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars. Another notable individual was Admiral Jean-Baptiste Cochard (1758-1832), a French naval officer who participated in several major naval battles during the Napoleonic Wars.
Throughout its history, the Cochard surname has been associated with various professions, including merchants, artists, clergy, military officers, and landowners. While the name originated in northern France, it has since spread to other parts of the country and beyond, carried by families who migrated to different regions or countries over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cochard
Among Census respondents with the surname Cochard, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.4%) and Two or More Races (6.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Cochard 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 Cochard surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.7% · 91
- Hispanic or Latino6.4% · 7
- Two or more races6.4% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.6% · 4
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cochard
Cochard 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
#160,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-22 bearers (-18.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 32,178 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+10 bearers (+10.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 11,529 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #128,797 | 122 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #160,975 | 100 | 0.03 | -22 bearers (-18.0%) | Down 32,178 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | +10 bearers (+10.0%) | Up 11,529 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 Cochard 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 | #160,975 | #149,446 | 7.2% |
| Count | 100 | 110 | 10.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 22.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cochard bearers went from 100 to 110 (+10.0% change). The surname moved up 11,529 positions in the national ranking, going from #160,975 to #149,446.
FAQ
Cochard surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cochard?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Cochard. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Cochard?
Cochard ranks #149,446 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 110 people with the surname Cochard. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), 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 Cochard.
Has Cochard become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cochard went from 100 recorded bearers to 110. That is an increase of 10 (+10.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #160,975 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Cochard?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cochard, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.4%) and Two or More Races (6.4%). 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 Cochard in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.7% (91 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cochard appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.7%), Hispanic (6.4%), Two or More Races (6.4%). 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 Cochard (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 Cochard mean?
A French surname derived from the Old French word "coche" meaning pig or sow. 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 Cochard (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 share the surname Cochard?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.