2000
#6,633
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,703
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.74
Rare Last name
Cockerham
A locational surname derived from a place in Lancashire, England, meaning "homestead by a hill frequented by woodcocks."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,059 Americans carry the last name Cockerham. That puts it at #7,286 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.48 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 67,751 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cockerham 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Cockerham with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.1K
1 in 67,751
Census rank
#7,286
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,412 bearers of the surname Cockerham in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.48 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7286th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cockerham, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.0%. The next largest groups are Black (16.3%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cockerham
The surname Cockerham has its origins in Lancashire, England, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "cocc" meaning a small hill or mound, and "ham" meaning a homestead or village. The name likely refers to a settlement situated on a small hill or raised ground.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lancashire from 1176, where it appears as "Cokereham". This spelling variation suggests that the name was initially pronounced with a hard "c" sound, similar to the modern spelling.
In the 13th century, the Cockerham family is mentioned in various records, including the Assize Rolls of Lancashire from 1246. This indicates that the family held a certain degree of prominence and landholdings in the region during this period.
The name is also associated with the village of Cockerham, located in the Wyre district of Lancashire. This village likely took its name from the same linguistic roots as the surname, further reinforcing the connection between the name and the local geography.
One notable figure bearing the Cockerham surname was William Cockerham, a 16th-century English landowner and Member of Parliament for Lancashire. He was born around 1520 and served in the House of Commons during the reigns of Edward VI and Mary I.
Another historical figure was John Cockerham, a 17th-century English clergyman and author. He was born in 1628 and served as the Rector of Winwick in Lancashire. Cockerham published several religious works, including "A Practical Commentary on the Whole Book of Psalms" in 1671.
In the 18th century, Thomas Cockerham, born in 1720, was a notable clockmaker and watchmaker from Lancashire. His clocks and watches were highly regarded for their craftsmanship and precision.
The Cockerham surname also has connections to the United States, with some early immigrants bearing the name. One such individual was Samuel Cockerham, who was born in England in 1765 and later settled in Virginia in the late 18th century.
Another notable American with the Cockerham surname was John Cockerham, a 19th-century lawyer and politician from Missouri. He was born in 1825 and served as a member of the Missouri House of Representatives and as a judge in the state's circuit court.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cockerham
Among Census respondents with the surname Cockerham, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.0%. The next largest groups are Black (16.3%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Cockerham 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 Cockerham surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White77.0% · 3,396
- Black or African American16.3% · 718
- Two or more races3.7% · 163
- Hispanic or Latino2.4% · 106
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 19
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cockerham
Cockerham 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
#6,943
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,830
+127 bearers (+2.7%)
Per 100,000 1.64
Rank movement Down 310 places
2020
#7,286
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,412
-418 bearers (-8.7%)
Per 100,000 1.48
Rank movement Down 343 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,633 | 4,703 | 1.74 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,943 | 4,830 | 1.64 | +127 bearers (+2.7%) | Down 310 places |
| 2020 | #7,286 | 4,412 | 1.48 | -418 bearers (-8.7%) | Down 343 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 Cockerham 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 | #6,943 | #7,286 | -4.9% |
| Count | 4,830 | 4,412 | -8.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.64 | 1.48 | -10.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cockerham bearers went from 4,830 to 4,412 (-8.7% change). The surname moved down 343 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,943 to #7,286.
FAQ
Cockerham surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cockerham?
Name Census estimates that about 5,059 living Americans carry the surname Cockerham. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 67,751 residents.
How common is Cockerham?
Cockerham ranks #7,286 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.48 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 4,412 people with the surname Cockerham. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,059), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.48 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.48 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 Cockerham.
Has Cockerham become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cockerham went from 4,830 recorded bearers to 4,412. That is a decrease of 418 (-8.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,943 to #7,286.
What does the Census say about the background of Cockerham?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cockerham, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.0%. The next largest groups are Black (16.3%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Cockerham in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.0% (3,396 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cockerham appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (77.0%), Black (16.3%), Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Cockerham (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 Cockerham mean?
A locational surname derived from a place in Lancashire, England, meaning "homestead by a hill frequented by woodcocks." 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 Cockerham (1.48 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 common is the surname Cockerham?
You can see how many people are called Cockerham on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.