2000
#9,506
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,137
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.16
Rare Last name
Coco
A nickname derived from the Italian word "cocco," meaning "egg," likely referring to a bald or egghead-shaped person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,634 Americans carry the last name Coco. That puts it at #9,768 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 94,319 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Coco 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
3.6K
1 in 94,319
Census rank
#9,768
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,169 bearers of the surname Coco in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9768th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Coco, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.1%) and Black (5.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Coco
The surname Coco is believed to have originated in Italy, specifically in the Campania region, during the Middle Ages. It is thought to be derived from the Italian word "coco," which means "coconut." This term likely came into use in Italy after the introduction of coconuts from the East Indies through trade and exploration.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Coco can be found in a medieval document from the city of Naples, dated around the 14th century. The document mentions a family with the surname Coco residing in the area at that time. This suggests that the name was already in use and established within the region during that period.
The Coco surname has been linked to several notable figures throughout history. One such individual was Giovanni Battista Coco, an Italian painter and architect who lived from 1630 to 1695. He was renowned for his works in churches and palaces throughout Naples and its surrounding areas.
Another prominent individual bearing the Coco surname was Antonio Coco, a 17th-century Italian composer and musician. He was born in Naples in 1647 and gained recognition for his compositions for various instruments, including the lute and guitar.
In the 18th century, Francesco Coco, an Italian philosopher and theologian from Palermo, Sicily, made significant contributions to the field of moral philosophy. He was born in 1701 and authored several works discussing ethical principles and their application in society.
Moving forward in time, the 19th century saw the emergence of Vincenzo Coco, an Italian politician and lawyer from Naples. He was born in 1808 and played an influential role in the political movements of his time, advocating for the unification of Italy.
Lastly, in the 20th century, Alberto Coco was a renowned Italian sculptor and artist. Born in 1920 in Naples, his work gained international recognition, and he is particularly known for his sculptures depicting human figures in various poses and movements.
While the Coco surname may have originated from a term related to coconuts, its historical significance and the accomplishments of individuals bearing this name extend far beyond its etymological roots, leaving an indelible mark across various fields throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Coco
Among Census respondents with the surname Coco, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.1%) and Black (5.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Coco 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 Coco surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.0% · 2,599
- Hispanic or Latino8.1% · 256
- Black or African American5.7% · 180
- Two or more races3.2% · 100
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 26
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Coco
Coco 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
#9,902
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,264
+127 bearers (+4.0%)
Per 100,000 1.11
Rank movement Down 396 places
2020
#9,768
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,169
-95 bearers (-2.9%)
Per 100,000 1.06
Rank movement Up 134 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,506 | 3,137 | 1.16 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,902 | 3,264 | 1.11 | +127 bearers (+4.0%) | Down 396 places |
| 2020 | #9,768 | 3,169 | 1.06 | -95 bearers (-2.9%) | Up 134 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 Coco 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 | #9,902 | #9,768 | 1.4% |
| Count | 3,264 | 3,169 | -2.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.11 | 1.06 | -4.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Coco bearers went from 3,264 to 3,169 (-2.9% change). The surname moved up 134 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,902 to #9,768.
FAQ
Coco surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Coco?
Name Census estimates that about 3,634 living Americans carry the surname Coco. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 94,319 residents.
How common is Coco?
Coco ranks #9,768 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.06 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 3,169 people with the surname Coco. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,634), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.06 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 Coco.
Has Coco become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Coco went from 3,264 recorded bearers to 3,169. That is a decrease of 95 (-2.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,902 to #9,768.
What does the Census say about the background of Coco?
Among Census respondents with the surname Coco, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.1%) and Black (5.7%). 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 Coco in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.0% (2,599 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Coco appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.0%), Hispanic (8.1%), Black (5.7%). 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 Coco (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 Coco mean?
A nickname derived from the Italian word "cocco," meaning "egg," likely referring to a bald or egghead-shaped person. 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 Coco (1.06 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 Coco?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.