2010
#123,064
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 140
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Cocolan
A Tagalog surname denoting a place of origin, possibly from the Philippine municipality of Cócolán.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Cocolan. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cocolan 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Cocolan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cocolan, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 97.4%. The next largest groups are White (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cocolan
The surname COCOLAN is believed to have originated in the Iberian Peninsula, specifically in the region of Catalonia, Spain, during the medieval period. This name is derived from the Catalan word "cocolon," which translates to "small pumpkin" or "small squash." It is thought to have initially been a descriptive nickname given to someone who may have had a round, pumpkin-like appearance or who worked with these gourds.
One of the earliest recorded instances of this surname can be found in the "Llibre del Repartiment," a historical document from the 13th century that recorded the distribution of land and properties in the Kingdom of Valencia after its conquest by the Crown of Aragon. In this document, a certain Guillem COCOLAN is mentioned as a recipient of a property in the city of Valencia.
The COCOLAN surname can also be traced back to the town of Cocolan, located in the province of Lleida, Catalonia. This place name, which shares the same root as the surname, may have contributed to the adoption of the COCOLAN name by families residing in or near this area.
In the 15th century, a notable figure bearing this surname was Jaume COCOLAN, a merchant and landowner from the city of Barcelona. Historical records indicate that he was involved in various trade transactions and owned several properties throughout Catalonia.
Another individual of note was Pere COCOLAN, a scholar and theologian who lived in the 16th century. Born in Girona in 1512, Pere COCOLAN was known for his writings on religious topics and his contributions to the intellectual discourse of that era.
During the 17th century, Joan COCOLAN, a prominent military officer from the town of Tortosa, played a significant role in the Catalan Revolt against the Spanish Crown. His bravery and leadership during this conflict were well-documented in historical accounts of the time.
As the COCOLAN surname spread beyond its Catalan origins, it can be found in various regions of Spain and other parts of the world, often with slight variations in spelling, such as Cocolán or Cocolani. However, the core meaning and etymology of the name remain rooted in its Catalan origins and its connection to the humble pumpkin or squash.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cocolan
Among Census respondents with the surname Cocolan, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 97.4%. The next largest groups are White (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Cocolan 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 Cocolan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino97.4% · 111
- White2.6% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cocolan
Cocolan appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
-26 bearers (-18.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 23,431 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #123,064 | 140 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | -26 bearers (-18.6%) | Down 23,431 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 Cocolan 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 | #123,064 | #146,495 | -19.0% |
| Count | 140 | 114 | -18.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -23.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cocolan bearers went from 140 to 114 (-18.6% change). The surname moved down 23,431 positions in the national ranking, going from #123,064 to #146,495.
FAQ
Cocolan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cocolan?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Cocolan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Cocolan?
Cocolan ranks #146,495 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 114 people with the surname Cocolan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), 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 Cocolan.
Has Cocolan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cocolan went from 140 recorded bearers to 114. That is a decrease of 26 (-18.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #123,064 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Cocolan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cocolan, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 97.4%. The next largest groups are White (2.6%). 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 Cocolan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.4% (111 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cocolan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (97.4%), White (2.6%). 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 Cocolan (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 Cocolan mean?
A Tagalog surname denoting a place of origin, possibly from the Philippine municipality of Cócolán. 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 Cocolan (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 have the last name Cocolan?
You can see how many people are called Cocolan on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.