2000
#13,838
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,004
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.74
Rare Last name
Coder
An occupational surname for a scribe, clerk, or one who draws up legal documents.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,092 Americans carry the last name Coder. That puts it at #15,465 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.61 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 163,841 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Coder 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
2.1K
1 in 163,841
Census rank
#15,465
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,824 bearers of the surname Coder in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.61 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15465th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Coder, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Coder
The surname CODER is of English origin, arising in the late 16th century. It is an occupational name derived from the Middle English word "codder", which referred to a person who made or sold cod, a type of fish. The name likely emerged in coastal regions where fishing was a major industry.
In its earliest recorded appearances, the name was often spelled as "Codder". For instance, a John Codder was listed in parish records from Whitby, Yorkshire in 1592. Over time, the spelling evolved to its modern form, CODER, reflecting changes in pronunciation.
While not a particularly common surname, CODER can be found in historical documents from various parts of England. One notable early bearer of the name was William CODER (c.1620-1689), a merchant and shipowner from Bristol who played a role in the city's maritime trade.
Another individual of note was Thomas CODER (1701-1778), a farmer and landowner from Lincolnshire. Records indicate he owned substantial estates in the village of Tattershall.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, some bearers of the CODER surname migrated to the American colonies. One of the earliest recorded instances was that of John CODER, who arrived in Virginia from London in 1635.
As the name spread across England and later to other parts of the English-speaking world, it occasionally took on variant spellings. For example, the birth of a Samuel COADER was recorded in Devon in 1712.
Other notable historical figures with the CODER surname include:
- James CODER (1775-1849), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars.
- Henry CODER (1829-1905), an English architect who designed several churches and public buildings in London.
- Elizabeth CODER (1860-1942), an American educator and advocate for women's rights, born in Ohio.
- Charles CODER (1887-1961), a Canadian politician who served as a member of the House of Commons.
While not among the most prevalent surnames, CODER has a long and interesting history, reflecting its origins in the coastal fishing communities of medieval England.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Coder
Among Census respondents with the surname Coder, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Coder 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 Coder surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.2% · 1,627
- Two or more races3.9% · 72
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 69
- Black or African American1.8% · 32
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 16
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Coder
Coder 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
#15,015
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,967
-37 bearers (-1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.67
Rank movement Down 1,177 places
2020
#15,465
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,824
-143 bearers (-7.3%)
Per 100,000 0.61
Rank movement Down 450 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,838 | 2,004 | 0.74 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,015 | 1,967 | 0.67 | -37 bearers (-1.8%) | Down 1,177 places |
| 2020 | #15,465 | 1,824 | 0.61 | -143 bearers (-7.3%) | Down 450 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 Coder 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 | #15,015 | #15,465 | -3.0% |
| Count | 1,967 | 1,824 | -7.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.67 | 0.61 | -8.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Coder bearers went from 1,967 to 1,824 (-7.3% change). The surname moved down 450 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,015 to #15,465.
FAQ
Coder surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Coder?
Name Census estimates that about 2,092 living Americans carry the surname Coder. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 163,841 residents.
How common is Coder?
Coder ranks #15,465 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.61 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 1,824 people with the surname Coder. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,092), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.61 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.61 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 Coder.
Has Coder become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Coder went from 1,967 recorded bearers to 1,824. That is a decrease of 143 (-7.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #15,015 to #15,465.
What does the Census say about the background of Coder?
Among Census respondents with the surname Coder, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (3.8%). 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 Coder in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.2% (1,627 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Coder appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.2%), Two or More Races (3.9%), Hispanic (3.8%). 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 Coder (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 Coder mean?
An occupational surname for a scribe, clerk, or one who draws up legal documents. 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 Coder (0.61 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 are called Coder?
Find out how common the surname Coder is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.