2000
#7,271
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,228
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.57
Rare Last name
Coen
A Dutch patronymic surname derived from the given name Coenraad, meaning "bold counsel" or "brave advisor."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,713 Americans carry the last name Coen. That puts it at #7,751 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.38 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 72,725 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Coen 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 Coen with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.7K
1 in 72,725
Census rank
#7,751
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,110 bearers of the surname Coen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.38 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7751st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Coen, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Coen
The surname COEN has its origins in the Gaelic Irish language. It is derived from the old Irish personal name Caomhán, which translates to "gentle" or "kind". The name likely originated in Ireland during the Middle Ages, though the earliest records of the surname date back to the 16th century.
The COEN surname was prevalent in counties such as Mayo, Galway, and Roscommon in the west of Ireland. It is also found in some coastal areas, suggesting that bearers of the name may have been involved in maritime trades or fishing communities. Variations in spelling include Cone, Coan, Coan, and Cohane.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the COEN surname appears in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the early 17th century. The annals mention a Tadhg Coen, who was a noted poet and scholar in the 15th century.
In the 16th century, the COEN surname is found in the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns, which were records of royal grants and appointments in Ireland. A Dermot Coen is listed as receiving a grant of land in County Mayo in 1587.
Notable individuals with the COEN surname include:
1. Thomas Coan (1801-1876), an American missionary and author who served in Hawaii.
2. Michael Coen (1854-1925), an Irish politician and Member of Parliament for East Wicklow.
3. Joel Coen (born 1954), an American filmmaker, known for his collaborations with his brother Ethan Coen on films like "Fargo" and "No Country for Old Men".
4. Ethan Coen (born 1957), an American filmmaker and the brother of Joel Coen, with whom he frequently co-writes and co-directs films.
5. Kathleen Coen (born 1962), an Australian actress and writer, best known for her roles in television series like "Prisoner" and "A Country Practice".
The COEN surname has a rich history rooted in Ireland, with early bearers potentially involved in various professions and trades. While the name has spread globally, its origins can be traced back to the ancient Gaelic language and the Irish counties where it was first recorded.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Coen
Among Census respondents with the surname Coen, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Coen 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 Coen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.6% · 3,722
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 165
- Two or more races3.2% · 131
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 49
- Black or African American0.6% · 26
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Coen
Coen 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
#7,554
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,400
+172 bearers (+4.1%)
Per 100,000 1.49
Rank movement Down 283 places
2020
#7,751
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,110
-290 bearers (-6.6%)
Per 100,000 1.38
Rank movement Down 197 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,271 | 4,228 | 1.57 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,554 | 4,400 | 1.49 | +172 bearers (+4.1%) | Down 283 places |
| 2020 | #7,751 | 4,110 | 1.38 | -290 bearers (-6.6%) | Down 197 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 Coen 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 | #7,554 | #7,751 | -2.6% |
| Count | 4,400 | 4,110 | -6.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.49 | 1.38 | -7.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Coen bearers went from 4,400 to 4,110 (-6.6% change). The surname moved down 197 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,554 to #7,751.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Coen
FAQ
Coen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Coen?
Name Census estimates that about 4,713 living Americans carry the surname Coen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 72,725 residents.
How common is Coen?
Coen ranks #7,751 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.38 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 4,110 people with the surname Coen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,713), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.38 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.38 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 Coen.
Has Coen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Coen went from 4,400 recorded bearers to 4,110. That is a decrease of 290 (-6.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,554 to #7,751.
What does the Census say about the background of Coen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Coen, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Coen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.6% (3,722 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Coen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.6%), Hispanic (4.0%), Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Coen (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 Coen mean?
A Dutch patronymic surname derived from the given name Coenraad, meaning "bold counsel" or "brave advisor." 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 Coen (1.38 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 Coen?
Find out how many people have the surname Coen on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.