Find out how popular the last name Cofer is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Cofer.

Cofer, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Cofer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cofer in America

Cofer is the 7315th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cofer surname appeared 4,561 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Cofer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cofer to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Cofer

The surname Cofer is believed to have originated in England, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "cofre," meaning a chest or coffer, suggesting that the name may have originally referred to someone who made or sold such containers.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, which mentions a "William le Cofrer." This spelling variation, indicating an occupational surname, provides evidence of the name's early origins.

In the 14th century, the surname appears in the Wiltshire Subsidy Rolls of 1377, where a "John Cofer" is listed. This record suggests that the name had already begun to take on its more modern spelling during this period.

The Cofer surname can also be linked to various place names in England, such as Cofer's Green in Shropshire and Cofer's Cross in Worcestershire. These place names likely derived from individuals bearing the Cofer surname who resided in or were associated with those locations.

One notable figure in history with the Cofer surname was Sir John Cofer (c. 1480-1554), who served as a member of the Privy Council during the reign of King Henry VIII. He played a significant role in the dissolution of the monasteries in the 16th century.

Another notable individual was Thomas Cofer (1565-1642), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge from 1635 to 1638.

In the 17th century, the Cofer surname can be found in the records of the Virginia Company of London, which established the first permanent English settlement in North America at Jamestown. A person named John Cofer is listed as having arrived in Virginia in 1623.

During the English Civil War in the mid-17th century, a Captain Edward Cofer is recorded as having fought for the Parliamentarian forces against King Charles I.

In the 18th century, a notable figure was William Cofer (1733-1807), an English merchant and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the development of Manchester, including the establishment of several schools and hospitals.

As the centuries passed, the Cofer surname continued to spread across various regions, with individuals bearing the name making their mark in various fields and professions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cofer

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Cofer.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Cofer was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Cofer has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Cofer was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Cofer, please contact us.

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