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

Coffee, 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 Coffee surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Coffee in America

Coffee is the 5585th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Coffee surname appeared 6,223 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 Coffee.

We can also compare 2010 data for Coffee 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 Coffee

The surname Coffee is believed to have originated in England during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old English word "cofre," which means a chest or a coffer. The name likely referred to a person who made or sold coffers or chests, suggesting an occupational origin.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Coffee can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, where it appears as "Robert le Coffrer." This spelling variation highlights the evolution of the name over time.

In the 14th century, the surname Coffee appeared in various records, such as the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire (1379) and the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire (1379), indicating its presence in different regions of England during that period.

Notably, the surname Coffee is mentioned in the renowned Domesday Book of 1086, a historical record commissioned by William the Conqueror. This suggests that the name has a long and established history in England.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Coffee was John Coffee, who lived in the late 15th century. He was a prominent merchant and landowner in the city of Bristol.

Another notable figure was Sir Nicholas Coffee, born in 1524. He was a English soldier and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Westbury during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

In the 17th century, the Coffee family established themselves in the county of Somerset. Thomas Coffee (1609-1675) was a respected landowner and farmer in the village of Pilton.

During the 18th century, the surname Coffee gained prominence in the field of literature. Samuel Coffee (1730-1798) was an acclaimed English poet and writer known for his satirical works.

The 19th century saw the rise of James Coffee (1818-1892), a prominent businessman and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the city of Manchester through his charitable endeavors.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Coffee

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

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 Coffee 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 Coffee 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 Coffee was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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