2000
#5,269
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,076
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.25
Rare Last name
Coffee
An occupational surname referring to a coffee seller, coffeehouse keeper, or coffee grower.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,559 Americans carry the last name Coffee. That puts it at #5,824 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.91 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 52,257 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Coffee 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 Coffee with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.6K
1 in 52,257
Census rank
#5,824
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,720 bearers of the surname Coffee in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.91 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5824th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Coffee, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.0%. The next largest groups are Black (22.5%) and Two or More Races (5.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Coffee
Among Census respondents with the surname Coffee, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.0%. The next largest groups are Black (22.5%) and Two or More Races (5.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Coffee 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 Coffee surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White66.0% · 3,776
- Black or African American22.5% · 1,288
- Two or more races5.2% · 297
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 224
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 97
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 38
Timeline
Historical Census data for Coffee
Coffee 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
#5,585
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,223
+147 bearers (+2.4%)
Per 100,000 2.11
Rank movement Down 316 places
2020
#5,824
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,720
-503 bearers (-8.1%)
Per 100,000 1.91
Rank movement Down 239 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,269 | 6,076 | 2.25 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,585 | 6,223 | 2.11 | +147 bearers (+2.4%) | Down 316 places |
| 2020 | #5,824 | 5,720 | 1.91 | -503 bearers (-8.1%) | Down 239 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 Coffee 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 | #5,585 | #5,824 | -4.3% |
| Count | 6,223 | 5,720 | -8.1% |
| Per 100K | 2.11 | 1.91 | -9.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Coffee bearers went from 6,223 to 5,720 (-8.1% change). The surname moved down 239 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,585 to #5,824.
FAQ
Coffee surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Coffee?
Name Census estimates that about 6,559 living Americans carry the surname Coffee. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 52,257 residents.
How common is Coffee?
Coffee ranks #5,824 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.91 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,720 people with the surname Coffee. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,559), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.91 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.91 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Coffee.
Has Coffee become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Coffee went from 6,223 recorded bearers to 5,720. That is a decrease of 503 (-8.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,585 to #5,824.
What does the Census say about the background of Coffee?
Among Census respondents with the surname Coffee, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.0%. The next largest groups are Black (22.5%) and Two or More Races (5.2%). 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 Coffee in the 2020 Census, accounting for 66.0% (3,776 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Coffee appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (66.0%), Black (22.5%), Two or More Races (5.2%). 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 Coffee (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 Coffee mean?
An occupational surname referring to a coffee seller, coffeehouse keeper, or coffee grower. 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 Coffee (1.91 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 share the surname Coffee?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.