2000
#894
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 35,442
First available Census row
Per 100,000 13.14
Uncommon Last name
Coffey
An Anglicized form of an Irish surname, originally meaning "descendant of Cobhthach," derived from an Irish personal name meaning "victorious."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 39,607 Americans carry the last name Coffey. That puts it at #992 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 11.56 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 8,654 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Coffey 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 Coffey with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
40K
1 in 8,654
Census rank
#992
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
11.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
35K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 34,539 bearers of the surname Coffey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 11.56 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 992nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Coffey, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.3%. The next largest groups are Black (6.5%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Coffey
The surname COFFEY has its origins in Ireland, dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Irish Gaelic word "ó Cobhthaigh," which means "descendant of Cobhthach." Cobhthach was a personal name that roughly translates to "victorious" or "triumphant."
The name was initially concentrated in County Cork and the surrounding regions of southern Ireland. It is believed to have emerged as a distinct surname in the 11th or 12th century, as the practice of inheriting fixed surnames became more widespread among the Gaelic Irish population.
One of the earliest documented references to the surname COFFEY can be found in the Annals of Inisfallen, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. The annals mention a "Cobhthach Ua Cobthaigh" (Coffey) who was a prominent figure in the year 1178.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the COFFEY surname appeared frequently in various legal documents and land records in County Cork and neighboring counties. Notable individuals bearing the name during this period include Dermot COFFEY, a landowner in County Waterford in the late 16th century, and John COFFEY, a member of the Irish Parliament in the 1630s.
In the 18th century, Michael COFFEY (1679-1757) was a renowned Irish Catholic prelate who served as the Bishop of Cloyne and Ross. Another prominent figure was Denny COFFEY (1730-1810), a member of the Irish House of Commons and a supporter of the United Irishmen movement.
As the COFFEY surname spread beyond Ireland, it gained recognition in other parts of the world. Charles Coffey (1676-1745) was an English playwright and poet, best known for his work "The Devil to Pay." In the United States, Levi Coffin (1798-1877) was a prominent Quaker and abolitionist who played a significant role in the Underground Railroad, earning him the nickname "President of the Underground Railroad."
Throughout history, the COFFEY surname has been associated with various families and individuals who have made notable contributions in various fields, including politics, religion, literature, and social activism.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Coffey
Among Census respondents with the surname Coffey, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.3%. The next largest groups are Black (6.5%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Coffey 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 Coffey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.3% · 29,448
- Black or African American6.5% · 2,253
- Two or more races3.8% · 1,321
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 1,088
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 225
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 204
Timeline
Historical Census data for Coffey
Coffey 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
#955
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 36,423
+981 bearers (+2.8%)
Per 100,000 12.35
Rank movement Down 61 places
2020
#992
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 34,539
-1,884 bearers (-5.2%)
Per 100,000 11.56
Rank movement Down 37 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #894 | 35,442 | 13.14 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #955 | 36,423 | 12.35 | +981 bearers (+2.8%) | Down 61 places |
| 2020 | #992 | 34,539 | 11.56 | -1,884 bearers (-5.2%) | Down 37 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 Coffey 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 | #955 | #992 | -3.9% |
| Count | 36,423 | 34,539 | -5.2% |
| Per 100K | 12.35 | 11.56 | -6.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Coffey bearers went from 36,423 to 34,539 (-5.2% change). The surname moved down 37 positions in the national ranking, going from #955 to #992.
FAQ
Coffey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Coffey?
Name Census estimates that about 39,607 living Americans carry the surname Coffey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 8,654 residents.
How common is Coffey?
Coffey ranks #992 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 11.56 per 100,000 residents, which is about 12 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 34,539 people with the surname Coffey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (39,607), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 11.56 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 11.56 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 12 of them to have the surname Coffey.
Has Coffey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Coffey went from 36,423 recorded bearers to 34,539. That is a decrease of 1,884 (-5.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #955 to #992.
What does the Census say about the background of Coffey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Coffey, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.3%. The next largest groups are Black (6.5%) and Two or More Races (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 Coffey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.3% (29,448 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Coffey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.3%), Black (6.5%), Two or More Races (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 Coffey (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 Coffey mean?
An Anglicized form of an Irish surname, originally meaning "descendant of Cobhthach," derived from an Irish personal name meaning "victorious." 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 Coffey (11.56 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 surname Coffey?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.