2000
#6,172
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.90
Rare Last name
Cofield
A habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "cow field" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,812 Americans carry the last name Cofield. That puts it at #6,454 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.70 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 58,974 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cofield 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 Cofield with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.8K
1 in 58,974
Census rank
#6,454
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,068 bearers of the surname Cofield in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.70 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6454th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cofield, the largest self-reported group is Black at 55.2%. The next largest groups are White (35.5%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cofield
The surname Cofield is of English origin, derived from a locational name referring to a place in Gloucestershire. It is believed to have originated during the medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. The name is thought to be a combination of the Old English words "col" meaning coal or charcoal, and "feld" meaning field, thus suggesting a connection to a coal field or an area where charcoal burning took place.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Gloucestershire, where a certain John Colefeld is mentioned in 1327. This entry provides evidence of the name's existence during the early 14th century. Additionally, the surname appears in various other historical records, such as the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1334, where a Richard de Colfeld is listed.
During the 16th century, the name underwent various spelling variations, including Coulfyld, Cowfeld, and Colfeild. These variations reflect the fluidity of surname spellings during that time period due to inconsistent record-keeping practices. One notable individual bearing this name was William Coulfyld, who was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1524.
In the 17th century, the spelling settled closer to the modern form of Cofield. One example is John Cofield, a landowner in Gloucestershire, who was recorded in the Hearth Tax Rolls of 1672. Another notable figure from this period was Robert Cofield, a merchant and ship owner from Bristol, born in 1635 and known for his involvement in the transatlantic trade.
Moving into the 18th century, the name continued to be prevalent in various regions of England. One documented individual was Thomas Cofield, a farmer from Wiltshire, born in 1712. Additionally, there are records of a William Cofield, born in 1755 in Warwickshire, who served as a soldier during the American Revolutionary War.
In the 19th century, the name gained prominence with the birth of Sir Ambrose Cofield (1809-1892), a prominent industrialist and philanthropist from Yorkshire. He made significant contributions to the development of the coal mining industry and was known for his support of educational institutions and charitable causes.
Throughout its history, the surname Cofield has maintained its connection to various regions of England, particularly in the counties of Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, and Wiltshire. While the name has evolved in spelling over time, its origins can be traced back to the medieval period and the Old English words that gave rise to its meaning.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cofield
Among Census respondents with the surname Cofield, the largest self-reported group is Black at 55.2%. The next largest groups are White (35.5%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Cofield 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 Cofield surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American55.2% · 2,800
- White35.5% · 1,800
- Two or more races4.6% · 232
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 183
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 30
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 23
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cofield
Cofield 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
#6,396
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,319
+207 bearers (+4.0%)
Per 100,000 1.80
Rank movement Down 224 places
2020
#6,454
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,068
-251 bearers (-4.7%)
Per 100,000 1.70
Rank movement Down 58 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,172 | 5,112 | 1.90 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,396 | 5,319 | 1.80 | +207 bearers (+4.0%) | Down 224 places |
| 2020 | #6,454 | 5,068 | 1.70 | -251 bearers (-4.7%) | Down 58 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 Cofield 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 | #6,396 | #6,454 | -0.9% |
| Count | 5,319 | 5,068 | -4.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.80 | 1.70 | -5.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cofield bearers went from 5,319 to 5,068 (-4.7% change). The surname moved down 58 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,396 to #6,454.
FAQ
Cofield surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cofield?
Name Census estimates that about 5,812 living Americans carry the surname Cofield. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 58,974 residents.
How common is Cofield?
Cofield ranks #6,454 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.70 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 5,068 people with the surname Cofield. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,812), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.7 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.70 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 Cofield.
Has Cofield become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cofield went from 5,319 recorded bearers to 5,068. That is a decrease of 251 (-4.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,396 to #6,454.
What does the Census say about the background of Cofield?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cofield, the largest self-reported group is Black at 55.2%. The next largest groups are White (35.5%) and Two or More Races (4.6%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Cofield in the 2020 Census, accounting for 55.2% (2,800 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cofield appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (55.2%), White (35.5%), Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Cofield (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 Cofield mean?
A habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "cow field" in Old English. 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 Cofield (1.70 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 Cofield?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.