2010
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Cofre
A surname derived from the Spanish word "cofre", meaning a coffer or chest.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Cofre. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cofre 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.
Bearers in the US
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Cofre in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cofre, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.5%. The next largest groups are White (5.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cofre
The surname COFRE is believed to have originated in Spain, likely during the medieval period or earlier. It is thought to derive from the Spanish word "cofre," which means "chest" or "coffer." This word has its roots in the Latin word "cophinus," meaning a basket or receptacle.
One theory suggests that the name may have been initially associated with individuals who crafted or dealt in chests, coffers, or other storage containers. It could also have been an occupational surname given to those responsible for transporting or guarding valuables kept in such containers.
In the earliest records, the name appears with various spellings, such as Cofre, Coffre, and Cofri. Some of the earliest documented references to the surname can be found in medieval Spanish records, although specific dates and details are scarce.
One notable individual bearing this surname was Gonzalo Cofre, a Spanish merchant and explorer who accompanied Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the Americas in 1493. Cofre is believed to have settled in the Caribbean and played a role in establishing Spanish settlements in the region.
Another historical figure with the COFRE surname was Juan Cofre, a Spanish soldier and conquistador who participated in the conquest of Mexico under Hernán Cortés in the early 16th century. Cofre is reported to have taken part in various battles and expeditions during the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire.
In the 17th century, a man named Pedro Cofre was a prominent landowner and cattle rancher in the Río de la Plata region of South America, which included parts of present-day Argentina and Uruguay.
Moving into the 18th century, Francisco Cofre was a Spanish military officer who served in the Spanish Army during the Napoleonic Wars. He fought in several campaigns against the French forces in the early 1800s.
Another notable individual was María Cofre, a Spanish writer and poet who lived in the late 19th century. She was known for her works that explored themes of love, nature, and the human experience.
While the COFRE surname has its origins in Spain, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly to countries with historical Spanish influence or colonial ties, such as Latin America and the Philippines.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cofre
Among Census respondents with the surname Cofre, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.5%. The next largest groups are White (5.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Cofre 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 Cofre surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino92.5% · 98
- White5.7% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cofre
Cofre appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
+5 bearers (+5.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 7,373 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #159,712 | 101 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+5.0%) | Up 7,373 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 Cofre 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 | #159,712 | #152,339 | 4.6% |
| Count | 101 | 106 | 5.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 18.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cofre bearers went from 101 to 106 (+5.0% change). The surname moved up 7,373 positions in the national ranking, going from #159,712 to #152,339.
FAQ
Cofre surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cofre?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Cofre. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Cofre?
Cofre ranks #152,339 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 106 people with the surname Cofre. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Cofre.
Has Cofre become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cofre went from 101 recorded bearers to 106. That is an increase of 5 (+5.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #159,712 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Cofre?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cofre, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.5%. The next largest groups are White (5.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Cofre in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.5% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cofre appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (92.5%), White (5.7%), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%). 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 Cofre (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 Cofre mean?
A surname derived from the Spanish word "cofre", meaning a coffer or chest. 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 Cofre (0.04 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 common is the surname Cofre?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Cofre on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.