2000
#12,753
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,221
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.82
Rare Last name
Cogdill
An English habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "cold valley" or "cold hollow."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,413 Americans carry the last name Cogdill. That puts it at #13,768 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.70 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 142,045 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cogdill 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
2.4K
1 in 142,045
Census rank
#13,768
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,104 bearers of the surname Cogdill in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.70 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13768th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cogdill, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cogdill
The surname Cogdill has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "cocc" and "dill," which translate to "hill" and "valley" respectively. This suggests that the name was initially a locational surname, referring to someone who lived near a distinct hill or valley.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Parish Records of St. Mary's Church in Beverley, Yorkshire, where a Thomas Cogdill was christened in 1587. The name also appears in the Hearth Tax Rolls of 1672, which documented households and their occupants for taxation purposes.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the name was predominantly concentrated in the northern counties of England, particularly Yorkshire and Lancashire. It is likely that the name originated in this region, possibly in a small village or hamlet that has since been abandoned or absorbed into a larger town.
A notable individual bearing the name Cogdill was Sir John Cogdill (1660-1732), a wealthy landowner and Member of Parliament for Beverley in the early 18th century. He was involved in various political and legal disputes during his lifetime, leaving behind a substantial legacy.
Another individual of note was William Cogdill (1744-1819), a prominent merchant and shipowner from Hull, Yorkshire. He played a significant role in the city's maritime trade and left a lasting impact on the local economy.
In the 19th century, the name began to spread beyond its northern English roots, with Cogdill families migrating to other parts of the country and even overseas. One such individual was James Cogdill (1818-1892), a successful businessman who emigrated from Yorkshire to New Zealand in the 1850s, where he established himself as a prominent figure in the local community.
While the name Cogdill is not among the most common surnames, it has maintained a presence throughout history, with various individuals leaving their mark in fields such as politics, business, and local communities. The name's origins can be traced back to the hills and valleys of northern England, where it first emerged as a locational surname centuries ago.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cogdill
Among Census respondents with the surname Cogdill, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Cogdill 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 Cogdill surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.5% · 1,926
- Two or more races3.6% · 76
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 64
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 20
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 10
- Black or African American0.4% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cogdill
Cogdill 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
#13,236
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,307
+86 bearers (+3.9%)
Per 100,000 0.78
Rank movement Down 483 places
2020
#13,768
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,104
-203 bearers (-8.8%)
Per 100,000 0.70
Rank movement Down 532 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,753 | 2,221 | 0.82 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,236 | 2,307 | 0.78 | +86 bearers (+3.9%) | Down 483 places |
| 2020 | #13,768 | 2,104 | 0.70 | -203 bearers (-8.8%) | Down 532 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 Cogdill 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 | #13,236 | #13,768 | -4.0% |
| Count | 2,307 | 2,104 | -8.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.78 | 0.70 | -9.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cogdill bearers went from 2,307 to 2,104 (-8.8% change). The surname moved down 532 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,236 to #13,768.
FAQ
Cogdill surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cogdill?
Name Census estimates that about 2,413 living Americans carry the surname Cogdill. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 142,045 residents.
How common is Cogdill?
Cogdill ranks #13,768 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.70 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,104 people with the surname Cogdill. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,413), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.7 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.70 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Cogdill.
Has Cogdill become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cogdill went from 2,307 recorded bearers to 2,104. That is a decrease of 203 (-8.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,236 to #13,768.
What does the Census say about the background of Cogdill?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cogdill, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Cogdill in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.5% (1,926 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cogdill appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.5%), Two or More Races (3.6%), Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Cogdill (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 Cogdill mean?
An English habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "cold valley" or "cold hollow." 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 Cogdill (0.70 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 have the surname Cogdill?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.