Cohee last name popularity, history, and meaning

Find out how popular the last name Cohee is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Cohee.

Meaning of Cohee

A surname derived from the Irish Gaelic surname Ó Cathaidh, meaning "descendant of Cathaidh".

Cohee, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Cohee surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cohee in America

Cohee is the 17798th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cohee surname appeared 1,573 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Cohee.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cohee to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 17798 18165 -2.04%
Count 1,573 1,413 10.72%
Proportion per 100k 0.53 0.52 1.90%

The history of the last name Cohee

The surname COHEE originates from Ireland, with its earliest documented use dating back to the 17th century. It is believed to have derived from the Irish Gaelic word "cóidhéis," meaning "generous" or "hospitable." This surname was particularly prevalent in counties such as Donegal, Tyrone, and Derry.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the COHEE surname can be found in the Hearth Money Rolls of 1663, where a Patrick Cohee is listed as a householder in County Donegal. Additionally, the surname appears in various parish records and land registry documents from the late 17th and early 18th centuries.

In the late 18th century, a notable figure bearing the COHEE surname was John Cohee (1732-1807), an Irish soldier who served in the British Army during the American Revolutionary War. He was captured by Continental forces at the Battle of Saratoga in 1777 and later settled in Pennsylvania after being released.

Another prominent individual with the COHEE surname was William Cohee (1804-1887), an Irish politician and land agent who served as a Member of Parliament for County Donegal in the mid-19th century. He played a significant role in advocating for tenant rights and land reform during the Great Famine.

In the early 20th century, Thomas Cohee (1879-1953) gained recognition as a successful businessman and philanthropist in Belfast, Northern Ireland. He founded the Cohee Bakery Company, which became a prominent local employer, and contributed to various charitable causes in the city.

A notable figure from more recent history was Margaret Cohee (1923-2008), an Irish writer and historian who extensively documented the history and cultural heritage of County Donegal. Her work, "The Irish Countryside," published in 1967, was widely acclaimed for its authentic portrayal of rural life in Ireland.

While variations in spelling, such as Cohy, Cohee, and Cohy, have been observed throughout historical records, the COHEE surname has maintained its distinct identity and continues to be associated with its Irish roots and heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cohee

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Cohee.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

  1. White only
  2. Black only
  3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
  4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
  5. Hispanic
  6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Cohee was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 86.97% 1,368
Non-Hispanic Black Only 5.59% 88
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.70% 11
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.76% 12
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 3.12% 49
Hispanic Origin 2.86% 45

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Cohee has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 86.97% 90.16% -3.60%
Black 5.59% 6.16% -9.70%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.70% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.76% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 3.12% 1.20% 88.89%
Hispanic 2.86% 1.20% 81.77%

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Cohee was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Cohee, please contact us.

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Cohee last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on December 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/cohee-surname-popularity/.

"Cohee last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/cohee-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 December, 2024

Cohee last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/cohee-surname-popularity/.

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