2010
#138,304
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Coheley
A variant spelling of the English surname Cowley referring to someone from a cow meadow or pasture.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Coheley. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Coheley 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
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Coheley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Coheley, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.5%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Coheley
The surname "COHELEY" is believed to have originated in England, with its roots dating back to the 16th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "coh," which means "a cough" or "to cough." This suggests that the name may have been a descriptive nickname for someone who had a persistent cough or was known for coughing frequently.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Warwick, Warwickshire, where a John COHELEY was mentioned in 1597. Additionally, the name appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1672, indicating its presence in that region.
The COHELEY surname has been linked to various place names, such as Coheley Farm, located in the village of Bockleton, Worcestershire. This farm was documented in historical records dating back to the late 16th century, suggesting a potential connection between the surname and the geographical location.
Among the notable individuals bearing the COHELEY surname is Sir Thomas COHELEY (1590-1658), a prominent English landowner and Member of Parliament who served during the reign of King Charles I. Another historical figure was William COHELEY (1612-1683), a renowned theologian and author of several religious texts, including "The Doctrine of Repentance" published in 1672.
In the literary realm, the name COHELEY is associated with John COHELEY (1638-1701), a celebrated playwright and poet of the Restoration period. His works, such as "The Rivals" and "The Amorous Widow," gained widespread acclaim during his lifetime.
Moving into the 19th century, we find Elizabeth COHELEY (1802-1878), a prominent advocate for women's rights and education. She established several girls' schools in London and was an influential figure in the early women's suffrage movement.
Finally, the COHELEY name gained further recognition with the renowned explorer and naturalist, Robert COHELEY (1828-1892). His expeditions to the Amazon rainforest and his contributions to the field of botany earned him international acclaim and a place in the annals of scientific exploration.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Coheley
Among Census respondents with the surname Coheley, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.5%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Coheley 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 Coheley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.6% · 88
- Hispanic or Latino12.5% · 14
- Two or more races4.5% · 5
- Black or African American2.7% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Coheley
Coheley 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
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-9 bearers (-7.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,650 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #138,304 | 121 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | -9 bearers (-7.4%) | Down 9,650 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 Coheley 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 | #138,304 | #147,954 | -7.0% |
| Count | 121 | 112 | -7.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Coheley bearers went from 121 to 112 (-7.4% change). The surname moved down 9,650 positions in the national ranking, going from #138,304 to #147,954.
FAQ
Coheley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Coheley?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Coheley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Coheley?
Coheley ranks #147,954 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 112 people with the surname Coheley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), 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 Coheley.
Has Coheley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Coheley went from 121 recorded bearers to 112. That is a decrease of 9 (-7.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #138,304 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Coheley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Coheley, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.5%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Coheley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.6% (88 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Coheley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (78.6%), Hispanic (12.5%), Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Coheley (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 Coheley mean?
A variant spelling of the English surname Cowley referring to someone from a cow meadow or pasture. 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 Coheley (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 many people are called Coheley?
Find out how common the surname Coheley is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.