2000
#11,492
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,513
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.93
Rare Last name
Coke
Derived from a place name or from the Old English word "coc," meaning a heap or mound.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,996 Americans carry the last name Coke. That puts it at #11,519 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.87 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 114,404 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Coke 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 Coke with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.0K
1 in 114,404
Census rank
#11,519
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,613 bearers of the surname Coke in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.87 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11519th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Coke, the largest self-reported group is White at 55.7%. The next largest groups are Black (35.1%) and Hispanic (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Coke
The surname Coke originates from England, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Middle English word "cok," which referred to a trader or seller of various goods, particularly coal. The name likely emerged as an occupational surname for those involved in the coal trade.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Coke is found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where a person named William Coke is mentioned in Oxfordshire. The Pipe Rolls of the late 12th century also contain references to individuals with the name, such as Richard Coke in Gloucestershire.
The name Coke has been associated with various places across England, including Coke Priory in Dorset, which dates back to the 12th century. Some variations of the name include Cooke, Cocke, and Cocks, reflecting the fluid nature of surname spellings in earlier times.
Notable individuals bearing the surname Coke throughout history include Edward Coke (1552-1634), an influential English jurist and Member of Parliament, known for his legal writings and defense of the common law. Another prominent figure was Sir John Coke (1563-1644), a Secretary of State and Member of Parliament during the reign of King James I.
Thomas Coke (1747-1814) was an influential English Methodist minister and the first bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church in America. He played a significant role in the spread of Methodism throughout the United States and the establishment of the church's structure.
Sir Edward Coke (1749-1824), a British naval officer and explorer, is remembered for his voyages to the Pacific and his role in the exploration and colonization of Australia. He discovered and named several islands in the region, including Norfolk Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands.
Another notable figure was Sir Edward Coke (1776-1842), a British diplomat and politician who served as Governor of the Leeward Islands and as a Member of Parliament. He was involved in the abolition of the slave trade and the promotion of education in the Caribbean colonies.
These are just a few examples of individuals with the surname Coke who have left their mark on history, spanning fields such as law, religion, exploration, and politics. The name's origins can be traced back to the coal trade in medieval England, showcasing its evolution and significance over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Coke
Among Census respondents with the surname Coke, the largest self-reported group is White at 55.7%. The next largest groups are Black (35.1%) and Hispanic (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Coke 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 Coke surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White55.7% · 1,456
- Black or African American35.1% · 916
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 107
- Two or more races3.9% · 101
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 18
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Coke
Coke 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
#11,209
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,820
+307 bearers (+12.2%)
Per 100,000 0.96
Rank movement Up 283 places
2020
#11,519
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,613
-207 bearers (-7.3%)
Per 100,000 0.87
Rank movement Down 310 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,492 | 2,513 | 0.93 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,209 | 2,820 | 0.96 | +307 bearers (+12.2%) | Up 283 places |
| 2020 | #11,519 | 2,613 | 0.87 | -207 bearers (-7.3%) | Down 310 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 Coke 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 | #11,209 | #11,519 | -2.8% |
| Count | 2,820 | 2,613 | -7.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.96 | 0.87 | -8.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Coke bearers went from 2,820 to 2,613 (-7.3% change). The surname moved down 310 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,209 to #11,519.
FAQ
Coke surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Coke?
Name Census estimates that about 2,996 living Americans carry the surname Coke. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 114,404 residents.
How common is Coke?
Coke ranks #11,519 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.87 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 2,613 people with the surname Coke. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,996), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.87 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.87 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 Coke.
Has Coke become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Coke went from 2,820 recorded bearers to 2,613. That is a decrease of 207 (-7.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,209 to #11,519.
What does the Census say about the background of Coke?
Among Census respondents with the surname Coke, the largest self-reported group is White at 55.7%. The next largest groups are Black (35.1%) and Hispanic (4.1%). 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 Coke in the 2020 Census, accounting for 55.7% (1,456 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Coke appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (55.7%), Black (35.1%), Hispanic (4.1%). 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 Coke (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 Coke mean?
Derived from a place name or from the Old English word "coc," meaning a heap or mound. 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 Coke (0.87 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 Americans have the surname Coke?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.