2000
#1,447
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 22,636
First available Census row
Per 100,000 8.39
Uncommon Last name
Coker
An English occupational surname for a charcoal burner, derived from the Middle English "cokere" or "kokere."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 25,427 Americans carry the last name Coker. That puts it at #1,579 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 7.42 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 13,480 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Coker 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 Coker with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
25K
1 in 13,480
Census rank
#1,579
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
7.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
22K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 22,174 bearers of the surname Coker in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 7.42 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1579th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Coker, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.8%. The next largest groups are Black (12.8%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Coker
The surname Coker is of English origin, with its roots tracing back to the medieval times. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "cocor," which referred to a maker or seller of coarse woolen cloth known as "cokers." This occupation played a significant role in the textile industry during the Middle Ages.
One of the earliest known references to the surname Coker can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation conducted by William the Conqueror after the Norman conquest of England. The name appeared in various spellings, including Cocor and Cocors, in several counties across England.
In the 12th century, records show the presence of a Coker family in the county of Wiltshire. A notable member of this family was John Coker, who lived in the village of Bishopstone during the reign of King Henry III (1216-1272). John Coker was a prosperous landowner and played a role in the local governance of his community.
The surname Coker also has connections to place names in England. For example, the village of Coker in Somerset was once known as "Cokers Aluritone" in the 13th century, suggesting a link between the surname and the local area. Additionally, the village of Coker's Hill in Hampshire may have derived its name from the Coker family who resided there in the Middle Ages.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Coker. One such figure was John Coker (c. 1475 - c. 1525), a prominent English scholar and clergyman who served as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge in the early 16th century. Another notable Coker was Sir Robert Coker (1588-1659), a wealthy merchant and member of the Virginia Company, who played a significant role in the early colonization efforts of the British in North America.
In the literary world, Francis William Coker (1857-1933) was an English poet and author who wrote several works, including "The Wanderings of a Windmill" and "The Shepherdess and Other Poems." Additionally, Sir William Coker (1842-1920), a British civil servant and colonial administrator, served as the Governor of Western Australia from 1902 to 1909.
The Coker surname has also been associated with various professions and fields over the centuries. For instance, John Coker (1670-1718) was an English architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in London, while Thomas Coker (1756-1834) was a renowned English botanist and horticulturist known for his contributions to plant taxonomy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Coker
Among Census respondents with the surname Coker, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.8%. The next largest groups are Black (12.8%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Coker 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 Coker surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White77.8% · 17,261
- Black or African American12.8% · 2,831
- Two or more races4.2% · 933
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 798
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.2% · 260
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 91
Timeline
Historical Census data for Coker
Coker 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
#1,541
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 23,348
+712 bearers (+3.1%)
Per 100,000 7.92
Rank movement Down 94 places
2020
#1,579
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 22,174
-1,174 bearers (-5.0%)
Per 100,000 7.42
Rank movement Down 38 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,447 | 22,636 | 8.39 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,541 | 23,348 | 7.92 | +712 bearers (+3.1%) | Down 94 places |
| 2020 | #1,579 | 22,174 | 7.42 | -1,174 bearers (-5.0%) | Down 38 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 Coker 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 | #1,541 | #1,579 | -2.5% |
| Count | 23,348 | 22,174 | -5.0% |
| Per 100K | 7.92 | 7.42 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Coker bearers went from 23,348 to 22,174 (-5.0% change). The surname moved down 38 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,541 to #1,579.
FAQ
Coker surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Coker?
Name Census estimates that about 25,427 living Americans carry the surname Coker. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 13,480 residents.
How common is Coker?
Coker ranks #1,579 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 7.42 per 100,000 residents, which is about 7 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 22,174 people with the surname Coker. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (25,427), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 7.42 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 7.42 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 7 of them to have the surname Coker.
Has Coker become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Coker went from 23,348 recorded bearers to 22,174. That is a decrease of 1,174 (-5.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,541 to #1,579.
What does the Census say about the background of Coker?
Among Census respondents with the surname Coker, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.8%. The next largest groups are Black (12.8%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Coker in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.8% (17,261 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Coker appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (77.8%), Black (12.8%), Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Coker (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 Coker mean?
An English occupational surname for a charcoal burner, derived from the Middle English "cokere" or "kokere." 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 Coker (7.42 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 share the surname Coker?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.