2000
#120,330
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 133
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Cominos
A surname of Greek origin meaning "cumin", referring to dealers or growers of the spice.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Cominos. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cominos 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
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Cominos in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cominos, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.6%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cominos
The surname Cominos is of Greek origin, tracing its roots back to the Greek island of Crete. It is believed to have originated as a nickname or occupational name for someone who dealt in cumin seeds or spices, derived from the Greek word "kominon," meaning cumin.
The earliest recorded instances of the Cominos surname can be found in various historical documents from the Byzantine era, particularly in regions with significant Greek populations, such as the Greek Islands and parts of modern-day Turkey. The name appears to have been prevalent among merchants and traders dealing in spices and herbs.
One of the earliest known bearers of the Cominos surname was Gregorios Cominos, a Byzantine scholar and philosopher who lived in the 12th century. He is known for his works on logic and metaphysics, and his contributions to the intellectual discourse of the time.
During the Ottoman period, the Cominos surname was also found in various parts of the Ottoman Empire, particularly in areas with Greek communities. Notable individuals include Ioannis Cominos, a wealthy merchant from Chios who lived in the 16th century and played a significant role in the island's economic affairs.
In the 19th century, the Cominos surname gained prominence in the Greek diaspora, as many Greeks immigrated to various parts of the world, including the United States, Australia, and South Africa. One notable figure was Demetrios Cominos, born in 1829 in Crete, who became a successful merchant and philanthropist in South Africa.
Another notable individual was Petros Cominos, born in 1857 in Chios, who immigrated to the United States and became a prominent businessman and community leader in New York City. He was instrumental in establishing the Greek Orthodox Church of the Holy Trinity in Manhattan.
Other notable bearers of the Cominos surname include Alexandros Cominos, a Greek poet and novelist from the early 20th century, and Evangelos Cominos, a Greek-American architect who designed several notable buildings in New York City in the mid-20th century.
Throughout its history, the Cominos surname has maintained its connection to its Greek roots, reflecting the rich cultural heritage and traditions of the Greek people.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cominos
Among Census respondents with the surname Cominos, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.6%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Cominos 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 Cominos surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.7% · 111
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.6% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cominos
Cominos 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
#129,047
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 132
-1 bearers (-0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,717 places
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
-16 bearers (-12.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,981 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #120,330 | 133 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #129,047 | 132 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.8%) | Down 8,717 places |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | -16 bearers (-12.1%) | Down 15,981 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 Cominos 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 | #129,047 | #145,028 | -12.4% |
| Count | 132 | 116 | -12.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cominos bearers went from 132 to 116 (-12.1% change). The surname moved down 15,981 positions in the national ranking, going from #129,047 to #145,028.
FAQ
Cominos surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cominos?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Cominos. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Cominos?
Cominos ranks #145,028 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 116 people with the surname Cominos. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), 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 Cominos.
Has Cominos become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cominos went from 132 recorded bearers to 116. That is a decrease of 16 (-12.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #129,047 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Cominos?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cominos, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.6%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%). 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 Cominos in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.7% (111 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cominos appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.6%), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%). 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 Cominos (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 Cominos mean?
A surname of Greek origin meaning "cumin", referring to dealers or growers of the spice. 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 Cominos (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 share the surname Cominos?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.