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

Comstock, 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 Comstock surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Comstock in America

Comstock is the 3437th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Comstock surname appeared 10,390 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Comstock.

We can also compare 2010 data for Comstock 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.

The history of the last name Comstock

The surname Comstock has its origins in England, tracing back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "comby" or "cumb," referring to a valley or hollow, and "stoc," meaning a place or homestead. The combination suggests that the name originally referred to someone who lived in a homestead located within a valley or hollow.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Comstock name dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Cumbestoc." This document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, was a comprehensive survey of landowners and properties throughout England, providing a valuable historical record of surnames at that time.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various records as "Cumbstok" and "Cumbstoke," reflecting the evolving spelling conventions of the time. During this period, the Comstock family was known to have resided in the county of Gloucestershire, particularly in the parish of Compton Abdale.

Notable individuals bearing the Comstock surname include John Comstock (1573-1644), an English clergyman and writer who served as the Dean of Chester Cathedral. Another prominent figure was Christopher Comstock (1625-1702), an early American settler and landowner in Connecticut.

In the 18th century, Henry Comstock (1703-1773) was a prominent merchant and landowner in New York, contributing significantly to the development of the region. His son, Samuel Comstock (1742-1820), was a respected farmer and community leader in the same area.

One of the most famous individuals with the Comstock surname was Theodore Dwight Comstock (1849-1923), an American entomologist and educator known for his extensive work on insect classification and his role in establishing the Cornell University College of Agriculture.

Throughout history, the Comstock name has also been associated with various place names, such as Comstock Park in Michigan and Comstock Lode, a famous silver ore discovery in Nevada, which played a significant role in the American mining industry during the 19th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Comstock

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

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 Comstock was:

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 Comstock has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

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 Comstock was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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