2000
#60
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 294,795
First available Census row
Per 100,000 109.28
Common Last name
Cook
An occupational surname referring to someone who prepared meals or worked in a kitchen.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 332,993 Americans carry the last name Cook. That puts it at #66 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 97.15 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,029 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cook 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 Cook with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
333K
1 in 1,029
Census rank
#66
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
97.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
290K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 290,386 bearers of the surname Cook in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 97.15 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 66th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cook, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.9%. The next largest groups are Black (12.2%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cook
The surname COOK has its origins in England, with records of the name dating back to the 11th century. It is an occupational surname, derived from the Old English word "coc," which referred to someone who prepared food or a cook. The name likely originated as a way to distinguish individuals by their profession or trade.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname COOK can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings and wealth in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The book contains entries for individuals with the surname, indicating its presence in various parts of the country during that time.
In the 13th century, the surname COOK was commonly found in various locations throughout England, including counties such as Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Nottinghamshire. Some early examples of the name include Roger le Coc, recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1166, and Robert le Kok, mentioned in the Curia Regis Rolls of Essex in 1201.
The surname COOK has also been associated with various place names, often derived from the Old English word "coc" or its variations. For instance, the village of Cookley in Worcestershire, England, was originally recorded as "Cokelie" in the Domesday Book, indicating a connection to the name.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname COOK. One prominent example is Captain James Cook (1728-1779), the famous British explorer and navigator who made three voyages to the Pacific Ocean, mapping coastlines and islands. Another notable COOK was Sir Edward Cook (1552-1634), an English politician and jurist who served as a member of Parliament and Chief Justice of the King's Bench.
Other notable figures with the surname COOK include:
- Thomas Cook (1808-1892), an English businessman who founded the travel agency Thomas Cook & Son
- Elisha Cook Jr. (1903-1995), an American character actor known for his roles in film noir and gangster movies
- Marlow Cook (1927-2016), an American country music singer and songwriter
- Robin Cook (1946-2005), a British politician who served as Foreign Secretary and Leader of the House of Commons
While the surname COOK is widely distributed across various regions and cultures today, its origins can be traced back to England, where it emerged as an occupational name for those involved in the preparation of food, reflecting the importance of this trade in daily life throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cook
Among Census respondents with the surname Cook, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.9%. The next largest groups are Black (12.2%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Cook 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 Cook surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.9% · 229,134
- Black or African American12.2% · 35,370
- Two or more races4.2% · 12,156
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 9,163
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 2,621
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 1,942
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cook
Cook 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
#65
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 302,589
+7,794 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 102.58
Rank movement Down 5 places
2020
#66
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 290,386
-12,203 bearers (-4.0%)
Per 100,000 97.15
Rank movement Down 1 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #60 | 294,795 | 109.28 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #65 | 302,589 | 102.58 | +7,794 bearers (+2.6%) | Down 5 places |
| 2020 | #66 | 290,386 | 97.15 | -12,203 bearers (-4.0%) | Down 1 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 Cook 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 | #65 | #66 | -1.5% |
| Count | 302,589 | 290,386 | -4.0% |
| Per 100K | 102.58 | 97.15 | -5.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cook bearers went from 302,589 to 290,386 (-4.0% change). The surname moved down 1 positions in the national ranking, going from #65 to #66.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Cook
FAQ
Cook surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cook?
Name Census estimates that about 332,993 living Americans carry the surname Cook. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,029 residents.
How common is Cook?
Cook ranks #66 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 97.15 per 100,000 residents, which is about 97 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 290,386 people with the surname Cook. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (332,993), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 97.15 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 97.15 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 97 of them to have the surname Cook.
Has Cook become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cook went from 302,589 recorded bearers to 290,386. That is a decrease of 12,203 (-4.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #65 to #66.
What does the Census say about the background of Cook?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cook, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.9%. The next largest groups are Black (12.2%) 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 Cook in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.9% (229,134 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cook appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (78.9%), Black (12.2%), 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 Cook (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 Cook mean?
An occupational surname referring to someone who prepared meals or worked in a kitchen. 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 Cook (97.15 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 Cook?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.