2000
#4,737
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,845
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.54
Rare Last name
Cooksey
An occupational surname for a cook or someone who sold cooked food or baked goods.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,513 Americans carry the last name Cooksey. That puts it at #5,159 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.19 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 45,622 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cooksey 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 Cooksey with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.5K
1 in 45,622
Census rank
#5,159
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,552 bearers of the surname Cooksey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.19 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5159th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cooksey, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.2%. The next largest groups are Black (16.1%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cooksey
The surname Cooksey is of English origin, and it first emerged in the 12th century. It is believed to have originated from the Old English word "coc," which meant a cook or someone who prepared food. The name was likely an occupational surname given to individuals who worked as cooks or chefs.
The earliest recorded instance of the name Cooksey can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire from the year 1275, where it appears as "Cokesye." This spelling suggests that the name was initially derived from the combination of the Old English word "coc" and the Old English suffix "-ey," which denoted a person's occupation or place of residence.
During the Middle Ages, the name Cooksey was primarily concentrated in the counties of Worcestershire and Warwickshire in the West Midlands region of England. It is possible that the name originated from a specific place name, such as Cooksey Green, a small hamlet in Worcestershire.
One of the earliest documented references to the Cooksey name can be found in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, where a certain William Cooksey is mentioned. This record provides evidence of the name's existence and usage during the 14th century.
In the 16th century, the Cooksey surname appeared in the parish records of Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of the renowned playwright William Shakespeare. One notable individual from this period was John Cooksey, who was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1567 and served as a prominent citizen and alderman in the town.
The 17th century saw the Cooksey name spreading beyond the West Midlands region. In 1642, during the English Civil War, a certain Captain Richard Cooksey fought for the Parliamentarian forces and was mentioned in historical accounts of the conflict.
Another notable figure from this time period was Thomas Cooksey, a successful merchant and landowner who lived in Warwickshire in the late 17th century. He was known for his philanthropic efforts and contributed to the construction of several churches and public buildings in the region.
In the 18th century, the Cooksey surname continued to be associated with various professions and trades. One example is William Cooksey, a renowned clockmaker from Stratford-upon-Avon, who crafted intricate timepieces that were highly sought after during his lifetime (1715-1790).
The 19th century saw several individuals with the Cooksey name making their mark in various fields. One such person was John Cooksey, a renowned architect from Birmingham, who designed several notable buildings in the city, including the Birmingham Town Hall (1834-1892).
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cooksey
Among Census respondents with the surname Cooksey, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.2%. The next largest groups are Black (16.1%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Cooksey 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 Cooksey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White75.2% · 4,927
- Black or African American16.1% · 1,057
- Two or more races4.4% · 290
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 207
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 37
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 34
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cooksey
Cooksey 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
#5,187
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,740
-105 bearers (-1.5%)
Per 100,000 2.28
Rank movement Down 450 places
2020
#5,159
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,552
-188 bearers (-2.8%)
Per 100,000 2.19
Rank movement Up 28 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,737 | 6,845 | 2.54 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,187 | 6,740 | 2.28 | -105 bearers (-1.5%) | Down 450 places |
| 2020 | #5,159 | 6,552 | 2.19 | -188 bearers (-2.8%) | Up 28 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 Cooksey 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 | #5,187 | #5,159 | 0.5% |
| Count | 6,740 | 6,552 | -2.8% |
| Per 100K | 2.28 | 2.19 | -3.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cooksey bearers went from 6,740 to 6,552 (-2.8% change). The surname moved up 28 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,187 to #5,159.
FAQ
Cooksey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cooksey?
Name Census estimates that about 7,513 living Americans carry the surname Cooksey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 45,622 residents.
How common is Cooksey?
Cooksey ranks #5,159 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.19 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,552 people with the surname Cooksey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,513), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.19 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.19 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Cooksey.
Has Cooksey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cooksey went from 6,740 recorded bearers to 6,552. That is a decrease of 188 (-2.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #5,187 to #5,159.
What does the Census say about the background of Cooksey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cooksey, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.2%. The next largest groups are Black (16.1%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Cooksey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 75.2% (4,927 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cooksey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (75.2%), Black (16.1%), Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Cooksey (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 Cooksey mean?
An occupational surname for a cook or someone who sold cooked food or baked goods. 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 Cooksey (2.19 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 are called Cooksey?
See how many people are called Cooksey on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.