2000
#9,448
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,158
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.17
Rare Last name
Cookson
An occupational surname referring to a cook or seller of cooked meats and other foods.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,346 Americans carry the last name Cookson. That puts it at #10,494 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.98 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 102,437 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cookson 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 Cookson with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.3K
1 in 102,437
Census rank
#10,494
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,918 bearers of the surname Cookson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.98 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10494th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cookson, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cookson
The surname Cookson is of English origin, and it is believed to have originated in the county of Northumberland, England, during the medieval period. It is derived from the occupational surname "Cook," which was given to someone who worked as a cook or prepared food for a household or establishment.
The suffix "-son" is a common English patronymic suffix, meaning "son of." Therefore, the name Cookson likely referred to the son of someone who was a cook. This naming convention was common in the Middle Ages, where surnames were often derived from a person's occupation or their father's name.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Cookson can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Northumberland from 1273, where a person named Adam Cokesone is mentioned. This early spelling variation highlights the evolution of the surname over time.
In the 16th century, the surname Cookson appeared in the records of the parish of Ryton, County Durham, where a family of that name resided. This suggests that the name had spread from its Northumbrian origins to other parts of northern England.
Notable individuals with the surname Cookson include John Cookson (1572-1638), an English merchant and benefactor who founded a school in Newcastle upon Tyne. Another prominent figure was James Cookson (1773-1835), an English industrialist and inventor who played a significant role in the development of the local coal industry.
In the 19th century, a prominent member of the Cookson family was Isaac Cookson (1810-1891), a British businessman and philanthropist who founded the Cookson Pottery in Newcastle upon Tyne. His son, Christopher Cookson (1842-1924), continued the family's business ventures and was also involved in local politics.
Another notable individual with the surname Cookson was Norman Cookson (1922-2013), a British actor and writer who had a successful career in television and theater. He is best known for his roles in the BBC series "The Two Ronnies" and the popular sitcom "Keeping Up Appearances."
While the surname Cookson has its roots in northern England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through the British diaspora. The name continues to be associated with its occupational origins, reflecting the rich history and traditions of English surname formation.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cookson
Among Census respondents with the surname Cookson, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Cookson 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 Cookson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.0% · 2,627
- Two or more races3.8% · 111
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 80
- Black or African American1.5% · 43
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.2% · 35
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 22
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cookson
Cookson 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
#10,125
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,183
+25 bearers (+0.8%)
Per 100,000 1.08
Rank movement Down 677 places
2020
#10,494
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,918
-265 bearers (-8.3%)
Per 100,000 0.98
Rank movement Down 369 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,448 | 3,158 | 1.17 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,125 | 3,183 | 1.08 | +25 bearers (+0.8%) | Down 677 places |
| 2020 | #10,494 | 2,918 | 0.98 | -265 bearers (-8.3%) | Down 369 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 Cookson 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 | #10,125 | #10,494 | -3.6% |
| Count | 3,183 | 2,918 | -8.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.08 | 0.98 | -9.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cookson bearers went from 3,183 to 2,918 (-8.3% change). The surname moved down 369 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,125 to #10,494.
FAQ
Cookson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cookson?
Name Census estimates that about 3,346 living Americans carry the surname Cookson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 102,437 residents.
How common is Cookson?
Cookson ranks #10,494 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.98 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,918 people with the surname Cookson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,346), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.98 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.98 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Cookson.
Has Cookson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cookson went from 3,183 recorded bearers to 2,918. That is a decrease of 265 (-8.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,125 to #10,494.
What does the Census say about the background of Cookson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cookson, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Cookson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.0% (2,627 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cookson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.0%), Two or More Races (3.8%), Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Cookson (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 Cookson mean?
An occupational surname referring to a cook or seller of cooked meats and other foods. 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 Cookson (0.98 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 Cookson?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.