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

Cool, 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 Cool surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cool in America

Cool is the 6801st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cool surname appeared 4,958 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Cool.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cool 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 Cool

The surname COOL is of English origin and can be traced back to the late medieval period. It is believed to have originated as a descriptive nickname referring to a person's temperament or disposition, with the Old English word "col" meaning "cool" or "calm."

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname COOL can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the year 1230, where a certain William Cool is listed as a taxpayer. This suggests that the name was already established in parts of northern England by the 13th century.

In the 14th century, the surname appears in various spellings such as "Coole," "Colles," and "Coles" in various records and documents from different regions of England, indicating its widespread use and variations in spelling due to regional dialects and scribal practices of the time.

Some notable individuals with the surname COOL throughout history include Sir John Cool (c. 1520-1594), an English politician and member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another prominent figure was Thomas Cool (1677-1738), an English botanist and collector of plants, who contributed significantly to the study of flora in the early 18th century.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the surname COOL was also associated with several place names in England, such as Cool Pilate in Hampshire and Cool Dickering in Yorkshire, suggesting that some branches of the family may have derived their surname from these locations or been among the earliest settlers in those areas.

In the 19th century, one of the most notable individuals with the surname COOL was Benjamin Cool (1814-1890), an American architect and civil engineer who designed several notable buildings in New York City, including the Church of the Holy Trinity and the New York Produce Exchange building.

Another significant figure was Elizabeth Cool (1862-1938), an American educator and suffragist who played an active role in the women's rights movement and served as the president of the National Association of Colored Women's Clubs.

While the surname COOL is not among the most common in English-speaking countries, it has a rich history and has been borne by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cool

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

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

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

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