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

Coons, 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 Coons surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Coons in America

Coons is the 4185th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Coons surname appeared 8,466 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Coons.

We can also compare 2010 data for Coons 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 Coons

The surname "COONS" is believed to have originated in England, where it first appeared in the late 12th century. It is thought to be an occupational name derived from the Old English word "coun," which referred to a skilled worker or navigator. In some cases, the name may also be derived from the Old French word "counte," meaning a count or nobleman.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1195, where a person named Richard Coun is mentioned. The surname is also present in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it appears as "Coun" and "Coune."

During the Middle Ages, the name "COONS" was found primarily in the counties of Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, and Herefordshire in the West Midlands region of England. It is likely that the name originated in this area, possibly in relation to a specific trade or occupation.

In the 14th century, the surname appears in various spellings, such as "Cowne," "Coun," and "Coune," in records from Worcestershire and Herefordshire. One notable example is John Coun, who is mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327.

As the surname spread across England, different spelling variations emerged, including "Coones," "Coone," and "Coons." In the 16th century, a prominent figure with this name was Richard Coons, a merchant from London who lived from 1520 to 1588.

Another noteworthy individual was William Coons, a Puritan minister who emigrated from England to Massachusetts Bay Colony in the 17th century. He was born in 1609 and played a significant role in the early religious life of the colony.

In the 18th century, John Coons (1712-1778) was a landowner and farmer in Pennsylvania, where the surname became established in the American colonies. His descendants went on to become prominent figures in various fields, including politics and business.

Other individuals of note with the surname "COONS" include Benjamin Coons (1805-1890), a prominent abolitionist and politician from New York, and George Coons (1842-1918), a Union Army veteran and member of the United States House of Representatives from Connecticut.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Coons

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

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

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

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