2000
#3,899
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,374
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.10
Rare Last name
Coons
Derived from a Middle English nickname for a shrewd or wily person, from the animal's reputation for cunning.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,221 Americans carry the last name Coons. That puts it at #4,265 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.69 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 37,171 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Coons 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.
Bearers in the US
9.2K
1 in 37,171
Census rank
#4,265
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,041 bearers of the surname Coons in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.69 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4265th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Coons, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Coons
Among Census respondents with the surname Coons, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Coons 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 Coons surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.1% · 7,246
- Two or more races3.7% · 297
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 285
- Black or African American1.3% · 105
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 54
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 54
Timeline
Historical Census data for Coons
Coons 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
#4,185
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,466
+92 bearers (+1.1%)
Per 100,000 2.87
Rank movement Down 286 places
2020
#4,265
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,041
-425 bearers (-5.0%)
Per 100,000 2.69
Rank movement Down 80 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,899 | 8,374 | 3.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,185 | 8,466 | 2.87 | +92 bearers (+1.1%) | Down 286 places |
| 2020 | #4,265 | 8,041 | 2.69 | -425 bearers (-5.0%) | Down 80 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 Coons 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 | #4,185 | #4,265 | -1.9% |
| Count | 8,466 | 8,041 | -5.0% |
| Per 100K | 2.87 | 2.69 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Coons bearers went from 8,466 to 8,041 (-5.0% change). The surname moved down 80 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,185 to #4,265.
FAQ
Coons surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Coons?
Name Census estimates that about 9,221 living Americans carry the surname Coons. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 37,171 residents.
How common is Coons?
Coons ranks #4,265 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.69 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,041 people with the surname Coons. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,221), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.69 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.69 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Coons.
Has Coons become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Coons went from 8,466 recorded bearers to 8,041. That is a decrease of 425 (-5.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,185 to #4,265.
What does the Census say about the background of Coons?
Among Census respondents with the surname Coons, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Coons in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.1% (7,246 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Coons appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.1%), Two or More Races (3.7%), Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Coons (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 Coons mean?
Derived from a Middle English nickname for a shrewd or wily person, from the animal's reputation for cunning. 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 Coons (2.69 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 Coons?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.