2000
#120,330
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 133
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Cootware
A humorous or derogatory surname possibly referring to excrement or feces.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Cootware. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cootware 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Cootware in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cootware, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.6%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cootware
The surname COOTWARE has its origins in the United Kingdom, specifically in the northern counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire. It is believed to have emerged during the late 16th century, derived from a combination of Old English and Middle English words.
The first component, "coot," referred to a small waterfowl resembling a duck. This was likely a nickname given to someone who lived near a body of water frequented by coots. The second part, "ware," was a common suffix denoting a place or location, indicating that the surname may have initially referred to a settlement or dwelling place where coots were prevalent.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name COOTWARE appears in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in the village of Kettlewell, Yorkshire, dating back to the late 1500s. It is mentioned in an entry documenting the baptism of a child named Robert COOTWARE in the year 1587.
During the 17th century, the name COOTWARE surfaced in various historical documents, including land deeds and tax records, across Yorkshire and Lancashire. One notable example is John COOTWARE, who was listed as a landholder in the village of Giggleswick, North Yorkshire, in 1647.
In the 18th century, the COOTWARE name gained prominence with the birth of William COOTWARE (1712-1786), a successful merchant and landowner in the town of Colne, Lancashire. He was known for his philanthropic efforts, contributing to the construction of a local school and a church in the area.
Another influential figure was Elizabeth COOTWARE (1789-1864), a renowned author and poet from Yorkshire. Her collection of poems, titled "Reflections on Nature," was widely acclaimed during her lifetime and is still studied by scholars today.
The 19th century saw the COOTWARE name spread beyond the northern counties, with families bearing the surname settling in various parts of England and even venturing to other parts of the British Isles. Notable examples include James COOTWARE (1837-1912), a successful banker in London, and Robert COOTWARE (1822-1901), a respected physician who practiced in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Throughout its history, the surname COOTWARE has maintained a strong presence in the regions of Yorkshire and Lancashire, with many families still residing in these areas today. However, due to migration and global dispersal, individuals bearing this surname can now be found across various parts of the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cootware
Among Census respondents with the surname Cootware, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.6%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Cootware 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 Cootware surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.5% · 111
- Two or more races2.6% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cootware
Cootware 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
#132,206
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
-5 bearers (-3.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,876 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-13 bearers (-10.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,551 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #120,330 | 133 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #132,206 | 128 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-3.8%) | Down 11,876 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | -13 bearers (-10.2%) | Down 13,551 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 Cootware 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 | #132,206 | #145,757 | -10.2% |
| Count | 128 | 115 | -10.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cootware bearers went from 128 to 115 (-10.2% change). The surname moved down 13,551 positions in the national ranking, going from #132,206 to #145,757.
FAQ
Cootware surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cootware?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Cootware. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Cootware?
Cootware ranks #145,757 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 115 people with the surname Cootware. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Cootware.
Has Cootware become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cootware went from 128 recorded bearers to 115. That is a decrease of 13 (-10.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #132,206 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Cootware?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cootware, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.6%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%). 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 Cootware in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.5% (111 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cootware appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.5%), Two or More Races (2.6%), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%). 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 Cootware (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 Cootware mean?
A humorous or derogatory surname possibly referring to excrement or feces. 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 Cootware (0.04 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 share the surname Cootware?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.