2000
#1,905
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 17,321
First available Census row
Per 100,000 6.42
Uncommon Last name
Corcoran
A surname of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic word "corcair" meaning "purple," likely referring to a dye maker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 19,680 Americans carry the last name Corcoran. That puts it at #2,056 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.74 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 17,416 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Corcoran 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 Corcoran with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
20K
1 in 17,416
Census rank
#2,056
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
17K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 17,162 bearers of the surname Corcoran in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.74 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2056th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Corcoran, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Corcoran
The surname Corcoran originated in Ireland and is derived from the Irish Gaelic name "O'Corcrain," meaning "descendant of Corcran." The name Corcran itself is derived from the old Irish word "corcar," meaning "purple" or "crimson," suggesting a connection to a person with reddish hair or complexion.
Corcoran is a relatively common name in Ireland, particularly in the counties of Cork, Kerry, and Limerick. It is believed to have first emerged as a surname in the 10th or 11th century, during the period when hereditary surnames were becoming more widespread in Ireland.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Corcoran can be found in the Annals of Inisfallen, a chronicle of Irish history compiled by monks in the 12th century. The Annals mention a certain "Corcran" who was killed in a battle in the year 1014.
In the 16th century, the Corcoran family held lands in County Cork, particularly in the area around Ballincollig. A notable member of the family during this period was Dermot Corcoran, who fought alongside the Irish chieftain Hugh O'Neill in the Nine Years' War against English rule in the late 16th century.
In the 17th century, the Corcoran name appears in various historical records, such as the Petty Census of Ireland, which was conducted between 1659 and 1666. This census provides valuable information about the distribution and prevalence of the name during that time.
One of the most famous individuals with the surname Corcoran was Michael Corcoran (1827-1863), an Irish-American military officer who served as a brigadier general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He is credited with forming the famous Irish Brigade, which played a significant role in several major battles.
Another notable Corcoran was James A. Corcoran (1820-1889), an Irish-American lawyer and judge who served as a justice on the New York Supreme Court. He was also involved in several high-profile legal cases during his career.
In the 19th century, the name Corcoran also gained prominence in the field of education. Michael Corcoran (1827-1905) was a renowned Irish-American educator who founded several schools and played a significant role in the establishment of the Catholic school system in Philadelphia.
Patrick Corcoran (1840-1910) was an Irish-born American architect who designed numerous notable buildings in Washington, D.C., including the Old Executive Office Building and the Corcoran Gallery of Art, which bears his name.
Throughout history, the surname Corcoran has also been associated with various place names and older spellings. For example, the town of Ballincollig in County Cork was historically known as "Baile an Chorcranaigh," meaning "the town of the Corcoran family."
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Corcoran
Among Census respondents with the surname Corcoran, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Corcoran 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 Corcoran surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.6% · 15,885
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 508
- Two or more races2.8% · 479
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 149
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 71
- Black or African American0.4% · 70
Timeline
Historical Census data for Corcoran
Corcoran 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
#2,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 17,607
+286 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 5.97
Rank movement Down 139 places
2020
#2,056
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 17,162
-445 bearers (-2.5%)
Per 100,000 5.74
Rank movement Down 12 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,905 | 17,321 | 6.42 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,044 | 17,607 | 5.97 | +286 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 139 places |
| 2020 | #2,056 | 17,162 | 5.74 | -445 bearers (-2.5%) | Down 12 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 Corcoran 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 | #2,044 | #2,056 | -0.6% |
| Count | 17,607 | 17,162 | -2.5% |
| Per 100K | 5.97 | 5.74 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Corcoran bearers went from 17,607 to 17,162 (-2.5% change). The surname moved down 12 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,044 to #2,056.
FAQ
Corcoran surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Corcoran?
Name Census estimates that about 19,680 living Americans carry the surname Corcoran. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 17,416 residents.
How common is Corcoran?
Corcoran ranks #2,056 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.74 per 100,000 residents, which is about 6 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 17,162 people with the surname Corcoran. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (19,680), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.74 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.74 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 6 of them to have the surname Corcoran.
Has Corcoran become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Corcoran went from 17,607 recorded bearers to 17,162. That is a decrease of 445 (-2.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,044 to #2,056.
What does the Census say about the background of Corcoran?
Among Census respondents with the surname Corcoran, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Corcoran in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.6% (15,885 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Corcoran appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.6%), Hispanic (3.0%), Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Corcoran (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 Corcoran mean?
A surname of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic word "corcair" meaning "purple," likely referring to a dye maker. 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 Corcoran (5.74 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 are called Corcoran?
See how many people are called Corcoran on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.