2000
#87,729
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 197
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.07
Very Rare Last name
Corday
French surname possibly derived from the word "cour" meaning court, potentially indicating one's ancestors lived near a court.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 205 Americans carry the last name Corday. That puts it at #106,101 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,671,972 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Corday 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
205
1 in 1,671,972
Census rank
#106,101
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
179
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 179 bearers of the surname Corday in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 106101st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Corday, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (14.0%) and Black (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Corday
The surname Corday originated in France. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "cordier," which means a maker of ropes or cords. The name first appeared in records during the 12th century in the region of Normandy.
Records indicate that the Corday family held lands and a manor in the village of Corday-en-Bauge, situated in the former province of Maine. This village likely took its name from the family, further emphasizing the connection between the surname and their profession as rope makers.
One of the earliest documented references to the name Corday can be found in the Domesday Book, a manuscript record of landholders in England compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. The entry mentions a landowner named Radulfus Cordarius, which translates to Ralph the Rope-maker.
In the 13th century, a notable figure named Jacques Corday (1210-1272) was a French nobleman and military leader who participated in the Seventh Crusade led by King Louis IX. He was knighted for his bravery on the battlefield.
During the French Revolution, a woman named Marie Anne Charlotte Corday (1768-1793) gained notoriety for assassinating the Jacobin leader Jean-Paul Marat. She was born in Normandy and was executed by guillotine for her actions.
Another prominent individual with the surname was Pierre Corday (1859-1934), a French artist and painter known for his landscapes and portraits. He was a member of the Académie des Beaux-Arts and received numerous awards for his work.
In the 20th century, Marcel Corday (1893-1976) was a French actor and film director who appeared in over 60 movies throughout his career. He is best remembered for his roles in classic French films such as Les Visiteurs du Soir (1942) and Le Corbeau (1943).
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Corday
Among Census respondents with the surname Corday, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (14.0%) and Black (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Corday 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 Corday surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.0% · 145
- Hispanic or Latino14.0% · 25
- Black or African American2.8% · 5
- Two or more races2.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Corday
Corday 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
#98,099
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 185
-12 bearers (-6.1%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 10,370 places
2020
#106,101
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 179
-6 bearers (-3.2%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 8,002 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #87,729 | 197 | 0.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #98,099 | 185 | 0.06 | -12 bearers (-6.1%) | Down 10,370 places |
| 2020 | #106,101 | 179 | 0.06 | -6 bearers (-3.2%) | Down 8,002 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 Corday 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 | #98,099 | #106,101 | -8.2% |
| Count | 185 | 179 | -3.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.06 | -0.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Corday bearers went from 185 to 179 (-3.2% change). The surname moved down 8,002 positions in the national ranking, going from #98,099 to #106,101.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Corday
FAQ
Corday surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Corday?
Name Census estimates that about 205 living Americans carry the surname Corday. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,671,972 residents.
How common is Corday?
Corday ranks #106,101 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.06 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 179 people with the surname Corday. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (205), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.06 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 Corday.
Has Corday become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Corday went from 185 recorded bearers to 179. That is a decrease of 6 (-3.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #98,099 to #106,101.
What does the Census say about the background of Corday?
Among Census respondents with the surname Corday, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (14.0%) and Black (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 Corday in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.0% (145 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Corday appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.0%), Hispanic (14.0%), Black (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 Corday (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 Corday mean?
French surname possibly derived from the word "cour" meaning court, potentially indicating one's ancestors lived near a court. 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 Corday (0.06 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 have the surname Corday?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.