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

Cordell, 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 Cordell surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cordell in America

Cordell is the 3893rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cordell surname appeared 9,119 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 Cordell.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cordell 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 Cordell

The surname Cordell originates from France and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old French word "cordel," meaning a small cord or rope. The name likely referred to someone who worked as a rope-maker or cord-maker.

In its early days, the surname was found in various regions of France, including Normandy, Brittany, and Picardy. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Doomsday Book, a comprehensive record of landowners in England compiled in 1086 under the orders of William the Conqueror.

The Cordell surname has undergone several spelling variations over the centuries, including Cordel, Cordell, Cordeill, and Cordelle. These variations can be attributed to the inconsistencies in spelling and record-keeping practices during the Middle Ages.

One notable bearer of the Cordell name was Sir Robert Cordell (c. 1470-1537), an English politician and lawyer who served as the Solicitor General and Speaker of the House of Commons during the reign of Henry VIII. He played a significant role in the legal proceedings surrounding the King's annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon.

Another prominent figure with the Cordell surname was William Cordell (1592-1668), an English colonist and landowner in Virginia. He served as a member of the House of Burgesses and was one of the founders of Middlesex County, Virginia.

In the 18th century, Joshua Cordell (1711-1789) was a notable American merchant and politician from Maryland. He served as a delegate to the Continental Congress and played a role in the American Revolutionary War.

The Cordell name has also been associated with several place names, such as Cordell, Oklahoma, which was named after a prominent landowner in the area, and Cordell Park in Somerville, Massachusetts, named after a local businessman and philanthropist.

Other notable individuals with the Cordell surname include Edward Cordell (1805-1878), a British politician and Member of Parliament, and Charles Cordell (1844-1926), an American businessman and philanthropist who co-founded the Armour Institute of Technology, now the Illinois Institute of Technology.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cordell

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

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

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

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