2000
#4,686
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,912
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.56
Rare Last name
Corder
An occupational surname for a maker or seller of cord or rope.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,467 Americans carry the last name Corder. That puts it at #5,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.18 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 45,903 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Corder 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 Corder with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.5K
1 in 45,903
Census rank
#5,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,512 bearers of the surname Corder in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.18 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Corder, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.4%. The next largest groups are Black (6.0%) and Hispanic (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Corder
The surname Corder is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word 'cordier,' which means 'cord maker' or 'rope maker.' This occupational surname was likely given to individuals or families who worked in the trade of making ropes and cords from materials like hemp or flax.
One of the earliest records of the name Corder can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from the late 13th century, where it is spelled as 'Cordere.' This suggests that the name was already in use and established in England by this time. The surname is also mentioned in various tax rolls and parish records from the 14th and 15th centuries, with spellings such as 'Cordour' and 'Cordar' appearing in different regions of the country.
In the 16th century, the name Corder gained prominence with the birth of William Corder (1572-1638), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Master of Christ's College, Cambridge. Another notable figure was Robert Corder (1579-1639), a Protestant minister and author who published several religious works during his lifetime.
As the name spread across England, it became associated with certain geographical areas. For instance, the Corders of Ipswich, Suffolk, were a prominent family in the 17th and 18th centuries. One member, Robert Corder (1620-1698), was a successful merchant and benefactor who funded the construction of several buildings in the town.
In the 19th century, the name Corder gained notoriety due to William Corder (1803-1828), a notorious English murderer who was convicted and executed for the infamous Red Barn Murder. Despite this tragic association, the surname continued to be carried by many respectable individuals, such as the author and critic Charles Lethbridge Kingsford Corder (1853-1916) and the English cricketer Walter Corder (1862-1906).
Other notable individuals with the surname Corder include Henry Marshall Corder (1840-1904), an English-born Australian politician and businessman, and Paul Corder (1944-2022), a British-born Canadian television producer and writer best known for his work on the acclaimed series 'Da Vinci's Inquest.'
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Corder
Among Census respondents with the surname Corder, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.4%. The next largest groups are Black (6.0%) and Hispanic (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Corder 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 Corder surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.4% · 5,563
- Black or African American6.0% · 388
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 251
- Two or more races3.7% · 239
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 36
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 35
Timeline
Historical Census data for Corder
Corder 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
#5,083
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,887
-25 bearers (-0.4%)
Per 100,000 2.33
Rank movement Down 397 places
2020
#5,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,512
-375 bearers (-5.4%)
Per 100,000 2.18
Rank movement Down 99 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,686 | 6,912 | 2.56 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,083 | 6,887 | 2.33 | -25 bearers (-0.4%) | Down 397 places |
| 2020 | #5,182 | 6,512 | 2.18 | -375 bearers (-5.4%) | Down 99 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 Corder 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 | #5,083 | #5,182 | -1.9% |
| Count | 6,887 | 6,512 | -5.4% |
| Per 100K | 2.33 | 2.18 | -6.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Corder bearers went from 6,887 to 6,512 (-5.4% change). The surname moved down 99 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,083 to #5,182.
FAQ
Corder surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Corder?
Name Census estimates that about 7,467 living Americans carry the surname Corder. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 45,903 residents.
How common is Corder?
Corder ranks #5,182 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.18 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,512 people with the surname Corder. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,467), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.18 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.18 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Corder.
Has Corder become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Corder went from 6,887 recorded bearers to 6,512. That is a decrease of 375 (-5.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,083 to #5,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Corder?
Among Census respondents with the surname Corder, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.4%. The next largest groups are Black (6.0%) and Hispanic (3.9%). 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 Corder in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.4% (5,563 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Corder appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.4%), Black (6.0%), Hispanic (3.9%). 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 Corder (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 Corder mean?
An occupational surname for a maker or seller of cord or rope. 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 Corder (2.18 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 last name Corder?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Corder on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.