2000
#141,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Cordingly
English habitation name from a place named with Old English cord "cord" and inga "people", likely meaning "dwellers by a cord (or line) of land".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Cordingly. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cordingly 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 Cordingly with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Cordingly in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cordingly, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cordingly
The surname Cordingly is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be a locational name derived from the village of Cordingley, which is located in the county of Yorkshire. The name is likely derived from the Old English words "cording" meaning a cord or rope, and "leah" meaning a meadow or clearing.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Cordelei." This entry suggests that the name was already in use by the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066.
During the 13th century, the name appears in various records with spellings such as "Cordingeleye," "Cordinglay," and "Cordyngleye." These variations likely reflect the local dialects and the lack of standardized spelling conventions at the time.
One notable bearer of the name was Sir John Cordingley (c. 1490 - 1557), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Yorkshire. He served as the Lord Mayor of York in 1541 and was known for his philanthropic efforts in supporting the city's poor.
Another prominent figure was Thomas Cordingley (1626 - 1704), an English clergyman and author. He served as the Rector of Whitchurch in Shropshire and published several works on theology and religious topics.
In the 18th century, Richard Cordingley (1737 - 1815) made a name for himself as a successful industrialist and entrepreneur in the textile industry. He established several mills in Yorkshire and played a significant role in the region's industrial development.
During the 19th century, the name gained recognition in the field of literature with the writer and poet Elizabeth Cordingley (1825 - 1892). Her works, which often explored themes of nature and spirituality, were widely acclaimed and contributed to the cultural landscape of Victorian England.
Another notable figure from this period was Sir Robert Cordingley (1857 - 1935), a British civil engineer and entrepreneur. He was instrumental in the construction of several major infrastructure projects, including the Mersey Railway Tunnel and the Forth Bridge in Scotland.
While the surname Cordingly is not among the most common in England, it has a rich history that spans several centuries and encompasses individuals from various walks of life, including merchants, clergy, industrialists, writers, and engineers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cordingly
Among Census respondents with the surname Cordingly, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Cordingly 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 Cordingly surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.3% · 93
- Hispanic or Latino5.8% · 6
- Two or more races2.9% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cordingly
Cordingly 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
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-2 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,981 places
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-3 bearers (-2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 413 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #141,788 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.9%) | Down 11,981 places |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | -3 bearers (-2.8%) | Down 413 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 Cordingly 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 | #153,769 | #154,182 | -0.3% |
| Count | 106 | 103 | -2.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cordingly bearers went from 106 to 103 (-2.8% change). The surname moved down 413 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #154,182.
FAQ
Cordingly surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cordingly?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Cordingly. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Cordingly?
Cordingly ranks #154,182 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 103 people with the surname Cordingly. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Cordingly.
Has Cordingly become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cordingly went from 106 recorded bearers to 103. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #153,769 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Cordingly?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cordingly, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Cordingly in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.3% (93 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cordingly appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.3%), Hispanic (5.8%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Cordingly (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 Cordingly mean?
English habitation name from a place named with Old English cord "cord" and inga "people", likely meaning "dwellers by a cord (or line) of land". 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 Cordingly (0.03 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 common is the surname Cordingly?
If you just want to know how many people are called Cordingly, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.