2010
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Cordsen
A locational surname derived from a place name in Germany or Denmark.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Cordsen. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cordsen 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Cordsen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cordsen, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cordsen
The surname Cordsen is believed to have originated in Germany, specifically in the northern regions of the country. It likely emerged during the late Middle Ages or early Renaissance period, around the 15th or 16th centuries.
The name Cordsen is thought to be derived from the Old German word "kord," which means "cord" or "rope." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with individuals who worked with ropes or cords, such as rope makers or sailors.
In the 16th century, there are records of a family named Cordsen living in the town of Lübeck, a prominent Hanseatic city in northern Germany. This indicates that the name had already established itself in the region by that time.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Cordsen was Hans Cordsen, born in 1562 in Lübeck. He was a merchant and trader who played a significant role in the city's commercial activities during the late 16th century.
Another notable figure was Anna Cordsen, born in 1612 in the town of Wismar, which was part of the Duchy of Mecklenburg at the time. Anna Cordsen was a prominent figure in the local community and is mentioned in several historical documents related to land disputes and legal proceedings.
In the 18th century, the Cordsen surname appeared in the records of the city of Hamburg. Johann Cordsen, born in 1723, was a respected shipbuilder who contributed to the city's maritime industry during that era.
During the 19th century, the Cordsen name spread to other parts of Germany, as well as neighboring countries like Denmark and Sweden. One notable individual was Karl Cordsen, born in 1837 in Schleswig-Holstein, who became a renowned linguist and scholar of Scandinavian languages.
Another prominent figure was Theodor Cordsen, born in 1853 in Hamburg. He was a successful businessman and philanthropist who founded several charitable organizations and supported educational initiatives in the city.
While the surname Cordsen is not among the most common names in Germany, it has a rich history spanning several centuries and has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including merchants, artisans, scholars, and entrepreneurs.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cordsen
Among Census respondents with the surname Cordsen, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Cordsen 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 Cordsen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.9% · 94
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.7% · 4
- Two or more races2.8% · 3
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cordsen
Cordsen appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
+4 bearers (+3.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 5,595 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.9%) | Up 5,595 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 Cordsen 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 | #157,234 | #151,639 | 3.6% |
| Count | 103 | 107 | 3.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 19.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cordsen bearers went from 103 to 107 (+3.9% change). The surname moved up 5,595 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #151,639.
FAQ
Cordsen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cordsen?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Cordsen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Cordsen?
Cordsen ranks #151,639 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 107 people with the surname Cordsen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Cordsen.
Has Cordsen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cordsen went from 103 recorded bearers to 107. That is an increase of 4 (+3.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Cordsen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cordsen, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.7%). 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 Cordsen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.9% (94 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cordsen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.9%), Hispanic (3.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.7%). 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 Cordsen (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 Cordsen mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name in Germany or Denmark. 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 Cordsen (0.04 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 Americans have the surname Cordsen?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.