2000
#4,847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,643
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.46
Rare Last name
Corn
An English occupational surname for a grower, seller, or distributor of corn or grain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,067 Americans carry the last name Corn. That puts it at #5,455 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 48,501 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Corn 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 Corn with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.1K
1 in 48,501
Census rank
#5,455
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,163 bearers of the surname Corn in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5455th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Corn, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.5%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Corn
The surname CORN is of English origin and is derived from an occupational name for a dealer in corn or grain. The name can be traced back to the late 12th century, with early recordings such as Robert le Corn in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire in 1221.
The name is likely derived from the Old English word "corn," which meant "grain" or "seed." It was a common occupational surname given to those who dealt in the trade of grain or worked as millers or bakers. The surname was particularly prevalent in regions where agriculture and grain production were important industries.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire in 1273, where a Robert Corn is mentioned. The Hundred Rolls were a series of administrative records compiled during the reign of King Edward I, providing valuable insights into medieval society and the distribution of surnames.
In the 14th century, the surname CORN appears in various records, including the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire in 1379, where a John Corne is listed. This document was a tax assessment roll that recorded names and occupations of individuals, making it a valuable source for genealogical research.
Notably, the surname CORN is associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One such figure is John Corn, a 16th-century English clergyman and author born around 1520. He was known for his works on grammar and rhetoric, including "The Accidence of English Vulgars" published in 1557.
Another prominent bearer of the surname was William Corn, a 17th-century English politician and landowner. He served as a Member of Parliament for Herefordshire in the early 1600s and was involved in local governance and affairs.
In the 18th century, Joseph Corn (1716-1796) was a British naval officer and explorer. He is remembered for his contributions to cartography and his role in exploring and mapping the coastlines of North America and the Caribbean during his naval career.
The 19th century saw the rise of Thomas Corn (1826-1903), a prominent American educator and author. He was a professor at Dickinson College in Pennsylvania and wrote several influential works on education, including "The Philosophy of Instruction" published in 1860.
Lastly, mention should be made of Richard Corn (1892-1974), a British artist and illustrator known for his depictions of rural life and landscapes. His works were widely exhibited and celebrated during his lifetime, and he is remembered as an important figure in the British art world of the early 20th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Corn
Among Census respondents with the surname Corn, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.5%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Corn 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 Corn surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.3% · 5,197
- Two or more races4.5% · 279
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 224
- American Indian and Alaska Native3.4% · 207
- Black or African American3.2% · 197
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 59
Timeline
Historical Census data for Corn
Corn 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
#5,335
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,528
-115 bearers (-1.7%)
Per 100,000 2.21
Rank movement Down 488 places
2020
#5,455
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,163
-365 bearers (-5.6%)
Per 100,000 2.06
Rank movement Down 120 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,847 | 6,643 | 2.46 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,335 | 6,528 | 2.21 | -115 bearers (-1.7%) | Down 488 places |
| 2020 | #5,455 | 6,163 | 2.06 | -365 bearers (-5.6%) | Down 120 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 Corn 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 | #5,335 | #5,455 | -2.2% |
| Count | 6,528 | 6,163 | -5.6% |
| Per 100K | 2.21 | 2.06 | -6.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Corn bearers went from 6,528 to 6,163 (-5.6% change). The surname moved down 120 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,335 to #5,455.
FAQ
Corn surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Corn?
Name Census estimates that about 7,067 living Americans carry the surname Corn. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 48,501 residents.
How common is Corn?
Corn ranks #5,455 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.06 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 6,163 people with the surname Corn. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,067), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.06 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 Corn.
Has Corn become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Corn went from 6,528 recorded bearers to 6,163. That is a decrease of 365 (-5.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,335 to #5,455.
What does the Census say about the background of Corn?
Among Census respondents with the surname Corn, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.5%) and Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Corn in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.3% (5,197 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Corn appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.3%), Two or More Races (4.5%), Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Corn (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 Corn mean?
An English occupational surname for a grower, seller, or distributor of corn or grain. 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 Corn (2.06 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 Americans have the surname Corn?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.