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

Cornelius, 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 Cornelius surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cornelius in America

Cornelius is the 1775th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cornelius surname appeared 20,160 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 7 people would have the surname Cornelius.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cornelius 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 Cornelius

The surname Cornelius has its origins in ancient Rome, deriving from the Roman gens or clan name 'Cornelii'. The name is believed to have been derived from the Latin word 'cornu', meaning 'horn', possibly indicating a connection to a family that was involved in the horn trade or had some association with horns.

In the early days of Rome, the Cornelii were a prominent patrician family, and several members held important positions in the Roman Republic and Empire. One of the most notable figures was Cornelius Sulla, a Roman dictator who ruled from 82 to 79 BC.

As the Roman Empire expanded, the name Cornelius spread throughout Europe, often appearing in various spelling variations such as Corneli, Cornelii, and Cornelius. The name can be found in various medieval records, including the Domesday Book of 1086, which recorded landholdings in England following the Norman Conquest.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Cornelius is in the 12th century, when a Flemish knight named Arnout Cornelius participated in the Third Crusade (1189-1192). In the 13th century, a Cornelius de Bredene is mentioned in the records of the County of Flanders.

During the Renaissance period, several notable individuals bore the surname Cornelius. These include the Dutch Renaissance humanist Cornelius Agrippa (1486-1535), known for his work 'De Occulta Philosophia', and the Dutch painter Cornelius van Haarlem (1562-1638), known for his innovative use of light and shadow.

In the 17th century, the Dutch philosopher and mathematician Cornelius Drebbel (1572-1633) made significant contributions to the development of the microscope and the study of optics. Around the same time, the English playwright Thomas Cornelius (1592-1672) was known for his works such as 'The Tragedy of Marc Antony'.

In the 19th century, the American businessman and philanthropist Cornelius Vanderbilt (1794-1877) established the Vanderbilt family's wealth through shipping and railroad empires. Another notable figure was the German-American artist Cornelius Gurlitt (1820-1901), known for his historical paintings and portraits.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cornelius

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

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

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

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