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

Cornish, 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 Cornish surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cornish in America

Cornish is the 4410th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cornish surname appeared 8,050 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Cornish.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cornish 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 Cornish

The surname Cornish originated from the county of Cornwall in the south-western region of England. It is a locational name derived from the Old English word "Cornwalum" meaning the people of Cornwall. The name first appeared in records during the 11th century.

The earliest recorded example of the surname Cornish can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive record of landowners and properties commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name is listed as "Cornubiensis," the Latin form of Cornish, referring to individuals from Cornwall.

During the Middle Ages, the surname Cornish was often associated with individuals who migrated from Cornwall to other parts of England or abroad. It became a way to identify their place of origin and distinguish them from the local population.

One notable bearer of the surname was Sir William Cornish (c. 1470-1535), a Member of Parliament and Sheriff of Devon during the reign of King Henry VIII. Another prominent figure was Thomas Cornish (c. 1519-1608), a Church of England clergyman who served as the Bishop of Thetford and later the Bishop of Bristol.

In the 17th century, the Cornish surname gained recognition through the work of Samuel Cornish (1615-1670), a noted English theologian and writer who authored several religious treatises and sermons. His son, Henry Cornish (1658-1718), followed in his footsteps as a clergyman and served as the Dean of Peterborough Cathedral.

The name Cornish also has connections to the mining industry, as Cornwall was a significant center for tin and copper mining. One notable figure in this field was Joseph Cornish (1816-1902), a Cornish mining engineer and author who wrote extensively about mining practices and techniques.

Other notable individuals with the surname Cornish include:

• Hubert Cornish (1908-1986), a British actor known for his roles in several Carry On films.
• John Cornish (1917-2014), an American artist and illustrator renowned for his landscape paintings and illustrations.
• Vaughan Cornish (1880-1948), a British geographer and geologist who made significant contributions to the study of coastal landforms.

The surname Cornish has a rich history and has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including politicians, clergy, authors, engineers, and artists, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and accomplishments of those who hailed from the county of Cornwall.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cornish

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

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

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

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