Cornist last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Cornist

A surname derived from the French word "cor" meaning horn, likely referring to a maker or player of horns or other musical instruments.

Cornist, 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 Cornist surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cornist in America

Cornist is the 123796th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cornist surname appeared 139 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Cornist.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cornist 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 123796 138741 -11.39%
Count 139 111 22.40%
Proportion per 100k 0.05 0.04 22.22%

The history of the last name Cornist

The surname Cornist originated in England during the late medieval period, likely derived from the Old French word "corniste," meaning a horn player or musician. It is believed that the name was initially an occupational surname, given to individuals whose profession involved playing the horn or other wind instruments.

The earliest known record of the Cornist surname dates back to the 13th century, with references found in various parish records and tax rolls from various counties in England. One notable example is John Cornist, who was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1279.

In the 14th century, the Cornist surname appeared in the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire, a census-like record compiled in 1273-1274. This document mentions a William Cornist, a landowner in the village of Offord Cluny.

During the 15th century, the Cornist surname gained prominence in the city of London, where several individuals bearing this name were recorded as members of various guilds and trade organizations. One such individual was Robert Cornist, a member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers, who was mentioned in the company's records in 1482.

In the 16th century, the Cornist surname spread across England, with records indicating families in counties such as Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Warwickshire. One notable bearer of this name was Sir Thomas Cornist (1505-1578), a prominent landowner and Member of Parliament for Nottinghamshire during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

As the centuries progressed, the Cornist surname continued to be found across England, with variations in spelling appearing, including Corniste, Cornest, and Cornest. In the 18th century, a notable figure was Sir William Cornist (1728-1804), a successful merchant and philanthropist who founded several schools and hospitals in his hometown of Bristol.

Other individuals with the Cornist surname who made their mark in history include:

  1. Edward Cornist (1625-1695), a renowned clockmaker and inventor from London.
  2. Mary Cornist (1745-1823), a renowned author and poet from Oxfordshire.
  3. John Cornist (1792-1867), a pioneer in the field of horticulture and founder of the Royal Horticultural Society.
  4. Samuel Cornist (1811-1879), a celebrated architect who designed numerous churches and public buildings in London.
  5. Jane Cornist (1860-1932), a prominent suffragette and activist for women's rights in the early 20th century.

Overall, the Cornist surname has a rich history in England, dating back to the medieval period and spanning various professions and achievements over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cornist

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

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 Cornist was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Black Only 89.93% 125
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races (S)% (S)
Hispanic Origin 4.32% 6

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 Cornist has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White (S)% (S)% (S)%
Black 89.93% 94.59% -5.05%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Two or More Races (S)% (S)% (S)%
Hispanic 4.32% 0.00% 200.00%

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

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

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Cornist last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 3, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/cornist-surname-popularity/.

"Cornist last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/cornist-surname-popularity/. Accessed 3 November, 2024

Cornist last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/cornist-surname-popularity/.

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