2000
#2,783
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,893
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.41
Uncommon Last name
Cornwell
An English locational surname referring to someone from Cornwall county in southwest England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 13,272 Americans carry the last name Cornwell. That puts it at #3,030 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.87 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 25,825 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cornwell 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 Cornwell with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
13K
1 in 25,825
Census rank
#3,030
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
12K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 11,574 bearers of the surname Cornwell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.87 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3030th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cornwell, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.3%. The next largest groups are Black (4.6%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cornwell
The surname Cornwell has its origins in England, tracing back to the 12th century. It is a locational surname derived from the Old English words "corn" meaning grain and "well" referring to a spring or stream, indicating that the name likely originated from a place where grain was grown near a water source.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Pipe Rolls of Berkshire in 1176, where it is listed as "Cornuuelle." This document suggests that the name was already established in the region during the 12th century.
The Domesday Book, compiled in 1086, does not directly mention the surname Cornwell, but it does list several places with names containing the element "corn," such as Cornwood in Devon and Cornhill in London, indicating the prevalence of these place names in England at the time.
In the 13th century, the surname appears in various records with variations in spelling, including "Cornewelle," "Cornuell," and "Cornualle." These variations reflect the evolution of the name over time and the regional differences in pronunciation and spelling.
One notable figure associated with the name Cornwell was Sir John Cornwell (c. 1470-1536), a prominent English landowner and Member of Parliament for Somerset during the reign of Henry VIII. He was known for his involvement in local affairs and his service to the Crown.
Another individual with the surname was Thomas Cornwell (1555-1625), an English clergyman and author who served as the Archdeacon of Taunton and wrote several religious works during the Elizabethan era.
In the 17th century, the name appears in the records of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, where families such as the Cornwells from Devonshire settled in the New World, bringing their surname with them.
During the 18th century, Edward Cornwell (1768-1831) was a notable English painter known for his landscapes and portraits. He exhibited his works at the Royal Academy and was highly regarded in his time.
In the 19th century, Frances Cornwell (1828-1894) was a British author and poet who wrote several novels and collections of poetry, contributing to the literary culture of the Victorian era.
The Cornwell surname has been associated with various places throughout England, including Cornwell in Oxfordshire, Cornwell Manor in Gloucestershire, and Cornwell Farm in Warwickshire, reflecting the locational origins of the name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cornwell
Among Census respondents with the surname Cornwell, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.3%. The next largest groups are Black (4.6%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Cornwell 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 Cornwell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.3% · 10,106
- Black or African American4.6% · 532
- Two or more races3.9% · 453
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 354
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 86
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 43
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cornwell
Cornwell 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
#2,950
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,168
+275 bearers (+2.3%)
Per 100,000 4.13
Rank movement Down 167 places
2020
#3,030
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,574
-594 bearers (-4.9%)
Per 100,000 3.87
Rank movement Down 80 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,783 | 11,893 | 4.41 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,950 | 12,168 | 4.13 | +275 bearers (+2.3%) | Down 167 places |
| 2020 | #3,030 | 11,574 | 3.87 | -594 bearers (-4.9%) | Down 80 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 Cornwell 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 | #2,950 | #3,030 | -2.7% |
| Count | 12,168 | 11,574 | -4.9% |
| Per 100K | 4.13 | 3.87 | -6.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cornwell bearers went from 12,168 to 11,574 (-4.9% change). The surname moved down 80 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,950 to #3,030.
FAQ
Cornwell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cornwell?
Name Census estimates that about 13,272 living Americans carry the surname Cornwell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 25,825 residents.
How common is Cornwell?
Cornwell ranks #3,030 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.87 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 11,574 people with the surname Cornwell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (13,272), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.87 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.87 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Cornwell.
Has Cornwell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cornwell went from 12,168 recorded bearers to 11,574. That is a decrease of 594 (-4.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,950 to #3,030.
What does the Census say about the background of Cornwell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cornwell, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.3%. The next largest groups are Black (4.6%) and Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Cornwell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.3% (10,106 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cornwell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.3%), Black (4.6%), Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Cornwell (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 Cornwell mean?
An English locational surname referring to someone from Cornwall county in southwest England. 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 Cornwell (3.87 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 Cornwell?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.