Cornyn
A surname derived from a location or place name associated with corn.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 171 Americans carry the last name Cornyn. That puts it at #112,568 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,004,411 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cornyn surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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.
Bearers in the US
171
1 in 2,004,411
Census rank
#112,568
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
156
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 156 bearers of the surname Cornyn in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 112568th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cornyn, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (5.8%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cornyn
The surname Cornyn is of Celtic origin, derived from the Irish Gaelic word "corann" which means a branch, tree, or descended from a particular family or clan. The name is most commonly found in Ireland, particularly in counties Cork and Kerry, where it has been present since the 12th century.
The earliest known record of the name Cornyn appears in the Annals of Inisfallen, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, which mentions a "Coran" in the year 1201. It's believed that this early spelling evolved into the modern form of Cornyn over the following centuries.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Cornyn family was prominent in the Irish province of Munster, where they held lands and estates. One notable member was Dermot Cornyn, a 17th-century landowner and member of the Irish Parliament.
In the 18th century, a branch of the Cornyn family settled in County Clare, where they became landowners and established themselves as a influential local family. A famous member from this time was Father Patrick Cornyn (1724-1795), a Catholic priest who played a significant role in the preservation of Irish language and culture during the Penal Laws.
As the name spread beyond Ireland, it also took on various spellings, such as Cornine, Cornine, and Cornyne. In the 19th century, a number of Cornyns emigrated to North America, escaping the Great Famine in Ireland. One notable figure from this period was Patrick Cornyn (1831-1915), an Irish-American priest and educator who founded several Catholic schools in California.
Other notable individuals with the surname Cornyn include John Cornyn (born 1952), a US Senator from Texas, and Sarah Cornyn (born 1977), an Australian actress and model. The name has also been found in various other parts of the world, likely due to immigration from Ireland and the British Isles.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cornyn
Among Census respondents with the surname Cornyn, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (5.8%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Cornyn bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Cornyn surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.3%
- Asian and Pacific Islander5.8%
- Two or more races4.5%
- Hispanic or Latino3.9%
- Unknown or suppressed2.6%
Year on year
2000 vs 2010 Census
How has the Cornyn surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2000 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #104,257 | #112,568 | -8.0% |
| Count | 159 | 156 | -1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.05 | -16.7% |
Between the 2000 and 2010 Census, the number of Cornyn bearers went from 159 to 156 (-1.9% change). The surname moved down 8,311 positions in the national ranking, going from #104,257 to #112,568.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Cornyn
FAQ
Cornyn surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Cornyn?
The surname Cornyn holds position #112,568 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 171 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Cornyn surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cornyn, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (5.8%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.