2000
#10,494
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,808
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.04
Rare Last name
Corr
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic word "corr," meaning "odd," "uneven," or "descendant of the spear."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,301 Americans carry the last name Corr. That puts it at #10,614 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.96 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 103,833 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Corr 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 Corr with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.3K
1 in 103,833
Census rank
#10,614
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,879 bearers of the surname Corr in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.96 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10614th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Corr, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Black (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Corr
The surname Corr has its origins in Ireland, tracing back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic word "corr," meaning "heron" or "crane." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a nickname or descriptive name to someone who bore a resemblance to the bird or had a particular affinity for it.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. In the year 1175, a man named Gilla na Naingel Ua Corr is mentioned as a notable poet and historian.
Throughout the medieval period, the Corr surname was predominantly found in the northern counties of Ireland, particularly in Donegal and Tyrone. Historical records show that the name was also present in the adjacent regions of Scotland, likely due to the migration of Irish families across the North Channel.
In the 16th century, a prominent figure bearing the Corr surname was Piaras Feiritéar Ó Corr, a renowned Irish poet and scholar who lived from approximately 1560 to 1630. His works were celebrated for their mastery of the Irish language and their contribution to the preservation of traditional Irish literature.
Another notable individual was Sir John Corr, a 17th-century lawyer and judge who served as the Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer in Ireland from 1688 to 1689. He was born in County Down around 1640 and played a significant role in the legal system of his time.
In the 19th century, John Corr (1802-1876), a prominent Irish businessman and philanthropist, made his mark in the city of Belfast. He founded the successful linen manufacturing firm, John Corr & Sons, and was known for his charitable contributions to various educational and religious institutions.
The Corr surname has also been associated with several place names in Ireland, such as Corrmore and Corrashee, both located in County Antrim. These place names likely originated from the Irish words "corr" and "mór" (meaning "great" or "large"), suggesting a connection to the heron or crane symbolism.
Throughout history, the Corr surname has maintained a notable presence in Ireland, with many individuals contributing to various fields, including literature, law, business, and philanthropy. While the name's origins can be traced back to the 12th century, its enduring legacy continues to be woven into the cultural tapestry of Ireland and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Corr
Among Census respondents with the surname Corr, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Black (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Corr 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 Corr surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.0% · 2,561
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 101
- Black or African American3.5% · 100
- Two or more races3.1% · 89
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 24
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Corr
Corr 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
#10,535
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,045
+237 bearers (+8.4%)
Per 100,000 1.03
Rank movement Down 41 places
2020
#10,614
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,879
-166 bearers (-5.5%)
Per 100,000 0.96
Rank movement Down 79 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,494 | 2,808 | 1.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,535 | 3,045 | 1.03 | +237 bearers (+8.4%) | Down 41 places |
| 2020 | #10,614 | 2,879 | 0.96 | -166 bearers (-5.5%) | Down 79 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 Corr 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 | #10,535 | #10,614 | -0.7% |
| Count | 3,045 | 2,879 | -5.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.03 | 0.96 | -6.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Corr bearers went from 3,045 to 2,879 (-5.5% change). The surname moved down 79 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,535 to #10,614.
FAQ
Corr surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Corr?
Name Census estimates that about 3,301 living Americans carry the surname Corr. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 103,833 residents.
How common is Corr?
Corr ranks #10,614 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.96 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,879 people with the surname Corr. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,301), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.96 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.96 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Corr.
Has Corr become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Corr went from 3,045 recorded bearers to 2,879. That is a decrease of 166 (-5.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,535 to #10,614.
What does the Census say about the background of Corr?
Among Census respondents with the surname Corr, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Black (3.5%). 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 Corr in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.0% (2,561 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Corr appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.0%), Hispanic (3.5%), Black (3.5%). 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 Corr (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 Corr mean?
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic word "corr," meaning "odd," "uneven," or "descendant of the spear." 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 Corr (0.96 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 people share the surname Corr?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.