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

Corson, 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 Corson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Corson in America

Corson is the 6446th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Corson surname appeared 5,268 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Corson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Corson 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 Corson

The surname Corson is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "cresse" meaning "cress" or "watercress." It likely originated as a descriptive surname, given to someone who lived near a watercress bed or had an occupation related to the cultivation or sale of watercress.

The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the late 12th century in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. In the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1195, there is a reference to a "Willelmus filius Cors," which translates to "William, son of Cors."

During the medieval period, the surname appeared with various spellings, such as Corce, Cors, Corse, and Corsse, reflecting the regional dialects and scribal variations of the time. The standardized spelling of Corson emerged later.

One notable early record of the name is in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, which mentions a John Corson. Additionally, the Corson family held lands in Lincolnshire as early as the 14th century.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname was Thomas Corson, who was born in Northamptonshire, England, in 1540. He was a prominent landowner and served as a magistrate in the county.

Another noteworthy figure was Sir John Corson (1588-1659), a wealthy merchant and member of the Virginia Company, which established the first permanent English settlement in North America at Jamestown.

In the 17th century, the name appeared in various places, including the Hearth Tax Rolls of Staffordshire in 1666, which listed a William Corson as a taxpayer.

During the 18th century, John Corson (1713-1787) was a successful merchant and shipowner in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, who played a significant role in the city's maritime trade.

In the literary world, Martha Corson (1832-1904) was a renowned American poet and author, known for her works such as "The Rhymes of a Homesteader" and "The Village Bride."

Another notable bearer of the surname was Sir William Corson (1860-1938), a British military officer who served in the Boer War and later became a Conservative Member of Parliament.

While the Corson surname is relatively uncommon, it has a rich history spanning several centuries and can be traced back to its English origins and connections to watercress.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Corson

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

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

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

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