2000
#4,728
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,863
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.54
Rare Last name
Corwin
Derived from a French place name meaning "the white horn," likely referring to a distinctive geographical feature.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,458 Americans carry the last name Corwin. That puts it at #5,189 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.18 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 45,958 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Corwin 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.
Bearers in the US
7.5K
1 in 45,958
Census rank
#5,189
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,504 bearers of the surname Corwin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.18 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5189th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Corwin, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Corwin
The surname CORWIN has its origins in the Anglo-Saxon era of England, deriving from the Old English words "corn" meaning grain and "winn" meaning friend or protector. It is believed to have been an occupational surname initially given to someone who was responsible for overseeing the storage and protection of grain supplies.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Corwin can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Cornwine" in the county of Somerset. This suggests that the name was already well-established in England by the late 11th century.
During the medieval period, the name was often spelled in various ways, such as Cornewyn, Cornwyne, and Cornwynne, reflecting the regional dialects and scribal variations of the time. The name was particularly prevalent in the counties of Somerset, Gloucestershire, and Devon, where many early bearers of the name were landowners or farmers.
One notable historical figure was Sir John Corwin, who lived in the 14th century and served as a knight and landowner in Somerset. His descendants continued to hold land and influence in the region for several generations.
In the 16th century, the Corwin name gained prominence with the birth of Thomas Corwin (1501-1565), a wealthy merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers in London. His success and status helped to further establish the name's reputation.
Another prominent individual was Jonathan Corwin (1642-1718), a wealthy merchant and judge who played a significant role in the infamous Salem Witch Trials of 1692-1693. His actions during this period have been the subject of much historical debate and analysis.
In the 18th century, Edward Corwin (1738-1823) was a notable figure in the American Revolutionary War, serving as a lieutenant colonel in the Continental Army. He later became a respected lawyer and judge in New York.
The 19th century saw the birth of Thomas Corwin (1794-1865), a prominent politician and statesman who served as a U.S. Senator, Secretary of the Treasury, and Governor of Ohio. He was a vocal opponent of slavery and played a significant role in the debates leading up to the Civil War.
These are just a few examples of the many notable individuals who have borne the surname Corwin throughout history, reflecting its enduring legacy and importance across various fields and regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Corwin
Among Census respondents with the surname Corwin, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Corwin 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 Corwin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.5% · 5,948
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 215
- Two or more races3.3% · 214
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 62
- Black or African American0.5% · 33
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 32
Timeline
Historical Census data for Corwin
Corwin 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
#5,083
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,887
+24 bearers (+0.3%)
Per 100,000 2.33
Rank movement Down 355 places
2020
#5,189
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,504
-383 bearers (-5.6%)
Per 100,000 2.18
Rank movement Down 106 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,728 | 6,863 | 2.54 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,083 | 6,887 | 2.33 | +24 bearers (+0.3%) | Down 355 places |
| 2020 | #5,189 | 6,504 | 2.18 | -383 bearers (-5.6%) | Down 106 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 Corwin 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 | #5,083 | #5,189 | -2.1% |
| Count | 6,887 | 6,504 | -5.6% |
| Per 100K | 2.33 | 2.18 | -6.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Corwin bearers went from 6,887 to 6,504 (-5.6% change). The surname moved down 106 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,083 to #5,189.
FAQ
Corwin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Corwin?
Name Census estimates that about 7,458 living Americans carry the surname Corwin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 45,958 residents.
How common is Corwin?
Corwin ranks #5,189 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.18 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,504 people with the surname Corwin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,458), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.18 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.18 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Corwin.
Has Corwin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Corwin went from 6,887 recorded bearers to 6,504. That is a decrease of 383 (-5.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,083 to #5,189.
What does the Census say about the background of Corwin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Corwin, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Corwin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.5% (5,948 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Corwin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.5%), Hispanic (3.3%), Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Corwin (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 Corwin mean?
Derived from a French place name meaning "the white horn," likely referring to a distinctive geographical feature. 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 Corwin (2.18 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 Corwin?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.