2000
#16,754
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,570
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.58
Rare Last name
Cothren
A locational surname possibly derived from an English place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,713 Americans carry the last name Cothren. That puts it at #18,331 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.50 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 200,090 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cothren 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
1.7K
1 in 200,090
Census rank
#18,331
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,494 bearers of the surname Cothren in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.50 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 18331st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cothren, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cothren
The surname Cothren originated in England, specifically in the county of Derbyshire during the late medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "cot" and "ryn," meaning "cottage" and "stream" or "brook," respectively. This suggests that the name may have originated from a place name referring to a cottage near a small stream or brook.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Coterine." This manuscript, commissioned by William the Conquer, was a survey of landholdings and population in England at the time. The inclusion of the name in this historic document indicates that the Cothren family had established roots in Derbyshire by the late 11th century.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various records as "Cotherene" and "Cotheren," reflecting the evolving spelling over time. During this period, the Cothren family was concentrated primarily in the Peak District of Derbyshire, known for its rugged landscapes and rich mining history.
One notable figure from this era was Sir John Cothren, a knight who fought in the Scottish Wars of Independence under King Edward I in the late 13th century. He was recorded as being from the village of Cothren, which may have been named after the family or vice versa.
In the 16th century, the spelling of the name stabilized to its modern form, "Cothren." During this time, the family expanded their presence beyond Derbyshire, with branches settling in neighboring counties such as Staffordshire and Cheshire.
A prominent member of the Cothren family in the 17th century was William Cothren (1605-1678), a wealthy landowner and merchant who played a significant role in the economic development of the town of Uttoxeter in Staffordshire. His legacy is still celebrated in the town, with a street named after him.
Another notable figure was Elizabeth Cothren (1762-1843), a renowned herbalist and midwife from the village of Tideswell in Derbyshire. Her vast knowledge of medicinal plants and expertise in traditional healing practices made her a respected figure in the local community.
In the 19th century, members of the Cothren family were involved in various industries, including mining, textile manufacturing, and agriculture. One such individual was John Cothren (1828-1901), a successful mine owner who contributed significantly to the coal mining industry in Derbyshire and surrounding areas.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cothren
Among Census respondents with the surname Cothren, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Cothren 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 Cothren surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.6% · 1,369
- Two or more races4.0% · 60
- Hispanic or Latino2.3% · 35
- Black or African American0.9% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 11
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cothren
Cothren 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
#16,864
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,691
+121 bearers (+7.7%)
Per 100,000 0.57
Rank movement Down 110 places
2020
#18,331
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,494
-197 bearers (-11.6%)
Per 100,000 0.50
Rank movement Down 1,467 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #16,754 | 1,570 | 0.58 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #16,864 | 1,691 | 0.57 | +121 bearers (+7.7%) | Down 110 places |
| 2020 | #18,331 | 1,494 | 0.50 | -197 bearers (-11.6%) | Down 1,467 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 Cothren 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 | #16,864 | #18,331 | -8.7% |
| Count | 1,691 | 1,494 | -11.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.57 | 0.50 | -12.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cothren bearers went from 1,691 to 1,494 (-11.6% change). The surname moved down 1,467 positions in the national ranking, going from #16,864 to #18,331.
FAQ
Cothren surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cothren?
Name Census estimates that about 1,713 living Americans carry the surname Cothren. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 200,090 residents.
How common is Cothren?
Cothren ranks #18,331 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.50 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,494 people with the surname Cothren. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,713), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.5 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.50 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Cothren.
Has Cothren become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cothren went from 1,691 recorded bearers to 1,494. That is a decrease of 197 (-11.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #16,864 to #18,331.
What does the Census say about the background of Cothren?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cothren, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (2.3%). 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 Cothren in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.6% (1,369 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cothren appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.6%), Two or More Races (4.0%), Hispanic (2.3%). 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 Cothren (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 Cothren mean?
A locational surname possibly derived from an English place name. 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 Cothren (0.50 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 have the last name Cothren?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Cothren, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.