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

Cough, 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 Cough surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cough in America

Cough is the 107669th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cough surname appeared 165 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Cough.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cough 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 Cough

The surname Cough originated in England during the late Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "cohhian," which means "to cough" or "to clear one's throat." This name likely referred to a person who had a distinctive cough or was known for coughing frequently.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Cough can be traced back to the 13th century in the county of Essex. In the Hundred Rolls of 1273, a record of landowners and tenants, a man named Ralph Cough is mentioned as holding land in the village of Great Waltham.

During the 14th century, the name appears in various historical records, including the Subsidy Rolls of 1327 and the Poll Tax Returns of 1379. These documents list individuals with the surname Cough residing in various parts of England, such as Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, and Oxfordshire.

One notable individual bearing the surname Cough was John Cough, a merchant and landowner who lived in the city of York in the late 15th century. Records indicate that he was involved in the wool trade and owned several properties within the city walls.

In the 16th century, the name Cough appeared in the parish records of several English villages, including Coughton in Warwickshire and Coughton in Worcestershire. It is possible that these place names were derived from the surname, or vice versa, as was common practice during that time.

Another noteworthy figure was Sir Robert Cough, a military commander who served under King Henry VIII during the Anglo-Scottish Wars of the 1540s. He was recognized for his bravery and leadership in several battles against the Scottish forces.

In the 17th century, the surname Cough was found in various parts of England, including London, where a family of Coughs resided in the parish of St. Giles Cripplegate. One member of this family, William Cough (1621-1689), was a respected merchant and alderman in the City of London.

The 18th century saw the emergence of several prominent individuals with the surname Cough, including Samuel Cough (1734-1807), a renowned botanist and horticulturist who made significant contributions to the study of plant species in Britain.

Throughout history, the surname Cough has been subject to variations in spelling, including Coughe, Coughen, and Coughton, reflecting the regional dialects and phonetic adaptations of the time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cough

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!