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

Coughlin, 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 Coughlin surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Coughlin in America

Coughlin is the 2510th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Coughlin surname appeared 14,434 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Coughlin.

We can also compare 2010 data for Coughlin 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 Coughlin

The surname Coughlin originates from Ireland and is derived from the Gaelic personal name Ó Cochlain, meaning "descendant of Cochlain." The name Cochlain is a diminutive form of the Irish word "coch," which means "hog" or "red." The name likely referred to a person with reddish hair or complexion.

The name Coughlin can be traced back to County Cavan in the northern part of Ireland, where it was particularly prevalent in the medieval period. The Coughlin family was part of the Ui Briuin Breifne, a powerful dynasty that ruled over parts of modern-day counties Cavan and Leitrim.

One of the earliest recorded references to the name Coughlin can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. The annals mention a "Cochlin O'Breslin" in the year 1335, indicating the name's existence in the 14th century.

In the 16th century, during the Tudor conquest of Ireland, many Coughlin families were dispossessed of their lands and forced to relocate to other parts of the country. This led to the spread of the name across Ireland, particularly in counties like Armagh, Monaghan, and Louth.

Notable individuals with the surname Coughlin throughout history include:

1. Terence Coughlin (c. 1534-1589), an Irish Catholic priest who was martyred during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I for his religious beliefs.

2. Patrick Coughlin (1761-1849), an Irish-born soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War and later settled in Pennsylvania.

3. Dennis Joseph Coughlin (1865-1936), an American Catholic prelate who served as the Bishop of Jaffna in Sri Lanka from 1924 to 1936.

4. James Coughlin (1887-1967), an American baseball player who played for the Philadelphia Athletics and the Detroit Tigers in the early 20th century.

5. Charles Coughlin (1891-1979), an American Catholic priest and controversial radio host known for his anti-Semitic and pro-fascist views during the Great Depression era.

While the Coughlin name has its roots in Ireland, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly through Irish immigration to countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Coughlin

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

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

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

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