2000
#29,142
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 766
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.28
Very Rare Last name
Coughran
An anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Cochrán or Ó Corcráin, thought to be derived from the Gaelic "cuachran" meaning "cup-maker" or "bowl-
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 928 Americans carry the last name Coughran. That puts it at #30,813 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.27 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 369,347 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Coughran 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
928
1 in 369,347
Census rank
#30,813
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
809
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 809 bearers of the surname Coughran in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.27 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 30813th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Coughran, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.4%) and Hispanic (8.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Coughran
The surname Coughran is believed to have originated in Ireland during the 16th century. It is thought to be an anglicized version of the Irish Gaelic name "O'Cochrann," which means "descendant of Cochran." The name Cochran itself is derived from the Irish word "cuachran," meaning "cup-like hollow."
The Coughran surname is primarily associated with County Donegal in Ulster, located in the northwest of Ireland. It is believed that the clan settled in this region during the 16th century, though there are records of the name appearing in other parts of Ireland as well.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Coughran name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century. The name is mentioned in an entry from 1592, referring to a "Cochran" who was involved in a conflict in County Donegal.
In the 18th century, the Coughran name began to spread beyond Ireland due to emigration. Several individuals bearing this surname can be found in historical records from this period, such as James Coughran, who was born in County Donegal in 1725 and later settled in Pennsylvania, USA.
Another notable figure was Patrick Coughran, an Irish-born soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War. He was born in 1745 and served in the Continental Army under General George Washington.
In the 19th century, the Coughran surname gained recognition through individuals like William Coughran, an Irish-born writer and journalist who lived from 1818 to 1891. He wrote extensively about Irish history and culture, and his works are considered valuable historical resources.
Mary Coughran, born in 1844 in County Donegal, was another notable individual. She emigrated to the United States in the 1860s and became involved in the women's suffrage movement, advocating for the right of women to vote.
In more recent times, the Coughran name has been carried by individuals like the Irish actor and writer Brendan Coughran, who was born in 1942 and is known for his work in theater and television.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Coughran
Among Census respondents with the surname Coughran, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.4%) and Hispanic (8.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Coughran 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 Coughran surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White77.9% · 630
- Two or more races9.4% · 76
- Hispanic or Latino8.4% · 68
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.3% · 19
- Black or African American1.0% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Coughran
Coughran 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
#40,672
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 537
-229 bearers (-29.9%)
Per 100,000 0.18
Rank movement Down 11,530 places
2020
#30,813
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 809
+272 bearers (+50.7%)
Per 100,000 0.27
Rank movement Up 9,859 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #29,142 | 766 | 0.28 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #40,672 | 537 | 0.18 | -229 bearers (-29.9%) | Down 11,530 places |
| 2020 | #30,813 | 809 | 0.27 | +272 bearers (+50.7%) | Up 9,859 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 Coughran 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 | #40,672 | #30,813 | 24.2% |
| Count | 537 | 809 | 50.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.18 | 0.27 | 50.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Coughran bearers went from 537 to 809 (+50.7% change). The surname moved up 9,859 positions in the national ranking, going from #40,672 to #30,813.
FAQ
Coughran surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Coughran?
Name Census estimates that about 928 living Americans carry the surname Coughran. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 369,347 residents.
How common is Coughran?
Coughran ranks #30,813 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.27 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 809 people with the surname Coughran. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (928), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.27 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.27 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 Coughran.
Has Coughran become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Coughran went from 537 recorded bearers to 809. That is an increase of 272 (+50.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #40,672 to #30,813.
What does the Census say about the background of Coughran?
Among Census respondents with the surname Coughran, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.4%) and Hispanic (8.4%). 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 Coughran in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.9% (630 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Coughran appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (77.9%), Two or More Races (9.4%), Hispanic (8.4%). 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 Coughran (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 Coughran mean?
An anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Cochrán or Ó Corcráin, thought to be derived from the Gaelic "cuachran" meaning "cup-maker" or "bowl- 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 Coughran (0.27 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 are called Coughran?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Coughran on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.