2000
#126,400
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Coughtry
A variant of the Irish surname Coghry, itself a variant of the nickname Coffery or MacGoffrey.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Coughtry. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Coughtry 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
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Coughtry in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Coughtry, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Coughtry
The surname Coughtry is believed to have originated in Scotland during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "cot" and "tre," which together translate to "cottage among the trees." This suggests that the earliest bearers of the name may have resided in a small dwelling situated within a wooded area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Coughtry name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a historical record of Scottish landowners who were forced to swear allegiance to King Edward I of England. The name appears as "Coughtre," likely reflecting an earlier spelling variation.
In the 15th century, a man named William Coughtry was documented as a landowner in the county of Ayrshire, Scotland. This region is known for its historic connections to the Coughtry family, with several place names, such as Coughtry Hill and Coughtry Farm, bearing the surname.
During the 16th century, the name Coughtry appears in various Scottish records, including court proceedings and parish registers. One notable figure from this era was John Coughtry (c. 1525-1598), a merchant and burgess of Edinburgh, who was involved in trade with the Netherlands.
In the 17th century, the Coughtry family expanded their reach beyond Scotland, with some members emigrating to Ireland and England. One such individual was Robert Coughtry (1620-1687), who settled in County Antrim, Ireland, and established a successful farming enterprise.
As the centuries progressed, the Coughtry name continued to be found across various parts of the British Isles and beyond. In the 19th century, James Coughtry (1818-1892), a Scottish-born engineer, made significant contributions to the development of early steam locomotives in the United States.
Throughout its history, the surname Coughtry has been associated with individuals from diverse backgrounds, including scholars, artists, and military personnel. One notable figure was Lieutenant Colonel William Coughtry (1892-1962), a highly decorated British Army officer who served in both World Wars.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Coughtry
Among Census respondents with the surname Coughtry, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Coughtry 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 Coughtry surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.3% · 104
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Coughtry
Coughtry 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
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
-3 bearers (-2.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,927 places
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-14 bearers (-11.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,608 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #126,400 | 125 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.4%) | Down 10,927 places |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | -14 bearers (-11.5%) | Down 13,608 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 Coughtry 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 | #137,327 | #150,935 | -9.9% |
| Count | 122 | 108 | -11.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Coughtry bearers went from 122 to 108 (-11.5% change). The surname moved down 13,608 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #150,935.
FAQ
Coughtry surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Coughtry?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Coughtry. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Coughtry?
Coughtry ranks #150,935 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 108 people with the surname Coughtry. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Coughtry.
Has Coughtry become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Coughtry went from 122 recorded bearers to 108. That is a decrease of 14 (-11.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Coughtry?
Among Census respondents with the surname Coughtry, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%). 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 Coughtry in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.3% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Coughtry appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.3%), Hispanic (1.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%). 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 Coughtry (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 Coughtry mean?
A variant of the Irish surname Coghry, itself a variant of the nickname Coffery or MacGoffrey. 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 Coughtry (0.04 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 common is the surname Coughtry?
Want to know how many people have the surname Coughtry? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.