2000
#127,186
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Coules
A variant spelling of the French surname Coulet, derived from the Old French word "couler" meaning "to flow".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Coules. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Coules 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Coules with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Coules in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Coules, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Coules
The surname COULES is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated in the county of Wiltshire, England, where it was derived from the Old English word "coul," meaning "charcoal" or "coal." This suggests that early bearers of the name may have been involved in the production or trade of charcoal or coal.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Coles." This historical record provides valuable insights into the distribution and prevalence of surnames in different regions of England during the Norman period.
The surname COULES underwent various spelling variations over the centuries, including Coles, Coules, Coulis, and Cowles. These variations were common in the era before standardized spelling conventions were established, and they often reflected regional dialects and pronunciation differences.
Among the notable individuals with the surname COULES throughout history are:
1. John Coules (c.1350 - c.1420), an English landowner and member of the gentry from Wiltshire. Records indicate that he held lands in the village of Collingbourne Ducis.
2. William Coules (1592 - 1662), a prominent English merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers in London. He played a significant role in the city's trade with the Low Countries.
3. Elizabeth Coules (1674 - 1736), an English writer and poet from Gloucestershire. Her published works include a collection of poems titled "Poetic Musings" in 1715.
4. Thomas Coules (1798 - 1879), a British architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in the city of Bristol, including the Bristol Royal Infirmary.
5. Margaret Coules (1864 - 1947), a Scottish teacher and advocate for women's education. She was one of the founders of the Aberdeen Association for the Education of Women, which later became part of the University of Aberdeen.
The surname COULES has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Coulesbury in Wiltshire and Coulesdon in Surrey. These place names often reflect the presence of families bearing the surname in those areas during the Middle Ages.
While the surname COULES may not be among the most common in modern times, its history can be traced back to the medieval period, reflecting the diverse occupations, locations, and contributions of its bearers throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Coules
Among Census respondents with the surname Coules, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Coules 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 Coules surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.6% · 99
- Hispanic or Latino12.4% · 14
Timeline
Historical Census data for Coules
Coules 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
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-12 bearers (-9.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 20,067 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+1 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 32 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,186 | 124 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | -12 bearers (-9.7%) | Down 20,067 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.9%) | Up 32 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 Coules 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 | #147,253 | #147,221 | 0.0% |
| Count | 112 | 113 | 0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Coules bearers went from 112 to 113 (+0.9% change). The surname moved up 32 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #147,221.
FAQ
Coules surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Coules?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Coules. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Coules?
Coules ranks #147,221 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 113 people with the surname Coules. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), 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 Coules.
Has Coules become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Coules went from 112 recorded bearers to 113. That is an increase of 1 (+0.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #147,253 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Coules?
Among Census respondents with the surname Coules, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (12.4%). 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 Coules in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.6% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Coules appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.6%), Hispanic (12.4%). 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 Coules (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 Coules mean?
A variant spelling of the French surname Coulet, derived from the Old French word "couler" meaning "to flow". 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 Coules (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 Coules?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Coules at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.