2010
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Couling
A surname potentially derived from the Old French word "coulant" meaning "flowing" or "gliding".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Couling. 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 Couling 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 Couling 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 Couling 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 Couling, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Couling
The surname Couling is of English origin, with its roots tracing back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated as a locational name from various places in England bearing similar names, such as Cooling in Kent, Cowling in Yorkshire, or Cowling in Lancashire.
One theory suggests that the name Couling derives from the Old English words "cu" meaning cow and "ling" meaning meadow or pasture. This indicates that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a cow pasture or a meadow used for grazing cattle.
Another possible origin lies in the Old English word "culing," which means a descendant or a young person. In this case, the name may have been used as a nickname for a young man or a son.
The earliest recorded instances of the Couling surname date back to the 13th century. One notable reference is found in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1292, which mentions a John de Couling.
In the 14th century, the name appears in various records, including the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1332, where a William Couling is mentioned. Additionally, the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1279 include a reference to a John Cullyng.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the Couling surname. One such person was John Couling (c. 1494-1568), an English Protestant reformer and Bishop of Oxford during the 16th century.
Another prominent figure was Richard Couling (1621-1687), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Principal of Magdalen Hall, Oxford.
In the 18th century, James Couling (1739-1825) was a notable architect and surveyor who worked on various projects in London and Kent.
The 19th century saw the birth of William Couling (1835-1908), a British trade unionist and socialist activist who played a significant role in the labor movement.
More recently, Edith Couling (1888-1964) was a British artist and illustrator known for her watercolor paintings and illustrations in children's books.
While the Couling surname may have originated from specific locations or nicknames, it has since spread across different regions and has been associated with diverse individuals throughout history, leaving an indelible mark on various fields.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Couling
Among Census respondents with the surname Couling, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Couling 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 Couling surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.0% · 96
- Hispanic or Latino10.6% · 12
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Couling
Couling appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+9 bearers (+8.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 8,823 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.7%) | Up 8,823 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 Couling 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 | #156,044 | #147,221 | 5.7% |
| Count | 104 | 113 | 8.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Couling bearers went from 104 to 113 (+8.7% change). The surname moved up 8,823 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #147,221.
FAQ
Couling surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Couling?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Couling. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Couling?
Couling 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 Couling. 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 Couling.
Has Couling become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Couling went from 104 recorded bearers to 113. That is an increase of 9 (+8.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #156,044 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Couling?
Among Census respondents with the surname Couling, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%). 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 Couling in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.0% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Couling appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.0%), Hispanic (10.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%). 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 Couling (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 Couling mean?
A surname potentially derived from the Old French word "coulant" meaning "flowing" or "gliding". 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 Couling (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 many people are called Couling?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Couling, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.