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

Course, 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 Course surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Course in America

Course is the 53316th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Course surname appeared 388 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Course.

We can also compare 2010 data for Course 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 Course

The surname COURSE is of French origin and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old French word "cours," which means "running" or "flowing," referring to a stream or river. This surname was likely given to someone who lived near a watercourse or a fast-flowing stream.

The earliest recorded instances of the COURSE surname can be found in various medieval records across France. One notable example is a mention in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire, England, from 1204, which refers to a person named "Robertus de Cors."

During the Middle Ages, the COURSE surname appeared to be concentrated in the northern regions of France, particularly in Normandy and Brittany. It is believed that some COURSE families may have migrated to England during the Norman Conquest in the 11th century.

In the 14th century, the COURSE surname can be found in various English records, such as the Hundredorum Rolls of Norfolk from 1273, which mentions a "Willelmus de Cors." This indicates that the name had established itself in England by that time.

One notable bearer of the COURSE surname was Robert Courcy (c. 1170-1219), an Anglo-Norman nobleman who played a significant role in the conquest of Ireland. He was granted extensive lands in Ulster and became the first Lord of Courcy.

Another prominent figure was Thomas Courtenay (c. 1345-1419), an English nobleman and Archbishop of Canterbury from 1381 to 1396. He was a powerful figure during the reigns of Richard II and Henry IV.

In the 16th century, the COURSE surname can be found in the parish records of St. Dunstan's in East London, where a John Course was recorded in 1564.

The COURSE surname also has variants and spellings, such as Cours, Coursier, and Coursey, which can be found in various historical records across Europe.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, several COURSE families emigrated to the American colonies, including John Course, who settled in Virginia in 1635, and William Course, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1682.

Overall, the COURSE surname has a rich history spanning various regions of Europe and can be traced back to the medieval period, with its origins rooted in the Old French language and associated with proximity to watercourses or streams.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Course

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

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

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

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