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

Coursey, 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 Coursey surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Coursey in America

Coursey is the 8523rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Coursey surname appeared 3,862 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Coursey.

We can also compare 2010 data for Coursey 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 Coursey

The surname COURSEY has its origins in the French language, with the earliest known records tracing back to the late 12th century in the northern regions of France. The name is derived from the Old French word "cour," meaning "court" or "courtyard," suggesting that the original bearers of this name may have lived or worked near a courtyard or manor house.

One of the earliest documented references to the surname COURSEY can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire, England, from 1195, where a Roger de Courcy is mentioned. This suggests that the name may have been brought to England during the Norman Conquest in the 11th century.

The COURSEY surname has also been recorded in various old manuscripts and records throughout the Middle Ages, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where a John de Courcy is listed as a landowner in Somerset, England.

In the late 13th century, a notable figure named Sir John Coursey (c. 1285-1349) served as a Member of Parliament for Worcestershire and was also appointed as a knight by King Edward III. During his lifetime, Sir John Coursey was involved in several military campaigns, including the Wars of Scottish Independence.

Another prominent individual with the surname COURSEY was William Coursey (c. 1400-1465), who served as the Sheriff of Gloucestershire in 1444 and was also a Member of Parliament for the county.

In the 16th century, the COURSEY surname was closely associated with the village of Courcy in Normandy, France, which may have been the ancestral homeland of some branches of the family. A notable figure from this period was Richard Coursey (c. 1520-1590), who served as the Rector of the parish church in Courcy.

The COURSEY surname has also been found in various place names and locations throughout England, such as Coursey Priory in Somerset, which was founded in the 12th century by members of the Coursey family.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, several individuals with the COURSEY surname made significant contributions in various fields, including John Coursey (c. 1630-1701), who was a prominent merchant and landowner in Virginia, and Thomas Coursey (c. 1720-1785), who was a renowned architect and designer of several notable buildings in London.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Coursey

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

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

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

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