2000
#11,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,525
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.94
Rare Last name
Court
An occupational surname referring to one who resided at or worked at a manorial court or royal court.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,800 Americans carry the last name Court. That puts it at #12,175 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.82 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 122,412 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Court 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 Court with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.8K
1 in 122,412
Census rank
#12,175
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,442 bearers of the surname Court in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.82 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12175th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Court, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.0%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Court
The surname Court is of Anglo-Norman French origin, derived from the Old French word "curt" or "cort", meaning a courtyard or an enclosed area. It emerged as a surname in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066, when many Norman settlers established themselves in various regions of the country.
The name was initially used as a topographic surname, given to individuals who lived near or worked at a courtyard or a manor house. It was also used as an occupational surname for those who held positions within the royal or noble households, such as courtiers or servants.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Court can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners and properties in England commissioned by William the Conquer. The name is mentioned in various counties, including Essex, Suffolk, and Kent.
In the 12th century, the name Court appeared in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire, where it was recorded as "de la Curt". This early spelling suggests that the name was initially used as a locational surname, referring to a specific place or settlement.
Notable individuals with the surname Court throughout history include:
1. Richard Court (c. 1573-1662), an English politician and member of the Long Parliament during the English Civil War.
2. John Court (1628-1688), an English politician and member of the Parliament of England during the reign of Charles II.
3. Marie Court (1703-1777), a French artist and painter known for her portraits and religious works.
4. Joseph Desir Court (1798-1865), a Belgian lawyer and politician who served as the Prime Minister of Belgium from 1857 to 1858.
5. Robert Court (1837-1905), an English cricketer who played for the Marylebone Cricket Club and represented Kent County Cricket Club.
The surname Court has also been associated with various place names, such as Courtmacsherry in County Cork, Ireland, and Courthill in Pembrokeshire, Wales. These place names likely originated from the Old French word "curt" or its variations, reflecting the presence of courtyards or manorial estates in those locations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Court
Among Census respondents with the surname Court, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.0%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Court 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 Court surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.4% · 2,111
- Hispanic or Latino7.0% · 170
- Two or more races3.0% · 73
- Black or African American2.7% · 65
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 21
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Court
Court 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
#12,289
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,530
+5 bearers (+0.2%)
Per 100,000 0.86
Rank movement Down 843 places
2020
#12,175
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,442
-88 bearers (-3.5%)
Per 100,000 0.82
Rank movement Up 114 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,446 | 2,525 | 0.94 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,289 | 2,530 | 0.86 | +5 bearers (+0.2%) | Down 843 places |
| 2020 | #12,175 | 2,442 | 0.82 | -88 bearers (-3.5%) | Up 114 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 Court 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 | #12,289 | #12,175 | 0.9% |
| Count | 2,530 | 2,442 | -3.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.86 | 0.82 | -5.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Court bearers went from 2,530 to 2,442 (-3.5% change). The surname moved up 114 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,289 to #12,175.
FAQ
Court surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Court?
Name Census estimates that about 2,800 living Americans carry the surname Court. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 122,412 residents.
How common is Court?
Court ranks #12,175 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.82 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,442 people with the surname Court. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,800), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.82 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.82 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Court.
Has Court become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Court went from 2,530 recorded bearers to 2,442. That is a decrease of 88 (-3.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #12,289 to #12,175.
What does the Census say about the background of Court?
Among Census respondents with the surname Court, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.0%) and Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Court in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.4% (2,111 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Court appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.4%), Hispanic (7.0%), Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Court (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 Court mean?
An occupational surname referring to one who resided at or worked at a manorial court or royal court. 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 Court (0.82 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 Court?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Court at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.