2000
#131,366
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Coute
French surname denoting someone from a place or village called Coute.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Coute. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Coute 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.
Bearers in the US
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Coute in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Coute, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Coute
The surname COUTE is believed to have originated in France during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "cote," which means "hill" or "slope." The name likely referred to someone who lived near a hill or on a slope.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name COUTE can be found in the Domesday Book, a great survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This suggests that the name had already spread to England by the 11th century.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms such as "de la Coute" and "atte Coute," indicating the name's French origins. These variations were common in medieval times when surnames were still developing and often reflected a person's place of residence or occupation.
A notable bearer of the name was Sir John Coute, who lived in the 14th century and was a knight in the service of King Edward III. He participated in several military campaigns during the Hundred Years' War between England and France.
Another prominent figure with the COUTE surname was William Coute, a merchant and alderman in the City of London during the 15th century. He was known for his philanthropic activities and contributed to the construction of several churches and charitable institutions.
In the 16th century, the name COUTE appeared in various parish records across England, indicating its widespread use. One notable bearer was Richard Coute, a wealthy landowner and member of the gentry in Gloucestershire, who was born in 1542.
During the 17th century, the surname COUTE was found in several parts of England, including Yorkshire, where a family of that name owned a large estate in the village of Couteby. Thomas Coute, born in 1612, was a prominent member of this family and served as a magistrate and local official.
As the centuries passed, the COUTE surname continued to be found in various regions of England, with some bearers achieving notable positions in society. However, the name remained relatively uncommon compared to other English surnames.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Coute
Among Census respondents with the surname Coute, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Coute 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 Coute surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.4% · 110
- Two or more races5.0% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Coute
Coute 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
#122,314
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 141
+22 bearers (+18.5%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 9,052 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
-22 bearers (-15.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 20,474 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #131,366 | 119 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #122,314 | 141 | 0.05 | +22 bearers (+18.5%) | Up 9,052 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | -22 bearers (-15.6%) | Down 20,474 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 Coute 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 | #122,314 | #142,788 | -16.7% |
| Count | 141 | 119 | -15.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -20.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Coute bearers went from 141 to 119 (-15.6% change). The surname moved down 20,474 positions in the national ranking, going from #122,314 to #142,788.
FAQ
Coute surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Coute?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Coute. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Coute?
Coute ranks #142,788 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 119 people with the surname Coute. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), 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 Coute.
Has Coute become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Coute went from 141 recorded bearers to 119. That is a decrease of 22 (-15.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #122,314 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Coute?
Among Census respondents with the surname Coute, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Coute in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.4% (110 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Coute appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.4%), Two or More Races (5.0%), Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Coute (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 Coute mean?
French surname denoting someone from a place or village called Coute. 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 Coute (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 have the surname Coute?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.