2000
#10,363
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,848
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.06
Rare Last name
Couto
A Portuguese topographic surname referring to a person who lived near an area enclosed by walls or fences.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,532 Americans carry the last name Couto. That puts it at #9,994 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 97,043 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Couto 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 Couto with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.5K
1 in 97,043
Census rank
#9,994
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,080 bearers of the surname Couto in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9994th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Couto, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (14.6%) and Black (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Couto
The surname Couto is of Portuguese origin, originating from the region of Portugal in the 15th century. It is derived from the Portuguese word "couto," which means a territory exempt from the jurisdiction of the local lord or king, serving as a sanctuary or refuge. The name may have been given to someone who lived in or was associated with such a territorial enclave.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Couto dates back to the 16th century, when it appeared in the Livro de Linhagens, a Portuguese genealogical record. This suggests that the name was already well-established by that time.
The name Couto has also been linked to various place names in Portugal, such as Couto de Baixo and Couto de Cima, which were likely named after the concept of a "couto" or sanctuary.
Among notable individuals who bore the surname Couto throughout history is João Couto (1470-1538), a Portuguese explorer and navigator who participated in the expeditions of Vasco da Gama to India. Another prominent figure was Manuel Couto (1579-1646), a Portuguese soldier and historian who served in India and authored the work "Decada da Asia."
In the 17th century, Pedro Couto (1610-1672) was a celebrated Portuguese painter known for his religious works and portraits. Centuries later, José Couto (1873-1951) gained recognition as a Portuguese writer and journalist, contributing significantly to the cultural landscape of his time.
It is worth mentioning that the surname Couto has also been found in Spanish-speaking regions, likely due to the historical connections between Portugal and Spain. One notable bearer of the name was Manuel Couto (1887-1957), a Cuban writer and journalist known for his literary works and contributions to the Cuban press.
Throughout its history, the surname Couto has maintained a strong presence in Portugal and other regions influenced by Portuguese culture, reflecting the significance of the concept of sanctuaries and territorial enclaves in the nation's past.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Couto
Among Census respondents with the surname Couto, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (14.6%) and Black (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Couto 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 Couto surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.4% · 2,444
- Hispanic or Latino14.6% · 449
- Black or African American2.5% · 77
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.2% · 67
- Two or more races1.3% · 40
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Couto
Couto 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
#10,478
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,066
+218 bearers (+7.7%)
Per 100,000 1.04
Rank movement Down 115 places
2020
#9,994
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,080
+14 bearers (+0.5%)
Per 100,000 1.03
Rank movement Up 484 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,363 | 2,848 | 1.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,478 | 3,066 | 1.04 | +218 bearers (+7.7%) | Down 115 places |
| 2020 | #9,994 | 3,080 | 1.03 | +14 bearers (+0.5%) | Up 484 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 Couto 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 | #10,478 | #9,994 | 4.6% |
| Count | 3,066 | 3,080 | 0.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.04 | 1.03 | -0.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Couto bearers went from 3,066 to 3,080 (+0.5% change). The surname moved up 484 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,478 to #9,994.
FAQ
Couto surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Couto?
Name Census estimates that about 3,532 living Americans carry the surname Couto. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 97,043 residents.
How common is Couto?
Couto ranks #9,994 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.03 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 3,080 people with the surname Couto. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,532), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.03 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 Couto.
Has Couto become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Couto went from 3,066 recorded bearers to 3,080. That is an increase of 14 (+0.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #10,478 to #9,994.
What does the Census say about the background of Couto?
Among Census respondents with the surname Couto, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (14.6%) and Black (2.5%). 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 Couto in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.4% (2,444 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Couto appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (79.4%), Hispanic (14.6%), Black (2.5%). 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 Couto (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 Couto mean?
A Portuguese topographic surname referring to a person who lived near an area enclosed by walls or fences. 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 Couto (1.03 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 share the surname Couto?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.