2000
#3,967
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,222
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.05
Rare Last name
Couture
A French occupational surname referring to a tailor, dressmaker, or fashion designer.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,128 Americans carry the last name Couture. That puts it at #4,316 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.66 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 37,550 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Couture 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
9.1K
1 in 37,550
Census rank
#4,316
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,960 bearers of the surname Couture in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.66 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4316th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Couture, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Couture
The surname Couture has its origins in France, where it first emerged in the 12th century. It is derived from the Old French word "cousture," which means "sewing" or "needlework." This occupational name was likely given to an ancestor who worked as a tailor or seamstress.
The earliest recorded instance of the name Couture dates back to the 13th century, when it appeared in the records of the city of Paris. During this time, the name was often spelled as "Cousturier" or "Cousturiere." Over the centuries, the spelling evolved to the modern form of "Couture."
One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname Couture was Jean Couture, a French merchant who lived in the 15th century and was involved in the textile trade. Another early bearer of the name was Jacques Couture, a French explorer who accompanied Samuel de Champlain to Canada in the early 17th century and is considered one of the first European settlers in the Quebec region.
In the 18th century, Antoine Couture (1702-1775) was a prominent French architect who designed several notable buildings in Paris, including the Church of Saint-Roch and the Palais Bourbon, the former seat of the French National Assembly.
The surname Couture also has a rich history in Canada, where many French settlers with this name established themselves in the 17th and 18th centuries. One notable Canadian with this surname was Philippe Couture (1677-1754), a fur trader and explorer who played a significant role in the exploration of the Canadian Northwest.
Another famous individual with the surname Couture was Thomas Couture (1815-1879), a French painter and teacher who was a prominent figure in the Realist movement of the 19th century. His most famous works include "The Romans of the Decadence" and "The Falconer."
While the surname Couture is most prevalent in France and Canada, it has also spread to other parts of the world due to migration and intermarriage. Despite its occupational origins, the name has transcended its humble beginnings and is now associated with a rich cultural heritage spanning several centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Couture
Among Census respondents with the surname Couture, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Couture 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 Couture surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.3% · 7,188
- Two or more races4.0% · 319
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 224
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.5% · 122
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 74
- Black or African American0.4% · 33
Timeline
Historical Census data for Couture
Couture 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
#4,165
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,508
+286 bearers (+3.5%)
Per 100,000 2.88
Rank movement Down 198 places
2020
#4,316
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,960
-548 bearers (-6.4%)
Per 100,000 2.66
Rank movement Down 151 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,967 | 8,222 | 3.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,165 | 8,508 | 2.88 | +286 bearers (+3.5%) | Down 198 places |
| 2020 | #4,316 | 7,960 | 2.66 | -548 bearers (-6.4%) | Down 151 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 Couture 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 | #4,165 | #4,316 | -3.6% |
| Count | 8,508 | 7,960 | -6.4% |
| Per 100K | 2.88 | 2.66 | -7.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Couture bearers went from 8,508 to 7,960 (-6.4% change). The surname moved down 151 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,165 to #4,316.
FAQ
Couture surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Couture?
Name Census estimates that about 9,128 living Americans carry the surname Couture. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 37,550 residents.
How common is Couture?
Couture ranks #4,316 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.66 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,960 people with the surname Couture. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,128), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.66 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.66 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Couture.
Has Couture become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Couture went from 8,508 recorded bearers to 7,960. That is a decrease of 548 (-6.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,165 to #4,316.
What does the Census say about the background of Couture?
Among Census respondents with the surname Couture, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Couture in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.3% (7,188 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Couture appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.3%), Two or More Races (4.0%), Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Couture (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 Couture mean?
A French occupational surname referring to a tailor, dressmaker, or fashion designer. 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 Couture (2.66 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 last name Couture?
See how many people have the surname Couture on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.