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

Coward, 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 Coward surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Coward in America

Coward is the 6012th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Coward surname appeared 5,720 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Coward.

We can also compare 2010 data for Coward 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 Coward

The surname Coward has its origins in England and can be traced back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "coart," which means "coward" or "lacking courage." The name likely originated as a descriptive nickname for someone perceived as timid or faint-hearted.

In the early 13th century, the name appeared in various forms such as Coward, Cowarde, and Couharde in various records and manuscripts across England. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name was in the Curia Regis Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1208, where a person named William Coward was mentioned.

The Coward surname was found in various parts of England, including Lincolnshire, Yorkshire, and Oxfordshire, among others. Some early examples include John Coward, who was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1327, and Robert Coward, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1379.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Coward surname gained prominence in England, with several notable individuals bearing the name. One such person was Sir John Coward (1550-1632), a prominent merchant and alderman of London who served as the Sheriff of London in 1600 and the Lord Mayor of London in 1628.

Another notable figure was William Coward (1657-1725), an English physician and philosopher who wrote several treatises on philosophy, medicine, and theology. He is regarded as one of the earliest proponents of the theory of materialism in England.

In the 18th century, the Coward surname was associated with several places in England, such as Coward's Green in Cheshire and Coward's Wood in Hertfordshire. These place names likely derived from individuals bearing the Coward surname who lived or owned land in those areas.

Other notable individuals with the Coward surname throughout history include Thomas Coward (1805-1865), an English painter and engraver known for his landscapes and book illustrations, and Sir Noël Coward (1899-1973), the renowned English playwright, composer, director, actor, and singer who achieved international fame for his witty and sophisticated plays and musicals.

While the Coward surname may have had an unflattering origin as a descriptive nickname, it has become a respected and widely-distributed surname over the centuries, with many notable individuals bearing the name and contributing to various fields throughout history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Coward

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

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

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

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