2000
#2,939
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,243
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.17
Uncommon Last name
Cowart
An occupational surname for a cowherd or keeper of cattle.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 12,851 Americans carry the last name Cowart. That puts it at #3,135 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.75 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 26,671 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cowart 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
13K
1 in 26,671
Census rank
#3,135
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 11,207 bearers of the surname Cowart in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.75 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3135th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cowart, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.9%. The next largest groups are Black (14.5%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cowart
The surname Cowart is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, derived from the Old English words "cu" meaning "cow" and "ærð" meaning "earth" or "land." This combination suggests that the name may have initially referred to an area of land used for grazing cows or a location where cows were raised.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Cowart can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive record of landowners and properties in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Cuarth" and "Cuuert," indicating its evolution over time.
During the 13th century, the name Cowart is documented in several historical records, including the Pipe Rolls of Oxfordshire and the Hundredorum Rolls of Bedfordshire. These records often mention individuals with the surname in connection with land ownership and taxation.
In the 14th century, a notable figure named John Cowart was mentioned in the Patent Rolls of 1348, where he was granted a license to travel abroad for purposes of trade or study. This entry provides insight into the social status and mobility of individuals bearing this surname during that era.
By the 16th century, the name had spread across various regions of England, with records showing individuals named Cowart residing in counties such as Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, and Somerset. One notable figure from this period was William Cowart (1535-1612), a merchant and landowner in the city of Bristol.
In the 17th century, the Cowart surname gained further prominence with the birth of Sir John Cowart (1637-1712), a renowned military officer who served under King William III during the Nine Years' War. He was knighted for his bravery and leadership on the battlefield.
As the British Empire expanded, the Cowart name traveled to various parts of the world, including North America and the Caribbean. In the 18th century, records show individuals named Cowart settling in the American colonies, particularly in the states of Virginia and South Carolina.
Another notable figure was Thomas Cowart (1756-1834), a soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War and later became a successful farmer and landowner in Georgia. His descendants continued to carry the Cowart surname throughout the 19th and 20th centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cowart
Among Census respondents with the surname Cowart, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.9%. The next largest groups are Black (14.5%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Cowart 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 Cowart surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White77.9% · 8,728
- Black or African American14.5% · 1,626
- Two or more races3.9% · 442
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 313
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 55
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 43
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cowart
Cowart 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
#3,095
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,621
+378 bearers (+3.4%)
Per 100,000 3.94
Rank movement Down 156 places
2020
#3,135
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,207
-414 bearers (-3.6%)
Per 100,000 3.75
Rank movement Down 40 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,939 | 11,243 | 4.17 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,095 | 11,621 | 3.94 | +378 bearers (+3.4%) | Down 156 places |
| 2020 | #3,135 | 11,207 | 3.75 | -414 bearers (-3.6%) | Down 40 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 Cowart 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 | #3,095 | #3,135 | -1.3% |
| Count | 11,621 | 11,207 | -3.6% |
| Per 100K | 3.94 | 3.75 | -4.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cowart bearers went from 11,621 to 11,207 (-3.6% change). The surname moved down 40 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,095 to #3,135.
FAQ
Cowart surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cowart?
Name Census estimates that about 12,851 living Americans carry the surname Cowart. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 26,671 residents.
How common is Cowart?
Cowart ranks #3,135 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.75 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 11,207 people with the surname Cowart. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (12,851), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.75 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.75 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Cowart.
Has Cowart become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cowart went from 11,621 recorded bearers to 11,207. That is a decrease of 414 (-3.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,095 to #3,135.
What does the Census say about the background of Cowart?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cowart, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.9%. The next largest groups are Black (14.5%) and Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Cowart in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.9% (8,728 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cowart appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (77.9%), Black (14.5%), Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Cowart (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 Cowart mean?
An occupational surname for a cowherd or keeper of cattle. 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 Cowart (3.75 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 Cowart?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.