2000
#116,123
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 139
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Cowels
A surname originating from the English town of Cowhill.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Cowels. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cowels 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Cowels in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cowels, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.5%. The next largest groups are Black (21.2%) and Two or More Races (8.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cowels
The surname COWELS is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "cu-healede," meaning "cow-herder" or "cow-keeper." This occupational surname emerged during the Middle Ages, around the 11th or 12th century, when it was common for people to adopt surnames based on their trade or profession.
The earliest known record of the name COWELS can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions a landowner named Willelmus Cuueherde in Lincolnshire. Over time, the spelling of the name evolved, with variations such as Cowherd, Cowerd, and Cowels appearing in various historical documents.
One notable figure bearing the name COWELS was Richard Cowels (c. 1490-1556), an English politician and member of the Parliament of England during the reign of King Henry VIII. He served as the Sheriff of Norfolk and Suffolk in 1531.
Another individual of historical significance was John Cowels (1568-1619), an English clergyman and author who served as the Bishop of Norwich from 1618 until his death. He wrote several theological works, including a treatise on the Sabbath.
In the 17th century, a man named Thomas Cowels (1628-1702) gained recognition as a prominent English architect and surveyor. He was involved in the rebuilding efforts in London following the Great Fire of 1666 and worked on several notable projects, including the reconstruction of St. Paul's Cathedral.
The surname COWELS also has connections to place names in England. For example, there is a village called Cowell's Green in Worcestershire, which likely derived its name from an early settler or landowner with the surname COWELS.
It is worth mentioning that in the 18th century, a notable figure named Samuel Cowels (1712-1782) made contributions to the field of mathematics. He was an English mathematician and astronomer who published works on calculus and celestial mechanics.
While the surname COWELS may not be as common today as it once was, its origins can be traced back to the medieval period, when it emerged as an occupational surname denoting a cow herder or keeper. The name has been carried by individuals who made significant contributions in various fields throughout history, leaving an indelible mark on the cultural and intellectual landscape of England.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cowels
Among Census respondents with the surname Cowels, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.5%. The next largest groups are Black (21.2%) and Two or More Races (8.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Cowels 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 Cowels surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White65.5% · 74
- Black or African American21.2% · 24
- Two or more races8.8% · 10
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.5% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cowels
Cowels 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
#136,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
-16 bearers (-11.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 20,326 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-10 bearers (-8.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,772 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #116,123 | 139 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #136,449 | 123 | 0.04 | -16 bearers (-11.5%) | Down 20,326 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-8.1%) | Down 10,772 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 Cowels 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 | #136,449 | #147,221 | -7.9% |
| Count | 123 | 113 | -8.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cowels bearers went from 123 to 113 (-8.1% change). The surname moved down 10,772 positions in the national ranking, going from #136,449 to #147,221.
FAQ
Cowels surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cowels?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Cowels. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Cowels?
Cowels ranks #147,221 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 113 people with the surname Cowels. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), 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 Cowels.
Has Cowels become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cowels went from 123 recorded bearers to 113. That is a decrease of 10 (-8.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #136,449 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Cowels?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cowels, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.5%. The next largest groups are Black (21.2%) and Two or More Races (8.8%). 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 Cowels in the 2020 Census, accounting for 65.5% (74 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cowels appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (65.5%), Black (21.2%), Two or More Races (8.8%). 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 Cowels (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 Cowels mean?
A surname originating from the English town of Cowhill. 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 Cowels (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 common is the surname Cowels?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Cowels on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.