2000
#14,122
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,955
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.72
Rare Last name
Cowger
An English occupational surname for a cowherd or a cowkeeper.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,171 Americans carry the last name Cowger. That puts it at #14,988 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.63 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 157,879 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cowger 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
2.2K
1 in 157,879
Census rank
#14,988
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,893 bearers of the surname Cowger in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.63 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14988th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cowger, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cowger
The surname Cowger has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period around the 12th century. It is believed to have originated from the Old English word "cuwere," which referred to a cowherd or someone who tended cows. This occupation-based surname was likely adopted by individuals or families whose primary livelihood involved caring for cattle.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Cowger name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, a census-like record compiled in 1279. This document lists a John le Cuwere, which translates to John the Cowherd, providing evidence of the name's use during that time.
In the 14th century, records show variations of the name, such as Cowger and Couger, appearing in various parts of England, including Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Nottinghamshire. These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and inconsistencies in spelling during that era.
The Cowger surname is also linked to certain place names in England. For instance, the village of Cowgill in Yorkshire may have derived its name from a similar Old English word, suggesting a connection between the surname and the geographic location.
One notable individual bearing the Cowger surname was John Cowger, born in 1624 in Lincolnshire, England. He was a prominent merchant and landowner, and his descendants later immigrated to the American colonies in the late 17th century, helping to establish the name in the New World.
Another historical figure with the Cowger name was William Cowger, born in 1742 in Yorkshire, England. He served as a soldier in the British Army during the American Revolutionary War and was captured by Continental forces at the Battle of Saratoga in 1777.
In the 19th century, Mary Cowger, born in 1832 in Nottinghamshire, England, gained recognition as a philanthropist and social reformer. She dedicated her life to improving the living conditions of the poor and advocating for women's rights.
The Cowger surname also has roots in Scotland, with records showing variations like Cougar and Cowgar appearing in historical documents from the 16th and 17th centuries. One notable Scottish bearer of the name was Robert Cowgar, born in 1687 in Ayrshire, who served as a minister in the Church of Scotland.
In the United States, the Cowger surname has been present since the colonial era, with many descendants of the early English and Scottish immigrants settling in various regions, particularly in the Mid-Atlantic and Appalachian regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cowger
Among Census respondents with the surname Cowger, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Cowger 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 Cowger surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.0% · 1,704
- Hispanic or Latino5.0% · 95
- Two or more races3.8% · 71
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 10
- Black or African American0.2% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cowger
Cowger 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
#14,724
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,018
+63 bearers (+3.2%)
Per 100,000 0.68
Rank movement Down 602 places
2020
#14,988
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,893
-125 bearers (-6.2%)
Per 100,000 0.63
Rank movement Down 264 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,122 | 1,955 | 0.72 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,724 | 2,018 | 0.68 | +63 bearers (+3.2%) | Down 602 places |
| 2020 | #14,988 | 1,893 | 0.63 | -125 bearers (-6.2%) | Down 264 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 Cowger 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 | #14,724 | #14,988 | -1.8% |
| Count | 2,018 | 1,893 | -6.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.68 | 0.63 | -6.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cowger bearers went from 2,018 to 1,893 (-6.2% change). The surname moved down 264 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,724 to #14,988.
FAQ
Cowger surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cowger?
Name Census estimates that about 2,171 living Americans carry the surname Cowger. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 157,879 residents.
How common is Cowger?
Cowger ranks #14,988 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.63 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 1,893 people with the surname Cowger. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,171), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.63 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.63 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 Cowger.
Has Cowger become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cowger went from 2,018 recorded bearers to 1,893. That is a decrease of 125 (-6.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,724 to #14,988.
What does the Census say about the background of Cowger?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cowger, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Cowger in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.0% (1,704 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cowger appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.0%), Hispanic (5.0%), Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Cowger (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 Cowger mean?
An English occupational surname for a cowherd or a cowkeeper. 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 Cowger (0.63 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 Cowger?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Cowger on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.