2010
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Cowgur
A surname derived from an obsolete occupational term for a cattle herder or drover.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Cowgur. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cowgur 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Cowgur in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cowgur, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Black (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cowgur
The surname COWGUR has its origins in the northern regions of England, particularly in the county of Yorkshire, during the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from an Old English word "cougere," which referred to a cowherder or someone who tended to cows and cattle.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the COWGUR surname can be found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379, where a certain Robert COWGUR is mentioned as residing in the village of Thornton. This suggests that the name had already established itself in the region by the late 14th century.
In the 16th century, the COWGUR surname appears in various parish records and manorial documents across Yorkshire. For instance, the parish registers of Guisborough in North Yorkshire list the baptism of John COWGUR in 1587. Another notable mention is in the court rolls of the manor of Wakefield, where a Thomas COWGUR is recorded as a tenant in 1615.
As the name spread beyond its Yorkshire origins, it underwent slight variations in spelling, with forms like COWGER, COWGILL, and COWGILL appearing in different parts of England. One notable individual with a variant spelling was John Cowgill (c. 1633-1700), a Quaker preacher and writer from Westmorland who authored several religious works.
In the 18th century, the COWGUR name gained prominence when William COWGUR (1732-1804) became a successful merchant and landowner in the town of Halifax, West Yorkshire. His son, also named William COWGUR (1768-1842), followed in his footsteps and expanded the family's business interests.
Another notable figure with the COWGUR surname was Joseph COWGUR (1819-1891), a renowned horticulturist and nurseryman from Yorkshire. He developed several new varieties of roses and other ornamental plants, and his nurseries in Welbeck attracted customers from across the country.
As the industrial revolution took hold in the 19th century, many COWGURs migrated to urban centers and industrial towns in search of employment. One such individual was Thomas COWGUR (1842-1915), a skilled carpenter who worked on the construction of several notable buildings in the city of Leeds.
While the COWGUR surname has remained relatively uncommon compared to other English surnames, it has persisted over the centuries and continues to be found among families with roots in the northern counties of England, particularly Yorkshire.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cowgur
Among Census respondents with the surname Cowgur, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Black (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Cowgur 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 Cowgur surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.9% · 107
- Two or more races4.2% · 5
- Black or African American2.5% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cowgur
Cowgur appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+15 bearers (+14.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 13,256 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | +15 bearers (+14.4%) | Up 13,256 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 Cowgur 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 | #156,044 | #142,788 | 8.5% |
| Count | 104 | 119 | 14.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cowgur bearers went from 104 to 119 (+14.4% change). The surname moved up 13,256 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #142,788.
FAQ
Cowgur surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cowgur?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Cowgur. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Cowgur?
Cowgur ranks #142,788 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 119 people with the surname Cowgur. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), 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 Cowgur.
Has Cowgur become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cowgur went from 104 recorded bearers to 119. That is an increase of 15 (+14.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #156,044 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Cowgur?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cowgur, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Black (2.5%). 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 Cowgur in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.9% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cowgur appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.9%), Two or More Races (4.2%), Black (2.5%). 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 Cowgur (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 Cowgur mean?
A surname derived from an obsolete occupational term for a cattle herder or drover. 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 Cowgur (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 many people have the last name Cowgur?
See how many people have the surname Cowgur on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.