2000
#143,847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Cowl
A surname referring to a maker or seller of cowls (fabric hoods).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Cowl. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cowl 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Cowl with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Cowl in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cowl, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cowl
The surname COWL is of English origin, first appearing in records during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "cuhol" or "cuhle," meaning a cowl or a hood. The cowl was a distinctive part of the garments worn by monks in medieval times, and it is likely that the name was initially given as a nickname to someone who bore a resemblance to a cowled monk or worked in monasteries.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname COWL can be found in various historical documents from the 13th and 14th centuries. For example, the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 mention a William Couhulle in Oxfordshire, and the Subsidy Rolls of 1327 include a John Couhull in Staffordshire. These early spellings highlight the evolution of the surname from its Old English roots.
One of the earliest notable bearers of the surname was John Cowl, a wealthy merchant and landowner from Bristol, who lived in the late 14th century. Records show that he owned significant property in the city and surrounding areas. Another early figure was William Cowl, a prominent clergyman who served as the Bishop of Salisbury from 1413 to 1436.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname COWL was particularly concentrated in certain regions of England, such as Somerset, Gloucestershire, and Devon. This is evident from parish records and other historical documents from that period. A notable individual from this era was Richard Cowl (1564-1620), a poet and playwright who was born in Somerset and is believed to have been the author of the play "The Knave of Clubbs."
In the 18th and 19th centuries, the COWL surname continued to be found across various parts of England, with some bearers also migrating to other parts of the British Isles and beyond. One notable figure was Sir John Cowl (1779-1856), a British naval officer who distinguished himself during the Napoleonic Wars and was later appointed as the Governor of the Royal Naval Hospital in Torbay.
Throughout its history, the surname COWL has been associated with various professions and backgrounds, from merchants and landowners to clergymen and military personnel. While not a particularly common name, it has left its mark on the historical records of England and other parts of the world where English settlers and immigrants have ventured.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cowl
Among Census respondents with the surname Cowl, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Cowl 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 Cowl surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.2% · 107
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 5
- Two or more races3.4% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cowl
Cowl 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
#139,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+14 bearers (+13.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,619 places
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
-4 bearers (-3.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,800 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #143,847 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | +14 bearers (+13.2%) | Up 4,619 places |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.3%) | Down 5,800 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 Cowl 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 | #139,228 | #145,028 | -4.2% |
| Count | 120 | 116 | -3.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cowl bearers went from 120 to 116 (-3.3% change). The surname moved down 5,800 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #145,028.
FAQ
Cowl surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cowl?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Cowl. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Cowl?
Cowl ranks #145,028 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 116 people with the surname Cowl. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), 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 Cowl.
Has Cowl become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cowl went from 120 recorded bearers to 116. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #139,228 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Cowl?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cowl, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.3%) and Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Cowl in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.2% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cowl appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.2%), Hispanic (4.3%), Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Cowl (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 Cowl mean?
A surname referring to a maker or seller of cowls (fabric hoods). 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 Cowl (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 are called Cowl?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Cowl is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.