Find out how popular the last name Cowles is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Cowles.

Cowles, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Cowles surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cowles in America

Cowles is the 5598th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cowles surname appeared 6,215 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Cowles.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cowles to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Cowles

The surname Cowles is of English origin and dates back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "cu," meaning cow, and "hyll," meaning hill or hillock, suggesting that the name originally referred to someone who lived on a hill where cows grazed.

The earliest recorded instance of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Culles." This record indicates that the name was already in use during the 11th century in England.

In the 13th century, the name appeared as "Cules" and "Culez" in various documents from counties like Norfolk and Suffolk. Over time, the spelling evolved to "Cowles" and "Cowlees," reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname was Sir Robert Cowles, a prominent English landowner and knight who lived in the 14th century. He was a member of the gentry and held land in Hertfordshire.

During the 16th century, the name Cowles was found in several parish records across England, particularly in counties like Essex, Suffolk, and Norfolk. This suggests that the name was well-established and relatively widespread during this period.

In the 17th century, John Cowles (1598-1672) was an English Puritan who emigrated to America and settled in Hartford, Connecticut. He became a prominent figure in the colony and served as a magistrate and deputy governor.

Another notable individual was William Cowles (1666-1736), an English clergyman and writer from Suffolk. He authored several works on theology and served as the rector of Ipswich.

In the 18th century, Samuel Cowles (1712-1785) was a prominent merchant and landowner from Connecticut. He played an active role in the American Revolution and served as a member of the Connecticut General Assembly.

Throughout the 19th century, the Cowles surname continued to appear in various records across England and the United States, reflecting the migration patterns of families bearing this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cowles

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Cowles.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Cowles was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Cowles has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Cowles was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Cowles, please contact us.

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