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

Coy, 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 Coy surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Coy in America

Coy is the 2597th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Coy surname appeared 13,875 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Coy.

We can also compare 2010 data for Coy 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 Coy

The surname COY has its origins in the Old French word "coi" or "quoi", meaning quiet, still, or peaceful. It is believed to have been initially used as a nickname for someone with a calm or reserved demeanor. The name's earliest known roots can be traced back to the northern regions of France, particularly in the areas of Normandy and Picardy, during the 12th and 13th centuries.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname COY can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where a landowner named Radulfus le Coy was listed as holding a manor in the county of Hertfordshire, England. This suggests that the name had already been established in France and subsequently adopted in England by the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066.

The surname COY has undergone various spelling variations throughout history, including Coye, Coy, Coie, and Coyse. These variations can often be attributed to regional dialects and the inconsistencies in historical record-keeping. Additionally, the name has been associated with several place names, such as the village of Cuy in the Pas-de-Calais region of northern France, which may have influenced the surname's evolution.

Notable individuals bearing the surname COY include:

1. Geoffrey Coy (c. 1450 - 1512), an English lawyer and member of the Parliament during the reign of Henry VII.
2. Robert Coy (1594 - 1672), an English Puritan clergyman and writer who served as the rector of Boxwell in Gloucestershire.
3. Jean-Baptiste Coy (1756 - 1827), a French artist and engraver known for his portraits and historical paintings.
4. Eliza Ann Coy (1829 - 1905), an American educator and activist who founded the Coy Boarding School for Girls in Ypsilanti, Michigan.
5. John Thomas Coy (1856 - 1937), a British engineer and inventor, best known for his contributions to the development of the modern bicycle.

Throughout its long history, the surname COY has been widely dispersed across various regions, reflecting the migration patterns and cultural influences that have shaped its legacy.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Coy

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

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 Coy 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 Coy 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 Coy was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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