2000
#2,142
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 15,561
First available Census row
Per 100,000 5.77
Uncommon Last name
Coy
A nickname-derived surname for a quiet, reserved, or shy person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 14,109 Americans carry the last name Coy. That puts it at #2,855 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 24,293 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Coy 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 Coy with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
14K
1 in 24,293
Census rank
#2,855
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
12K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 12,304 bearers of the surname Coy in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2855th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Coy, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.8%) and Black (4.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Coy
Among Census respondents with the surname Coy, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.8%) and Black (4.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Coy 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 Coy surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.4% · 9,764
- Hispanic or Latino10.8% · 1,330
- Black or African American4.9% · 602
- Two or more races3.7% · 451
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 90
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 67
Timeline
Historical Census data for Coy
Coy 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
#2,597
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,875
-1,686 bearers (-10.8%)
Per 100,000 4.70
Rank movement Down 455 places
2020
#2,855
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,304
-1,571 bearers (-11.3%)
Per 100,000 4.12
Rank movement Down 258 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,142 | 15,561 | 5.77 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,597 | 13,875 | 4.70 | -1,686 bearers (-10.8%) | Down 455 places |
| 2020 | #2,855 | 12,304 | 4.12 | -1,571 bearers (-11.3%) | Down 258 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 Coy 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 | #2,597 | #2,855 | -9.9% |
| Count | 13,875 | 12,304 | -11.3% |
| Per 100K | 4.70 | 4.12 | -12.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Coy bearers went from 13,875 to 12,304 (-11.3% change). The surname moved down 258 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,597 to #2,855.
FAQ
Coy surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Coy?
Name Census estimates that about 14,109 living Americans carry the surname Coy. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 24,293 residents.
How common is Coy?
Coy ranks #2,855 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.12 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 12,304 people with the surname Coy. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (14,109), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.12 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Coy.
Has Coy become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Coy went from 13,875 recorded bearers to 12,304. That is a decrease of 1,571 (-11.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,597 to #2,855.
What does the Census say about the background of Coy?
Among Census respondents with the surname Coy, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.8%) and Black (4.9%). 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 Coy in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.4% (9,764 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Coy appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (79.4%), Hispanic (10.8%), Black (4.9%). 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 Coy (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 Coy mean?
A nickname-derived surname for a quiet, reserved, or shy person. 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 Coy (4.12 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 Coy?
You can see how common the surname Coy is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.