2000
#126,400
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Coyte
A variant of the surname "Coyette", derived from the Old French diminutive coyet meaning 'quail'.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Coyte. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Coyte 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 Coyte with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Coyte in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Coyte, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.7%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Coyte
The surname Coyte originated in England, with roots that can be traced back to the late 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "cot," which referred to a small dwelling or cottage. The name likely emerged as a descriptive moniker for individuals who resided in such humble abodes.
In the early days, the name was often spelled differently, with variations such as Cotte, Cote, and Cott appearing in historical records. One of the earliest mentions of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1191, where a certain William Cote is recorded as a landowner.
The Coyte surname was particularly prominent in the counties of Gloucestershire, Somerset, and Wiltshire during the medieval period. Records from the 13th and 14th centuries reveal the presence of several Coyte families in these regions, including John Coyte, who held lands in Gloucestershire in 1279, and Robert Coyte, a landowner in Somerset in 1327.
Interestingly, the name Coyte has also been linked to certain place names, such as Cote Farm in Gloucestershire and Cote Hill in Wiltshire. These locations likely derived their names from the same Old English root, suggesting a connection between the surname and the places where Coyte families resided.
One notable figure bearing the Coyte surname was Sir William Coyte (1552-1623), a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. He played a significant role in local politics and was known for his advocacy of religious reform.
Another prominent individual was Richard Coyte (1670-1739), a renowned English botanist and naturalist. He made significant contributions to the study of plants and was a Fellow of the Royal Society.
In the 17th century, the Coyte name also appeared in the American colonies. One of the earliest recorded instances was that of John Coyte, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 and later became a landowner in the colony.
Throughout the centuries, the Coyte surname has been carried by various individuals, including writers, scholars, and artists. For example, Mary Coyte (1784-1857) was a notable English writer and poet, while John Coyte (1753-1811) was a respected painter and engraver.
It is worth noting that the Coyte surname, while not among the most common in England, has maintained a consistent presence throughout the country's history, with families bearing this name contributing to various aspects of society and cultural life.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Coyte
Among Census respondents with the surname Coyte, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.7%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Coyte 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 Coyte surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.8% · 109
- Hispanic or Latino6.7% · 8
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Coyte
Coyte 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
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
-3 bearers (-2.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,927 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-2 bearers (-1.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,722 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #126,400 | 125 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.4%) | Down 10,927 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.6%) | Down 4,722 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 Coyte 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 | #137,327 | #142,049 | -3.4% |
| Count | 122 | 120 | -1.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Coyte bearers went from 122 to 120 (-1.6% change). The surname moved down 4,722 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #142,049.
FAQ
Coyte surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Coyte?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Coyte. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Coyte?
Coyte ranks #142,049 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 120 people with the surname Coyte. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), 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 Coyte.
Has Coyte become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Coyte went from 122 recorded bearers to 120. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Coyte?
Among Census respondents with the surname Coyte, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.7%) and Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Coyte in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.8% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Coyte appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.8%), Hispanic (6.7%), Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Coyte (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 Coyte mean?
A variant of the surname "Coyette", derived from the Old French diminutive coyet meaning 'quail'. 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 Coyte (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 surname Coyte?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.