2000
#11,530
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,501
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.93
Rare Last name
Cozad
A topographic surname of French origin referring to someone living near a hilly pass or isolated farmstead.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,676 Americans carry the last name Cozad. That puts it at #12,630 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.78 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 128,085 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cozad 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.
Bearers in the US
2.7K
1 in 128,085
Census rank
#12,630
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,334 bearers of the surname Cozad in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.78 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12630th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cozad, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.3%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (4.6%) and Hispanic (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cozad
The surname COZAD is believed to have originated in France, likely during the 16th or 17th century. It is thought to derive from the Old French word "cose," meaning "thing" or "object," combined with a suffix indicating a diminutive form, resulting in a name that could translate to "little thing" or "small object."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Huguenot records of La Rochelle, a historic city on the west coast of France. These records mention a family with the name Cozad residing in the area during the late 1600s, suggesting that the name may have Protestant Huguenot roots.
As the Huguenots faced persecution in France, many fled to other parts of Europe and eventually to North America. It is possible that the Cozad surname made its way to the New World through this migration, with early bearers settling in areas like Pennsylvania and New York.
In terms of historical figures, a notable individual with the COZAD surname was John Cozad, born in 1808 in Ohio. He was a pioneering settler who helped establish the town of Cozad, Nebraska, which was named after him in 1873. Cozad served as the first postmaster of the town and played a significant role in its early development.
Another person of note was William Cozad, born in 1837 in Pennsylvania. He was a Union soldier during the American Civil War and fought in several major battles, including the Battle of Gettysburg. After the war, he became a successful businessman and entrepreneur.
In the 19th century, the COZAD surname also appeared in various historical records and manuscripts, such as census records and land deeds, particularly in the eastern United States. Some variations in spelling, like Cozod or Cozeaux, can be found in these documents, reflecting the evolution of the name over time.
Another notable figure was Sarah Cozad, born in 1850 in Indiana. She was an early advocate for women's rights and suffrage, actively campaigning for the right to vote and equal opportunities for women. She was a founding member of several women's organizations and played a pivotal role in the suffrage movement in her home state.
Finally, a more recent historical figure was Robert Cozad, born in 1905 in Illinois. He was a renowned architect who designed many notable buildings and structures throughout the Midwest and beyond. Some of his most recognizable works include the Chicago Board of Trade Building and the Merchandise Mart in Chicago.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cozad
Among Census respondents with the surname Cozad, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.3%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (4.6%) and Hispanic (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Cozad 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 Cozad surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.3% · 2,038
- American Indian and Alaska Native4.6% · 107
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 101
- Two or more races2.7% · 64
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 13
- Black or African American0.5% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cozad
Cozad 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
#12,627
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,451
-50 bearers (-2.0%)
Per 100,000 0.83
Rank movement Down 1,097 places
2020
#12,630
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,334
-117 bearers (-4.8%)
Per 100,000 0.78
Rank movement Down 3 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,530 | 2,501 | 0.93 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,627 | 2,451 | 0.83 | -50 bearers (-2.0%) | Down 1,097 places |
| 2020 | #12,630 | 2,334 | 0.78 | -117 bearers (-4.8%) | Down 3 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 Cozad 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 | #12,627 | #12,630 | -0.0% |
| Count | 2,451 | 2,334 | -4.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.83 | 0.78 | -5.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cozad bearers went from 2,451 to 2,334 (-4.8% change). The surname moved down 3 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,627 to #12,630.
FAQ
Cozad surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cozad?
Name Census estimates that about 2,676 living Americans carry the surname Cozad. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 128,085 residents.
How common is Cozad?
Cozad ranks #12,630 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.78 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,334 people with the surname Cozad. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,676), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.78 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.78 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Cozad.
Has Cozad become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cozad went from 2,451 recorded bearers to 2,334. That is a decrease of 117 (-4.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,627 to #12,630.
What does the Census say about the background of Cozad?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cozad, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.3%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (4.6%) and Hispanic (4.3%). 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 Cozad in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.3% (2,038 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cozad appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.3%), American Indian/Alaska Native (4.6%), Hispanic (4.3%). 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 Cozad (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 Cozad mean?
A topographic surname of French origin referring to someone living near a hilly pass or isolated farmstead. 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 Cozad (0.78 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 last name Cozad?
You can see how many people are called Cozad on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.