2000
#8,550
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,548
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.32
Rare Last name
Cusack
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Cíosóg," meaning "descendant of Cíosóg," a personal name of uncertain meaning.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,965 Americans carry the last name Cusack. That puts it at #9,076 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.16 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 86,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cusack 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 Cusack with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.0K
1 in 86,445
Census rank
#9,076
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,458 bearers of the surname Cusack in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.16 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9076th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cusack, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Black (4.5%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cusack
The surname Cusack is an anglicized form of the Irish Gaelic surname O'Cusaigh, which originated in County Meath, Ireland. The name is derived from the Gaelic word 'cusac' meaning 'footstep' or 'track'.
The Cusacks were a prominent Irish family who held lands in County Meath from the 12th century onwards. The name first appears in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, in the year 1166.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the surname is Sir Thomas Cusack, who was born around 1490 and served as Lord Chancellor of Ireland in the 16th century. Another notable figure was Sir Thomas Cusack, Lord Mayor of Dublin in 1554.
The Cusack family also had strong connections to the town of Coolock, located near Dublin. The name of the town is believed to be derived from the Irish 'Cuil Uisceach', meaning 'marshy corner', and may have been associated with the Cusack family's lands in the area.
During the Norman invasion of Ireland in the 12th century, the Cusack family played a significant role in supporting the English forces. This led to the anglicization of their surname from O'Cusaigh to Cusack.
Prominent individuals with the surname Cusack throughout history include:
1. Cyril Cusack (1910-1993), an Irish actor known for his roles in films like 'The Remains of the Day' and 'The Spy Who Came in from the Cold'.
2. Mary Cusack (1830-1899), also known as 'The Nun of Kenmare', an Irish nun and author who wrote about her experiences in religious life.
3. Dymphna Cusack (1902-1981), an Australian author and activist known for her novels exploring social and political issues.
4. John Cusack (born 1966), an American actor and producer, best known for his roles in films like 'Say Anything', 'High Fidelity', and 'Grosse Pointe Blank'.
5. Adam Cusack (born 1989), an Irish rugby union player who has represented Ireland at international level.
The surname Cusack continues to be prevalent in Ireland, particularly in the provinces of Leinster and Munster, as well as among Irish diaspora communities around the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cusack
Among Census respondents with the surname Cusack, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Black (4.5%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Cusack 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 Cusack surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.2% · 3,084
- Black or African American4.5% · 157
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 99
- Two or more races2.4% · 82
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 32
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cusack
Cusack 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
#8,844
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,704
+156 bearers (+4.4%)
Per 100,000 1.26
Rank movement Down 294 places
2020
#9,076
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,458
-246 bearers (-6.6%)
Per 100,000 1.16
Rank movement Down 232 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,550 | 3,548 | 1.32 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,844 | 3,704 | 1.26 | +156 bearers (+4.4%) | Down 294 places |
| 2020 | #9,076 | 3,458 | 1.16 | -246 bearers (-6.6%) | Down 232 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 Cusack 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 | #8,844 | #9,076 | -2.6% |
| Count | 3,704 | 3,458 | -6.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.26 | 1.16 | -8.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cusack bearers went from 3,704 to 3,458 (-6.6% change). The surname moved down 232 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,844 to #9,076.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Cusack
FAQ
Cusack surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cusack?
Name Census estimates that about 3,965 living Americans carry the surname Cusack. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 86,445 residents.
How common is Cusack?
Cusack ranks #9,076 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.16 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 3,458 people with the surname Cusack. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,965), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.16 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.16 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 Cusack.
Has Cusack become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cusack went from 3,704 recorded bearers to 3,458. That is a decrease of 246 (-6.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,844 to #9,076.
What does the Census say about the background of Cusack?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cusack, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Black (4.5%) and Hispanic (2.9%). 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 Cusack in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.2% (3,084 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cusack appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.2%), Black (4.5%), Hispanic (2.9%). 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 Cusack (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 Cusack mean?
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Cíosóg," meaning "descendant of Cíosóg," a personal name of uncertain meaning. 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 Cusack (1.16 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 share the surname Cusack?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.