2000
#4,542
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,171
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.66
Rare Last name
Cushman
An occupational surname for someone who made or sold cushions or pillows.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,074 Americans carry the last name Cushman. That puts it at #4,864 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.36 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 42,452 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cushman 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
8.1K
1 in 42,452
Census rank
#4,864
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,041 bearers of the surname Cushman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.36 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4864th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cushman, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cushman
The surname Cushman is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "cusce" meaning a wedge or cushion, and "mann" meaning a man or person. It is believed to have originated in the county of Norfolk, England, during the medieval period.
The earliest recorded instance of the name Cushman can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners and property in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears as "Cuscheman," referring to an individual who may have been a maker or seller of cushions or wedges.
During the 13th and 14th centuries, various spellings of the name emerged, such as "Cusshman," "Cussheman," and "Cussuman." These variations likely reflect the local dialects and pronunciation of the name in different regions of England.
One notable bearer of the Cushman surname was Robert Cushman, an English Puritan leader born around 1580. He played a crucial role in organizing and financing the Mayflower voyage to America in 1620, although he did not travel on the ship himself. Cushman's contributions were instrumental in the establishment of the Plymouth Colony in present-day Massachusetts.
Another significant figure in history with the Cushman surname was Thomas Cushman, born in 1608 in England. He was among the early settlers of the Plymouth Colony, arriving in 1621 on the ship Fortune. Thomas Cushman served as a deacon in the Plymouth Church and was a respected member of the community.
In the 18th century, Elkanah Cushman (1737-1807) was a renowned clockmaker and silversmith from Massachusetts. His clocks and timepieces are now highly valued by collectors and considered important examples of early American craftsmanship.
The Cushman surname also has ties to the American Civil War. Oliver Otis Cushman (1842-1918) was a Union Army officer who received the Medal of Honor for his bravery during the Battle of Nashville in 1864.
Another notable bearer of the Cushman name was Howard Cushman (1865-1949), an American artist and illustrator known for his realistic depictions of the American West and Native American life. His works are held in various museum collections across the United States.
Throughout its history, the Cushman surname has retained its connection to its Old English roots, reflecting the occupational origins of those who were makers or sellers of cushions and wedges in medieval England.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cushman
Among Census respondents with the surname Cushman, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Cushman 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 Cushman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.4% · 6,433
- Two or more races3.5% · 249
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 180
- Black or African American1.4% · 101
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 50
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 28
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cushman
Cushman 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
#4,779
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,400
+229 bearers (+3.2%)
Per 100,000 2.51
Rank movement Down 237 places
2020
#4,864
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,041
-359 bearers (-4.9%)
Per 100,000 2.36
Rank movement Down 85 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,542 | 7,171 | 2.66 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,779 | 7,400 | 2.51 | +229 bearers (+3.2%) | Down 237 places |
| 2020 | #4,864 | 7,041 | 2.36 | -359 bearers (-4.9%) | Down 85 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 Cushman 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 | #4,779 | #4,864 | -1.8% |
| Count | 7,400 | 7,041 | -4.9% |
| Per 100K | 2.51 | 2.36 | -6.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cushman bearers went from 7,400 to 7,041 (-4.9% change). The surname moved down 85 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,779 to #4,864.
FAQ
Cushman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cushman?
Name Census estimates that about 8,074 living Americans carry the surname Cushman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 42,452 residents.
How common is Cushman?
Cushman ranks #4,864 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.36 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,041 people with the surname Cushman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,074), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.36 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.36 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Cushman.
Has Cushman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cushman went from 7,400 recorded bearers to 7,041. That is a decrease of 359 (-4.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,779 to #4,864.
What does the Census say about the background of Cushman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cushman, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.6%). 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 Cushman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.4% (6,433 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cushman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.4%), Two or More Races (3.5%), Hispanic (2.6%). 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 Cushman (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 Cushman mean?
An occupational surname for someone who made or sold cushions or pillows. 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 Cushman (2.36 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 Cushman?
See how many Americans have the surname Cushman on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.