2000
#6,391
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,907
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.82
Rare Last name
Cusick
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic Ó Ciomhsóg, meaning "descendant of Ciomhsóg," a personal name of uncertain origin.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,432 Americans carry the last name Cusick. That puts it at #6,829 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.58 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 63,099 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cusick 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 Cusick with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.4K
1 in 63,099
Census rank
#6,829
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,737 bearers of the surname Cusick in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.58 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6829th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cusick, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cusick
The surname Cusick is of English origin, with its roots traced back to the early 14th century. The name is believed to have derived from the Old English words "cus," meaning "cow," and "ic," which was a common suffix used to form diminutive names. This suggests that the original bearer of the name may have been a cowherd or someone who worked with cattle.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Cusick can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, where it appears as "William Cusyk." The spelling variations during that time included Cusyk, Cusyke, and Cusik, reflecting the inconsistencies in spelling and record-keeping of the era.
The name Cusick is also linked to several place names in England, such as Cusick in Northumberland and Cusick Well in Yorkshire. These place names may have influenced the surname's development or served as a reference point for early bearers of the name.
Notable individuals with the surname Cusick throughout history include:
1. William Cusick (born c. 1540), an English merchant and landowner who was involved in the wool trade during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
2. John Cusick (1772-1846), a Tuscarora leader and author who wrote one of the earliest accounts of the Iroquois people's history and traditions.
3. Margaret Cusick (1848-1920), an Irish-American philanthropist and social reformer known for her work in establishing orphanages and shelters in New York City.
4. Thomas Cusick (1864-1924), an American baseball player who played for several Major League Baseball teams in the late 19th century.
5. Frank Cusick (1907-1986), an American artist and illustrator best known for his work in comic books, particularly his contributions to Captain America and other Timely Comics titles.
While the surname Cusick may have originated from humble beginnings, it has become a lasting part of various cultures and histories, with bearers making significant contributions across diverse fields throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cusick
Among Census respondents with the surname Cusick, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Cusick 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 Cusick surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.8% · 4,300
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 178
- Two or more races3.1% · 148
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 42
- Black or African American0.9% · 41
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 28
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cusick
Cusick 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
#6,640
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,099
+192 bearers (+3.9%)
Per 100,000 1.73
Rank movement Down 249 places
2020
#6,829
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,737
-362 bearers (-7.1%)
Per 100,000 1.58
Rank movement Down 189 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,391 | 4,907 | 1.82 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,640 | 5,099 | 1.73 | +192 bearers (+3.9%) | Down 249 places |
| 2020 | #6,829 | 4,737 | 1.58 | -362 bearers (-7.1%) | Down 189 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 Cusick 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 | #6,640 | #6,829 | -2.8% |
| Count | 5,099 | 4,737 | -7.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.73 | 1.58 | -8.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cusick bearers went from 5,099 to 4,737 (-7.1% change). The surname moved down 189 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,640 to #6,829.
FAQ
Cusick surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cusick?
Name Census estimates that about 5,432 living Americans carry the surname Cusick. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 63,099 residents.
How common is Cusick?
Cusick ranks #6,829 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.58 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 4,737 people with the surname Cusick. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,432), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.58 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.58 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 Cusick.
Has Cusick become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cusick went from 5,099 recorded bearers to 4,737. That is a decrease of 362 (-7.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,640 to #6,829.
What does the Census say about the background of Cusick?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cusick, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Cusick in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.8% (4,300 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cusick appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.8%), Hispanic (3.8%), Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Cusick (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 Cusick mean?
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic Ó Ciomhsóg, meaning "descendant of Ciomhsóg," a personal name of uncertain origin. 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 Cusick (1.58 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 Cusick?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.