2000
#11,113
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,621
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.97
Rare Last name
Cutright
An occupational surname referring to a woodcutter or someone who cuts wood.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,937 Americans carry the last name Cutright. That puts it at #11,704 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.86 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 116,702 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Cutright 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
2.9K
1 in 116,702
Census rank
#11,704
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,561 bearers of the surname Cutright in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.86 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11704th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Cutright, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.5%. The next largest groups are Black (5.8%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Cutright
The surname CUTRIGHT originated in England during the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "cyt" meaning cot or cottage, and "riht" meaning meadow or clearing. The name likely referred to someone who lived in a small dwelling near an open field or meadow.
One of the earliest documented references to the name comes from the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1190, where a Roger Cutright is listed as a landowner. The surname also appears in the Subsidy Rolls for Gloucestershire in 1327, listing a Thomas Cutrygge as a taxpayer.
The name was originally spelled in various ways, such as Cutrygge, Cutriche, and Cutteryght, reflecting regional dialects and spelling variations common in medieval times. Some of these early spellings may have been influenced by the Old French word "couterie," meaning a small dwelling.
During the 13th century, the CUTRIGHT family was concentrated in the counties of Yorkshire, Gloucestershire, and Somerset. Records indicate that a John Cutright was born in Taunton, Somerset in 1265 and later served as a local magistrate.
In the 14th century, the name spread to other parts of England, with notable individuals including William Cutright, a merchant from Bristol who traded with the Netherlands (born c. 1320), and Alice Cutright, a landowner in Oxfordshire (born c. 1375).
By the 15th century, the surname had gained prominence, with Sir Thomas Cutright (c. 1420 - 1498) serving as a knight and member of the court of King Henry VII. Another notable figure was Richard Cutright (c. 1470 - 1542), a scholar and clergyman who served as the Dean of Canterbury Cathedral.
Over the centuries, the CUTRIGHT name has been associated with various professions and social classes, from landed gentry to tradesmen and farmers. The name's origins, however, remain firmly rooted in the rural landscapes of medieval England, reflecting the modest beginnings of those who lived in cottages near open fields or meadows.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Cutright
Among Census respondents with the surname Cutright, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.5%. The next largest groups are Black (5.8%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Cutright 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 Cutright surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.5% · 2,214
- Black or African American5.8% · 149
- Two or more races3.7% · 96
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 67
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 27
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Cutright
Cutright 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
#11,697
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,679
+58 bearers (+2.2%)
Per 100,000 0.91
Rank movement Down 584 places
2020
#11,704
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,561
-118 bearers (-4.4%)
Per 100,000 0.86
Rank movement Down 7 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,113 | 2,621 | 0.97 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,697 | 2,679 | 0.91 | +58 bearers (+2.2%) | Down 584 places |
| 2020 | #11,704 | 2,561 | 0.86 | -118 bearers (-4.4%) | Down 7 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 Cutright 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 | #11,697 | #11,704 | -0.1% |
| Count | 2,679 | 2,561 | -4.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.91 | 0.86 | -5.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Cutright bearers went from 2,679 to 2,561 (-4.4% change). The surname moved down 7 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,697 to #11,704.
FAQ
Cutright surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Cutright?
Name Census estimates that about 2,937 living Americans carry the surname Cutright. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 116,702 residents.
How common is Cutright?
Cutright ranks #11,704 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.86 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 2,561 people with the surname Cutright. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,937), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.86 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.86 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 Cutright.
Has Cutright become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Cutright went from 2,679 recorded bearers to 2,561. That is a decrease of 118 (-4.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,697 to #11,704.
What does the Census say about the background of Cutright?
Among Census respondents with the surname Cutright, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.5%. The next largest groups are Black (5.8%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Cutright in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.5% (2,214 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Cutright appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.5%), Black (5.8%), Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Cutright (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 Cutright mean?
An occupational surname referring to a woodcutter or someone who cuts wood. 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 Cutright (0.86 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 Americans have the surname Cutright?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.