Find out how popular the last name Kochi is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Kochi.

Kochi, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Kochi surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kochi in America

Kochi is the 70208th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kochi surname appeared 279 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Kochi.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kochi to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Kochi

The surname KOCHI originated in India, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 16th century. The name is believed to have its roots in the Malayalam language, spoken in the southern Indian state of Kerala. One theory suggests that KOCHI is derived from the word "Kochi," which refers to the city of Kochi (formerly known as Cochin) located in Kerala.

During the colonial era, the city of Kochi played a significant role in maritime trade, attracting merchants and settlers from various parts of the world. It is possible that the surname KOCHI was adopted by individuals or families who had settled in or near the city, or who had connections to the region's trading activities.

Historical records from the 17th century indicate the presence of individuals with the surname KOCHI in the Dutch East Indies (present-day Indonesia), where the Dutch East India Company had established trading posts. This suggests that the name may have spread beyond the Indian subcontinent through the movement of people and trade networks.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname KOCHI was Mathew Kochi, a prominent merchant and trader who lived in the city of Kochi in the late 16th century. Another notable figure was Abraham Kochi, a scholar and linguist born in Kochi in the early 17th century, who made significant contributions to the translation of religious texts into Malayalam.

In the 18th century, the name KOCHI appeared in records from the British East India Company, indicating the presence of individuals with this surname in regions under British colonial rule. One such individual was Thomas Kochi, a merchant and landowner who resided in the city of Kochi during the late 18th century.

As trade and migration patterns evolved, the surname KOCHI spread to other parts of the world. In the 19th century, records show instances of individuals with this surname in Europe, particularly in countries with colonial ties to India, such as the Netherlands and Britain. One notable figure from this period was William Kochi, a British diplomat and author who served in various Indian princely states during the late 19th century.

Throughout the 20th century, the surname KOCHI continued to be found in various parts of the world, reflecting the global diaspora of individuals with Indian heritage. One prominent individual was Kamal Kochi, an Indian writer and journalist who was born in Kochi in 1925 and gained recognition for his literary works focusing on social and political issues.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kochi

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Kochi.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Kochi was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Kochi has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Kochi was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Kochi, please contact us.

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