2000
#133,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kochin
A surname indicating geographical origin from the city of Kochi in India.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Kochin. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kochin 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
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Kochin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kochin, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Black (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kochin
The surname KOCHIN originated in India, specifically in the southwestern coastal state of Kerala. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, somewhere between the 9th and 12th centuries AD. The name is likely derived from the Malayalam word "Kochi," which refers to the present-day city of Kochi, formerly known as Cochin.
KOCHIN is thought to have been an occupational surname, initially used to identify individuals who hailed from or were associated with the port city of Kochi. This port city was a significant center for maritime trade and commerce, with historical records indicating the presence of Jewish, Arab, and European traders in the region.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname KOCHIN can be found in the "Thalassery Inscriptions," a collection of copper plates dating back to the 13th century AD. These inscriptions document land grants and privileges bestowed upon Jewish settlers in the region by the local Hindu rulers.
In the 16th century, during the Portuguese colonial era in India, several documents and records mention individuals bearing the surname KOCHIN. For example, a Portuguese document from 1538 refers to a certain "Ruy Kochin" who acted as an interpreter and intermediary between the Portuguese and the local rulers.
Another notable figure with the surname KOCHIN was Joseph Kochin (1760-1834), a prominent Jewish merchant and community leader from Kochi. He played a crucial role in the development of the city's trade and commerce during the British colonial period.
In the 19th century, the KOCHIN surname gained further prominence with the birth of Sir Robert Kochin (1825-1902), a British-Indian businessman and philanthropist. He was the founder of the Kochin Charitable Trust, which contributed significantly to the educational and social development of the region.
It is worth mentioning that the surname KOCHIN has also been associated with the Jewish community in Kerala, known as the "Cochin Jews" or "Malabari Jews." This community traces its roots back to ancient times and has played a significant role in the history and culture of the region.
Throughout its history, the surname KOCHIN has been subject to various spellings and variations, such as Cochim, Cochin, and Kochine, reflecting the linguistic and cultural influences of the region. However, the core meaning and origin of the name remain firmly rooted in the city of Kochi and its historical significance as a major trading hub in southern India.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kochin
Among Census respondents with the surname Kochin, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Black (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Kochin 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 Kochin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.1% · 108
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 4
- Black or African American1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kochin
Kochin 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
#152,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-10 bearers (-8.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 19,514 places
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+9 bearers (+8.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 7,600 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #133,114 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-8.5%) | Down 19,514 places |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.4%) | Up 7,600 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 Kochin 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 | #152,628 | #145,028 | 5.0% |
| Count | 107 | 116 | 8.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kochin bearers went from 107 to 116 (+8.4% change). The surname moved up 7,600 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #145,028.
FAQ
Kochin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kochin?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Kochin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Kochin?
Kochin ranks #145,028 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 116 people with the surname Kochin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Kochin.
Has Kochin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kochin went from 107 recorded bearers to 116. That is an increase of 9 (+8.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #152,628 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Kochin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kochin, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Black (1.7%). 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 Kochin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.1% (108 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kochin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.1%), Hispanic (3.4%), Black (1.7%). 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 Kochin (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 Kochin mean?
A surname indicating geographical origin from the city of Kochi in India. 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 Kochin (0.04 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 Kochin?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.