2000
#140,756
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Philcox
An English surname derived from the given name Philip and a diminutive of Cox.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 115 Americans carry the last name Philcox. That puts it at #155,682 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,980,473 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Philcox 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 Philcox with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
115
1 in 2,980,473
Census rank
#155,682
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
100
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 100 bearers of the surname Philcox in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155682nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Philcox, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Philcox
The surname PHILCOX originated in England during the late medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "phil" meaning "deep" and "cocc" meaning "pit" or "hollow," suggesting that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a deep pit or depression in the landscape.
The earliest recorded instances of the PHILCOX surname can be traced back to the 16th century in various parish records and historical documents. One notable example is John Philcox, a landowner mentioned in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire, dated 1572.
Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, the PHILCOX name appeared in various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, and Herefordshire. Some variations in spelling included Philcox, Phillcox, and Phillcocks.
A prominent figure bearing the PHILCOX name was Sir Thomas Philcox (1602-1675), a wealthy landowner and Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire during the English Civil War. He played a significant role in the Siege of Gloucester in 1643, supporting the Parliamentarian cause.
Another notable individual was John Philcox (1766-1838), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars. He participated in several battles, including the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, and rose to the rank of Vice-Admiral.
In the 19th century, the PHILCOX surname appeared in various historical records, such as the 1841 Census of England and Wales, where families with this name were found in counties like Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, and Worcestershire.
One interesting figure from this period was Charles Philcox (1826-1901), a renowned English architect who designed several notable buildings, including the Church of St. Barnabas in Gloucestershire and the Great Western Colliery in South Wales.
Another individual worth mentioning is William Philcox (1842-1919), a British businessman and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the development of the town of Bewdley, Worcestershire, where he lived and worked.
As the PHILCOX family continued to grow and disperse, the name appeared in various parts of the world, particularly in countries with strong British influence, such as Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Philcox
Among Census respondents with the surname Philcox, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Philcox 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 Philcox surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.0% · 93
- Two or more races6.0% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Philcox
Philcox 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
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-6 bearers (-5.5%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 16,478 places
2020
#155,682
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-3 bearers (-2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 1,552 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #140,756 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | -6 bearers (-5.5%) | Down 16,478 places |
| 2020 | #155,682 | 100 | 0.03 | -3 bearers (-2.9%) | Up 1,552 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 Philcox 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 | #157,234 | #155,682 | 1.0% |
| Count | 103 | 100 | -2.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 11.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Philcox bearers went from 103 to 100 (-2.9% change). The surname moved up 1,552 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #155,682.
FAQ
Philcox surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Philcox?
Name Census estimates that about 115 living Americans carry the surname Philcox. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,980,473 residents.
How common is Philcox?
Philcox ranks #155,682 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 100 people with the surname Philcox. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (115), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Philcox.
Has Philcox become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Philcox went from 103 recorded bearers to 100. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #155,682.
What does the Census say about the background of Philcox?
Among Census respondents with the surname Philcox, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%). 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 Philcox in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.0% (93 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Philcox appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.0%), Two or More Races (6.0%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%). 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 Philcox (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 Philcox mean?
An English surname derived from the given name Philip and a diminutive of Cox. 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 Philcox (0.03 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 Philcox?
You can see how many people are called Philcox on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.