The Coburn surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 13,741 people carried this name — #2,625 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 21,500 people counted. That is up 2% from 13,514 in 2000.

Look up another surname

Share

Where the name comes from

The origin of the Coburn surname

Variant of Cockburn.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Coburn» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890

Ireland registered 10 births for the Coburn name in 1890.

Most were registered in Ulster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 400 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time. One of them was indexed under another spelling of the name. The Registrar-General’s note on the name: “Down, Armagh, and Louth.”

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born, 1890

Ulster 8
Leinster 2

Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

96 families named Coburn, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 598 people lived in those households, 6.2 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 5 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Massachusetts 55
Pennsylvania 11
North Carolina 8
Vermont 7
New Hampshire 6
Connecticut 4
Maine 2
New York 2
Maryland 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 234 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Coburn in American newspapers,
1913–1920.

Newspaper page from The Madison Daily Leader carrying the name Coburn
The Madison Daily Leader 1913-10-09
Newspaper page from The Madison Daily Leader carrying the name Coburn
The Madison Daily Leader 1920-12-03
Newspaper page from The Madison Daily Leader carrying the name Coburn
The Madison Daily Leader 1920-11-19

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 153,098 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Coburn in Australian newspapers,
1840s–2010s.

10,844 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Coburn. The most, 3,383, date from the 1950s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in Queensland, at 2.0 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Queensland 4,995
Victoria 3,312
New South Wales 1,789
South Australia 266
Western Australia 214
Tasmania 155
ACT (Canberra) 64
Northern Territory 7

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Coburn.

Who carried it

People named Coburn,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Abner Coburn
    Abner Coburn 1803–1885 · lawyer
  • Stephen Coburn
    Stephen Coburn 1817–1882 · lawyer
  • Nathan Coburn d. 1971 · mathematician
  • Charlotte Roper d. 1931
  • Kenneth Coburn d. 1971
  • John Coburn 1724–1803 · silversmith

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Coburn,
in the records of 6 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States1,094 records

1,094 records of the Coburn name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 442
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 223
  • Other U.S. records 429
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record John W. Coburn

    Born 1910 in Tennessee. Enlisted 1943 at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri; porter. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1963, buried at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, Missouri.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record William H. Coburn

    Born 1946; from Chesapeake, Virginia. U.S. Army, infantryman; killed in action 1966 in South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record George Coburn

    Arrived at New York in 1896 aboard the Teutonic from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 27; tailor. From London, Austria; bound for New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 1,094 records for Coburn in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia258 records

258 records of the Coburn name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 149
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 93
  • Other Australian records 16
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Gates Coburn

    Arrived in Victoria in 1853 aboard the Oregon, aged 26; American.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record William Coburn

    Engineer of Sth Ballarat, Victoria; died 1937.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Colin Coburn

    Died 1843 in Hobart, Tasmania, aged 40.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 258 records for Coburn in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Canada92 records

92 records of the Coburn name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 40
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 19
  • Other Canadian records 33
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record G'o Coburn

    Came to Ontario in 1870 aboard the Prussian, landing at Quebec, bound for Barrie, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Alvina Coburn

    Buried in 1994 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 102.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record James Robert Coburn

    Died 1948 in Kentville, Kings, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 92 records for Coburn in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

New Zealand17 records

17 records of the Coburn name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 14
  • Waimakariri District cemetery records, Canterbury 2
  • Marlborough District cemetery records 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Blanche Coburn

    Died 1952, aged 73; buried at Sydenham Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Arthur Norman Coburn

    Died 1989, aged 72; buried at Picton Cemetery, Marlborough.

    Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Edna Lynn Coburn

    Died 1994; ashes interred at Kaiapoi Public Cemetery, Canterbury.

    Waimakariri District Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 17 records for Coburn in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Waimakariri District Council (CC BY 4.0) · Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

United Kingdom5 records

5 records of the Coburn name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 3
  • Welsh wills index cards 1
  • Stirling Council burial records 1
  1. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Richard Coburn

    Will proved in 1935; of Swansea, Glamorgan.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record F. G. Coburn

    Royal Berkshire Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record G. Coburn

    West Yorkshire Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 5 records for Coburn in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0) · Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Netherlands3 records

3 records of the Coburn name in the Netherlands Dutch church registers before 1811
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Barbara Coburn

    Married in 1646 in Rotterdam.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record James Coburn

    Married in 1655 in Rotterdam.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Barbara Coburn

    Married in 1652 in Rotterdam.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Coburn.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Coburn is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

See the Coburn volume
Scroll to Top