The Cox surname
In the 2010 U.S. Census, 261,231 people carried this name — #78 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 1,130 people counted. That is up 3% from 253,771 in 2000.
What the name means
The meaning of the Cox surname
An English surname from Middle English for either son of, or servant of someone named Cocke or Cook.
The surname has converged from several different origins; see Cox.
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Cox» (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 75 births for the Cox name in 1890.
They were registered in all four provinces, most of all in Leinster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 3,300 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time. The Registrar-General’s note on the name: “Roscommon and Dublin.”
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they were born, 1890
Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.
In Belgium’s population register
At least 2,144 people named Cox live in Belgium.
Statbel only publishes a name in a municipality when five or more people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Limburg.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they live today
Statbel (Statistics Belgium), family names of the population by municipality, 1 January 2026 — CC BY 4.0.
In France’s civil register
France’s register of deaths holds 212 people named Cox.
102 of them were born outside France. Those born in France came from 21 départements, most often Nord.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they were born
Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.
In Argentina’s national register
At least 130 people named Cox live in Argentina.
RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Buenos Aires Province.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.
In Switzerland’s population statistics
118 people named Cox live in Switzerland.
They live in 11 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Zurich.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.
In Poland’s population register
44 people named Cox have a registered home in Poland.
Of the 158 in Poland’s national register, these are the ones with a permanent address on file. They live in 9 of Poland’s 16 voivodeships, most of all in Greater Poland.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
PESEL register, Ministry of Digital Affairs of Poland (dane.gov.pl) — CC0 · living people by voivodeship of permanent residence, 20 January 2026.
In the Nordic population registers
211 people named Cox are counted in Sweden and Finland.
Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published. Finland counts its citizens, at home or abroad.
Counted, by country
Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown) · Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV), Finland, surname statistics, August 2026 — CC BY 4.0.
In print
Cox in American newspapers,
1920–1928.
Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 1,394,733 pages in all carry the name.
Who carried it
People named Cox,
with a public archive behind them.
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Jan Cox d. 1840 · politician
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Simon Cox d. 2026 · evolutionary biologist
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James Cox d. 1805 · politician
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William Cox d. 1975 · wrestler
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Tony Cox d. 2026 · physical chemist
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Robert Cox d. 1655 · actor
Wikidata (CC0) · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.
Nearby in the index
Surnames next to Cox.
- Couturier 1,580 · U.S. census
- Couty 128 · U.S. census
- Cova 461 · U.S. census
- Covelli 1,376 · U.S. census
- Coville 727 · U.S. census
- Covin 1,077 · U.S. census
- Coy 13,875 · U.S. census
- Coyer 922 · U.S. census
- Coyne 11,525 · U.S. census
- Coz 328 · U.S. census
- Cozzi 1,454 · U.S. census
- Cozzolino 930 · U.S. census
When the index is not enough
This page says where Cox 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.