History of your Surname
Get access to Coward family records.Start a free trial

Coward Family History

Coward Name Meaning

English: occupational name for a cowherd Middle English couh(i)erde couhirde couhurde (Old English cūhyrde). The surname has nothing to do with the modern English word coward which is from Old French cuard a pejorative term from coue ‘tail’ (from Latin cauda) with reference to an animal with its tail between its legs.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Coard, Howard, Seward, Edward, Ward, Card, Cowart, Chard, Cord

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Coward family from?

You can see how Coward families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Coward family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Coward families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1840 there were 16 Coward families living in Mississippi. This was about 13% of all the recorded Coward's in USA. Mississippi and 1 other state had the highest population of Coward families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Coward surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Coward ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Housewife were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Coward. 23% of Coward men worked as a Farmer and 12% of Coward women worked as a Housewife. Some less common occupations for Americans named Coward were Farming and Maid. .

View Census Data for Coward | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    23%
  • Laborer
    19%
  • Salesman
    6%
  • Farming
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housewife
    12%
  • Laborer
    9%
  • Teacher
    7%
  • Maid
    7%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Coward family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 98,000 census records available for the last name Coward. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Coward census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Coward

Passenger Lists

There are 9,000 immigration records available for the last name Coward. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Coward immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 10,000 military records available for the last name Coward. For the veterans among your Coward ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Coward military records

You've only scratched the surface of Coward family history

Discover More

What is the average Coward lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Coward life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1942, and highest in 1986. The average life expectancy for Coward in 1942 was 24, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Coward

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Coward family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Coward last name

Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial