How common is the surname Cornelius?

20,160 people in the United States had the surname Cornelius in the 2010 Census, about 1 in every 15,315 Americans. It ranked 1,775th of 162,253 surnames.

Who is the most famous person named Cornelius?

Robert Cornelius, American photographer and lamp manufacturer (1809–1893), followed by Don Cornelius.

Where is the surname Cornelius most common?

Wikidata records people named Cornelius in the United States and Austria.

Is the surname Cornelius getting more or less common?

More common. 19,342 people carried it in the 2000 Census and 20,160 in 2010, up 4.2%.

Is Cornelius also a first name?

Yes. Cornelius is used as a first name as well as a surname; its first-name page has the meaning and how many babies were given it.

The surname Cornelius

A surname, carried by 20,160 people in the United States.

3 syllables Soundex C654 Also a first name

Every surname held by 100 or more people in the 2010 US Census, most common on the left (162,253 in all). Cornelius is more common than 98.9% of them.

How common it is

2010 US Census

There were 20,160 people named Cornelius in the United States in 2010, about 1 in every 15,315 Americans. That is up 4.2% since 2000, when the Census counted 19,342.

#1,775

rank among US surnames

20,160

people in 2010

6.8

per 100,000 Americans

+4.2%

change since 2000 (was #1,699)

Rank	Surname	People	1 in
#1,766	North	20,343	15,177
#1,767	Dasilva	20,338	15,181
#1,768	Ledesma	20,311	15,201
#1,769	Messer	20,306	15,205
#1,770	Root	20,284	15,221
#1,772	Hackett	20,278	15,226
#1,773	Posey	20,263	15,237

Who is named Cornelius

Race and Hispanic origin as people reported it in the 2010 Census

72% of people named Cornelius identified as white (not Hispanic), 20% as Black (not Hispanic) and 2.6% as American Indian and Alaska Native.

White (not Hispanic) 72%
Black (not Hispanic) 20%
American Indian and Alaska Native 2.6%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 2.4%
Two or more races 2.1%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.9%

Compare: most common surnames among white Americans.

Famous Corneliuss

4 notable people on Wikidata, most written-about first

Robert Cornelius
American photographer and lamp manufacturer (1809–1893)
Don Cornelius
American TV host and producer (1936–2012)
Peter Cornelius
Austrian musician, born 1951
Brett James
American singer, songwriter, and record producer, 1968–2025

Notable Corneliuss come mostly from the United States (3) and Austria (1).

Spellings and sound-alikes

Useful when a record has your ancestor under another spelling

Surnames that sound like Cornelius

Cornelius has the Soundex code C654, the code US census indexes have used since the 1930s. Every surname with code C654.

Questions

How common is the surname Cornelius?: 20,160 people in the United States had the surname Cornelius in the 2010 Census, about 1 in every 15,315 Americans. It ranked 1,775th of 162,253 surnames.
What ethnicity is the surname Cornelius?: In the 2010 Census, 72% of people named Cornelius identified as white (not Hispanic), and 20% as Black (not Hispanic).
Who is the most famous person named Cornelius?: Robert Cornelius, American photographer and lamp manufacturer (1809–1893), followed by Don Cornelius.
Where is the surname Cornelius most common?: Wikidata records people named Cornelius in the United States and Austria.
Is the surname Cornelius getting more or less common?: More common. 19,342 people carried it in the 2000 Census and 20,160 in 2010, up 4.2%.
Is Cornelius also a first name?: Yes. Cornelius is used as a first name as well as a surname; its first-name page has the meaning and how many babies were given it.