Explore the Family Name Couch
The meaning of Couch
1. English (Cornwall and Devon): nickname from Middle English couch(e) ‘hump, hunch’, used for a hunchback. In Cornwall and Devon it is usually pronounced as Cooch. 2. English (Cornwall and Devon): from Middle English coche, couche ‘bed, couch, tablecloth’ (Old French couche, culche). It could have been a metonymic occupational name for someone who made such items or a nickname for a lazy individual. Alternatively, it could have been applied to someone who produced couchwork, a luxurious embroidery in which gold or silver thread and jewels were sewn into satin or silk robes. 3. English (Cornwall and Devon): variant of Gooch. 4. Welsh: nickname for a red-haired man, from cough, coch ‘red(-haired)’. Coch may have been taken by Welsh migrants to Devon and Cornwall, and confused with the English surname (see above).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Couch in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname 'Couch' has seen a slight decrease from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, it was ranked at 1231, but in 2010, it slipped down to rank 1323, marking a 7.47% change. The actual count of people with the 'Couch' surname, however, showed a minor increase from 26,135 in 2000 to 26,615 in 2010. In terms of its proportion per 100,000 people, there was a decrease from 9.69 in 2000 to 9.02 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,231 | #1,323 | -7.47% |
| Count | 26,135 | 26,615 | 1.84% |
| Proportion per 100k | 9.69 | 9.02 | -6.91% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Couch
In terms of ethnic identity, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census reveals some shifts within the Couch surname bearers between 2000 and 2010. The largest proportion identified as White, though this decreased slightly from 89.41% to 87.30%. Those identifying as Black saw an increase from 6.55% to 7.28%. There was also growth in the Asian/Pacific Islander group, who increased from making up 0.31% to 0.50% of those with the surname, and the Hispanic group, increasing from 1.60% to 2.24%. A small growth was also noted in the American Indian and Alaskan Native category from 0.69% to 0.71%. Individuals identifying with two or more races went up from 1.44% to 1.96%. Some data was suppressed for privacy reasons.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 89.41% | 87.3% | -2.36% |
| Black | 6.55% | 7.28% | 11.15% |
| Hispanic | 1.6% | 2.24% | 40% |
| Two or More Races | 1.44% | 1.96% | 36.11% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.69% | 0.71% | 2.9% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.31% | 0.5% | 61.29% |
Couch ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Couch is British & Irish, which comprises 59.6% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (21.6%) and Scandinavian (3.3%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 59.6% |
| French & German | 21.6% |
| Scandinavian | 3.3% |
| Other | 15.5% |
Possible origins of the surname Couch
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Couch have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 91.00% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 91.00% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 91.00% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 90.90% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 90.90% |
What Couch haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Couch is R-L664, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-L664 is descended from haplogroup R-M420. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and R-P311, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Dent, Willard, Hand, Ives, Judd, Prendergast, Bickford, Hawks, Keeney, Moorhead.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Couch surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M420Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Couch have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Couch" Surname 39.9%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Couch" Surname 27.3%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Couch" Surname 28.7%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Couch" Surname 17.1%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Couch?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Couch are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition