Explore the Family Name Cunning
The meaning of Cunning
1. Irish and Scottish (Fife): variant of Scottish or English Conning, from Middle English, Anglo-Norman French coning ‘rabbit’, used for someone thought to resemble a rabbit in some way; perhaps also an occupational name for a furrier. See also Coney. 2. Irish: variant of Gunning.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Cunning in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname "Cunning" has seen a downward trend from 2000 to 2010. The surname ranked 25,242 in 2000 and fell to 29,986 in 2010, experiencing a decrease of 18.79 percent. Concurrently, the actual count of individuals with this surname also dropped by nearly 15 percent, from 921 in 2000 to 783 in 2010. This decline is further reflected in the proportion per 100k people, which decreased from 0.34 to 0.27 over the same decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #25,242 | #29,986 | -18.79% |
| Count | 921 | 783 | -14.98% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.34 | 0.27 | -20.59% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Cunning
The ethnic identity associated with the surname "Cunning" has also slightly shifted from 2000 to 2010 as per the Decennial U.S. Census data. A significant portion of individuals with the surname identify as White, at 85.02 percent in 2000 reduced to 80.08 percent in 2010. There was a notable increase among those identifying as Black, from 10.86 percent in 2000 to 14.18 percent in 2010. The percentage of those identifying as Hispanic also saw an increase from 2.50 percent to 3.07 percent during the same period. Interestingly, there was a considerable increase in the percentage of individuals identifying with two or more ethnicities, from 0.76 percent to 1.92 percent. No persons with this surname identified as Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 85.02% | 80.08% | -5.81% |
| Black | 10.86% | 14.18% | 30.57% |
| Hispanic | 2.5% | 3.07% | 22.8% |
| Two or More Races | 0.76% | 1.92% | 152.63% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |