UK boy's name
Coburn
A unisex name with Scottish origin signifying "winding river stream".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2014. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Coburn is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Coburn popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2014 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4632, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2005, with 4 births.
This profile covers 7 England and Wales registrations across 2 recorded years from 2005 to 2014. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 75% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 7 living people in the UK are called Coburn. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2015 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Coburn ranked #4632 for boys in England and Wales in 2014, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2005, when 4 boys were registered as Coburn.
- • About 7 living people in the UK are estimated to have Coburn as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4632
2014
Births in 2014
3
Latest year
Peak year
2005
4 births
Estimated living
7
2026
Meaning
What does Coburn mean?
The given name Coburn is an English name with origins dating back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old English words "co" meaning cow and "burn" meaning stream or brook, essentially translating to "cow stream" or "cow brook". This suggests that the name may have originated in rural English areas where people lived near streams or brooks where cows would drink.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Coburn can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive record of landowners and tenants in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appeared as "Coburne", referring to a settlement or manor in the county of Wiltshire.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the name Coburn was primarily used in England, particularly in the southwestern regions. It was not uncommon for people to take on surnames derived from the names of their hometowns or settlements, which may explain the origins of the name Coburn as a given name.
In the 16th century, a notable figure named Coburn Hargreaves (1523-1597) was a prominent landowner and member of the gentry in Yorkshire, England. He was known for his involvement in local politics and his contributions to the development of his community.
Another historical figure with the name Coburn was Coburn Fitzwilliam (1647-1712), a British soldier and diplomat who served in the Nine Years' War and later became a Member of Parliament for the constituency of Peterborough.
In the 19th century, Coburn Whitehead (1818-1887) was a prominent American lawyer and politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from New Jersey from 1875 to 1877.
One of the most renowned individuals with the name Coburn was the American artist Coburn Butterworth (1858-1935), who was known for his landscape paintings and is considered a major figure in the American Impressionist movement.
Another notable person named Coburn was Coburn Cheever (1892-1969), an American businessman and philanthropist who made significant contributions to various educational institutions and charitable organizations.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Coburn over time
The chart below shows babies named Coburn registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2005 to 2014. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Coburn, the clearest high point is 2005. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2014, compared with 4 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Coburn by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Coburn was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | #4632 | 3 | 1 |
| 2000s | #3208 | 4 | 1 |
Related
Names similar to Coburn
- Charlie 104,761
- Callum 65,796
- Connor 53,072
- Cameron 40,394
- Charles 33,091
- Christopher 26,849
- Caleb 15,553
- Corey 12,622
- Carter 11,505
- Cody 11,075
- Conor 10,298
- Christian 9,695
FAQ
Coburn: questions and answers
How popular is the name Coburn in the UK right now?
In 2014, Coburn was ranked #4632 for boys in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Coburn most popular?
The peak year on record was 2005, with 4 babies registered as Coburn in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Coburn?
A unisex name with Scottish origin signifying "winding river stream".
How many people are called Coburn in the UK?
A total of 7 babies have been registered as Coburn across the 2 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.