NameCensus.

UK surname

Adcock

From the Old English personal name Eadcock, meaning "wealthy" or "fortunate."

In the 1881 census there were 2,948 people recorded with the Adcock surname, ranking it #1,518 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,198, ranked #2,126, down from #1,518 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, London parishes and Loughborough. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Mid Devon, Breckland and Great Yarmouth.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Adcock is 3,943 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 8.5%.

1881 census count

2,948

Ranked #1,518

Modern count

3,198

2016, ranked #2,126

Peak year

1911

3,943 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Adcock had 2,948 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,518 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,198 in 2016, ranked #2,126.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,943 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Adcock surname distribution map

The map shows where the Adcock surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Adcock surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Adcock over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 2,243 #1,308
1861 historical 2,184 #1,341
1881 historical 2,948 #1,518
1891 historical 3,262 #1,458
1901 historical 3,682 #1,526
1911 historical 3,943 #1,300
1997 modern 3,433 #1,888
1998 modern 3,558 #1,895
1999 modern 3,601 #1,890
2000 modern 3,576 #1,898
2001 modern 3,468 #1,911
2002 modern 3,555 #1,912
2003 modern 3,450 #1,921
2004 modern 3,407 #1,942
2005 modern 3,308 #1,973
2006 modern 3,325 #1,964
2007 modern 3,324 #1,989
2008 modern 3,364 #1,982
2009 modern 3,407 #2,009
2010 modern 3,448 #2,024
2011 modern 3,355 #2,047
2012 modern 3,238 #2,078
2013 modern 3,284 #2,090
2014 modern 3,308 #2,087
2015 modern 3,246 #2,106
2016 modern 3,198 #2,126

Geography

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Where Adcocks are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, London parishes, Loughborough, St Werburgh and Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Mid Devon, Breckland, Great Yarmouth and Doncaster. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Loughborough Leicestershire
4 St Werburgh Derbyshire
5 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Mid Devon 006 Mid Devon
2 Breckland 009 Breckland
3 Great Yarmouth 003 Great Yarmouth
4 Doncaster 032 Doncaster
5 Breckland 007 Breckland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Adcock

These lists show first names that appear often with the Adcock surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Adcock

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Adcock, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Adcock surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Adcock household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Adcock is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Adcock is most concentrated in decile 8 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Adcock falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Adcock is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Adcock, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Adcock

The surname Adcock is of English origin, dating back to the 13th century. It is a locational name derived from the Old English words "ad" meaning "at" and "cocc" meaning "hill or small hill". The name was likely given to someone who lived near a small hill or hillock.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, dating back to 1273, which mentions a William Adecok. The Hundredorum Rolls, also known as the Hundred Rolls, were a census-like survey conducted in England during the reign of King Edward I.

The name Adcock is also believed to have appeared in the famous Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landowners and their holdings commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. However, the spelling in this early record is not entirely clear.

During the medieval period, the name was also spelled in various ways, such as Addecok, Addecoke, and Adecok, reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling common at the time.

Notable individuals with the surname Adcock include John Adcock (1587-1647), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge from 1644 to 1647. Another prominent figure was Sir Frank Adcock (1886-1968), a British classical scholar and historian who made significant contributions to the study of ancient Greek and Roman history.

Other notable individuals with the surname include:

1. Joseph Adcock (1713-1793), an English printer and typefounder. 2. William Adcock (1919-1994), an English cricketer who played for Gloucestershire and Worcestershire. 3. Rachel Adcock (born 1984), a Canadian actress known for her roles in television series like "The Killing" and "True Justice". 4. Sir John Adcock (1610-1670), an English politician and landowner who served as a member of Parliament during the English Civil War. 5. William Adcock (1793-1865), an English architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in London and the surrounding areas.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Adcock families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Adcock surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Leicestershire leads with 604 Adcocks recorded in 1881 and an index of 18.89x.

County Total Index
Leicestershire 604 18.89x
Norfolk 457 10.30x
Warwickshire 262 3.60x
Lincolnshire 229 4.97x
Middlesex 187 0.65x
Nottinghamshire 174 4.48x
Staffordshire 121 1.24x
Surrey 113 0.80x
Derbyshire 112 2.48x
Yorkshire 110 0.38x
Essex 71 1.25x
Lancashire 68 0.20x
Kent 56 0.57x
Cambridgeshire 55 3.01x
Northamptonshire 45 1.66x
Hampshire 37 0.63x
Rutland 27 12.75x
Bedfordshire 24 1.61x
Gloucestershire 24 0.42x
Durham 23 0.27x
Hertfordshire 18 0.91x
Buckinghamshire 13 0.75x
Channel Islands 13 1.52x
Sussex 13 0.27x
Worcestershire 12 0.32x
Herefordshire 11 0.93x
Oxfordshire 10 0.56x
Cheshire 9 0.14x
Denbighshire 8 0.73x
Suffolk 8 0.23x
Berkshire 7 0.32x
Devon 7 0.12x
Cumberland 6 0.24x
Carmarthenshire 4 0.33x
Lanarkshire 4 0.04x
Midlothian 4 0.10x
Dorset 3 0.16x
Somerset 3 0.06x
Angus 1 0.04x
Huntingdonshire 1 0.17x
Westmorland 1 0.16x
Wiltshire 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Syston in Leicestershire leads with 136 Adcocks recorded in 1881 and an index of 454.24x.

Place Total Index
Syston 136 454.24x
Leicester St Margaret 129 16.54x
Loughborough 80 55.12x
Birmingham 68 2.80x
East Dereham 42 74.96x
Walsall Foreign 42 8.35x
Nottingham St Mary 40 3.98x
Aston 37 1.85x
Ashby De La Zouch 32 43.17x
Derby St Werburgh 26 9.97x
Great Yarmouth 25 6.80x
Watton 25 179.47x
Heigham 24 10.08x
Ibstock 23 98.97x
Leicester St Mary 23 8.90x
Chilwell 22 212.97x
West Bradenham 22 728.48x
Melbourne 21 68.03x
Radford 21 10.63x
North Creake 20 330.58x
Sutton Coldfield 20 26.16x
Bethnal Green London 18 1.44x
Coventry St Michael 18 7.70x
Great Wakering 18 141.40x
Sawston 18 102.16x
Bermondsey 17 1.98x
Felthorpe 17 368.76x
Leicester All Sts 17 27.07x
Oakham Lordshold 17 76.68x
St Pancras London 17 0.73x
Pulham St Mary Virgin 16 196.56x
Rotherhithe 16 4.49x
Spalding 16 17.48x
Sprowston 16 81.76x
Belgrave 15 20.78x
Derby St Alkmund 15 11.08x
Mansfield 15 11.15x
Newark Upon Trent 15 10.73x
Boston 14 10.01x
Eaton St Andrew 14 113.73x
Horninglow 14 30.53x
St George Hanover Square 14 2.75x
Bishopwearmouth 13 1.76x
Burton Upon Trent 13 5.71x
Camberwell 13 0.71x
Kingsbury 13 83.55x
Prittlewell 13 16.47x
West Bromwich 13 2.33x
Aldershot 12 6.06x
Cheltenham 12 2.75x
Meldreth 12 169.25x
Paddington London 12 1.13x
Stoneleigh 12 99.34x
Cringleford 11 495.50x
Gainsborough 11 10.12x
Hunworth 11 521.33x
Newington 11 1.03x
Swanton Morley 11 161.53x
Ashby Magna 10 400.00x
Beetley 10 296.74x
Islington London 10 0.36x
Market Bosworth 10 86.66x
Ropsley 10 156.25x
Saham Toney 10 83.54x
Shipdham 10 66.40x
Wells Next Sea 10 38.67x
Whitechapel London 10 3.52x
Ashill 9 138.89x
Beverley St Nicholas 9 38.40x
Buckingham 9 25.37x
Donington 9 54.35x
Hackney London 9 0.56x
Hampstead London 9 2.00x
Honingham 9 265.49x
Hunslet 9 2.02x
Luton 9 3.48x
Moulton 9 40.54x
Norwich St Clement 9 17.51x
Portsea 9 0.78x
Rugby 9 9.15x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Adcock surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 198
Elizabeth 122
Sarah 108
Emma 72
Ann 62
Eliza 51
Alice 49
Jane 45
Ellen 37
Annie 35
Harriet 32
Martha 31
Emily 28
Charlotte 27
Hannah 24
Edith 23
Florence 22
Lucy 19
Ada 18
Louisa 18
Margaret 18
Clara 17
Harriett 17
Maria 17
Fanny 16
Caroline 15
Susan 15
Catherine 13
Agnes 11
Amelia 11
Anne 11
Anna 10
Kate 10
Lizzie 10
Eleanor 9
Lydia 9
Ethel 8
Rebecca 8
Sophia 8
Amy 7
Bertha 7
Laura 7
Betsy 6
Frances 6
Gertrude 6
Minnie 6
Flora 5
Julia 5
Mabel 5
Selina 5

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Adcock surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 193
John 184
George 96
James 78
Thomas 70
Henry 61
Joseph 48
Robert 46
Charles 45
Arthur 32
Frederick 32
Richard 31
Alfred 28
Harry 27
Walter 25
Albert 24
Edward 24
Samuel 24
Frank 17
Ernest 13
Herbert 13
Edwin 10
Fred 10
David 8
Francis 8
Abraham 6
Edmund 6
Fredk. 6
Thos. 6
Ambrose 5
Benjamin 5
Fredrick 5
Josiah 5
Sidney 5
Jabez 4
Jno. 4
Jonathan 4
Richd. 4
Stephen 4
Willm. 4
Chas. 3
Daniel 3
Edgar 3
Geo. 3
Halford 3
Hedley 3
Horace 3
Jesse 3
Tom 3
Christopher 2

FAQ

Adcock surname: questions and answers

How common was the Adcock surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,948 people were recorded with the Adcock surname. That placed it at #1,518 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Adcock surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,198 in 2016. That gives Adcock a modern rank of #2,126.

What does the Adcock surname mean?

From the Old English personal name Eadcock, meaning "wealthy" or "fortunate."

What does the Adcock map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Adcock bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.