NameCensus.

UK surname

Coakley

Derived from the Irish Gaelic "Ó Cadhla," meaning "descendant of Cadhla," a personal name meaning "graceful" or "comely."

In the 1881 census there were 245 people recorded with the Coakley surname, ranking it #11,232 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,179, ranked #5,041, up from #11,232 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St George in the East, London parishes and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Liverpool, Orbiston and Hambleton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Coakley is 1,279 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 381.2%.

1881 census count

245

Ranked #11,232

Modern count

1,179

2016, ranked #5,041

Peak year

2010

1,279 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Coakley had 245 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,232 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,179 in 2016, ranked #5,041.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 422 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Coakley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Coakley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Coakley 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 142 #13,428
1861 historical 204 #11,814
1881 historical 245 #11,232
1891 historical 319 #10,563
1901 historical 321 #11,118
1911 historical 422 #8,936
1997 modern 1,133 #4,945
1998 modern 1,171 #4,980
1999 modern 1,189 #4,972
2000 modern 1,180 #4,981
2001 modern 1,181 #4,866
2002 modern 1,182 #4,960
2003 modern 1,164 #4,934
2004 modern 1,167 #4,931
2005 modern 1,160 #4,899
2006 modern 1,166 #4,887
2007 modern 1,171 #4,914
2008 modern 1,211 #4,808
2009 modern 1,240 #4,812
2010 modern 1,279 #4,771
2011 modern 1,246 #4,832
2012 modern 1,204 #4,902
2013 modern 1,224 #4,911
2014 modern 1,223 #4,938
2015 modern 1,216 #4,911
2016 modern 1,179 #5,041

Geography

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Where Coakleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St George in the East, London parishes, Manchester, Portsmouth, Portsea and St Giles-in-the-Fields. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Liverpool, Orbiston, Hambleton, Waveney and Middlesbrough. 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 St George in the East London (East Districts)
2 London parishes London 3
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Portsmouth, Portsea Hampshire
5 St Giles-in-the-Fields London (Central Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Liverpool 023 Liverpool
2 Orbiston North Lanarkshire
3 Hambleton 010 Hambleton
4 Waveney 008 Waveney
5 Middlesbrough 020 Middlesbrough

Forenames

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First names often paired with Coakley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Coakley

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Coakley, 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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Coakley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Coakley household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Coakley is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Coakley is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Coakley falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Coakley is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Coakley

The surname Coakley is of Irish origin and can be traced back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Gaelic word "cuachaillidhe," meaning "cock-pheasant" or "gamekeeper." The name was initially prevalent in counties Cork and Kerry, where many early bearers were employed as gamekeepers or fowlers.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name can be found in the Fiants of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth, where a John Coakeley is listed as a landowner in County Cork in 1585. Another early reference is in the Hearth Money Rolls of 1663, which list several Coakley households in the parishes of Carrigaline and Kinsale, County Cork.

In the 17th century, the name Coakley appeared in various spellings, such as Coakeley, Coakly, and Cokely, reflecting the phonetic variations common at the time. Several place names in Ireland, such as Cooklin in County Cork and Coackley in County Limerick, are believed to be derived from the surname or its variants.

Notable historical figures with the surname Coakley include:

1. Maurice Coakley (c. 1600-1680), an Irish soldier and landowner who fought for the Catholic Confederacy during the Irish Confederate Wars. 2. James Coakley (1741-1815), an Irish Catholic priest and historian who authored several works on Irish history and the penal laws. 3. John Coakley (1789-1865), an Irish politician who served as a Member of Parliament for the constituency of Dundalk from 1832 to 1835. 4. George Coakley (1867-1935), an American baseball player and manager who played for several teams in the Major League Baseball from 1889 to 1904. 5. Maureen Coakley (1923-2004), an English actress known for her roles in television series such as "Coronation Street" and "Emmerdale Farm."

While the name Coakley has Irish roots, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through Irish immigration to countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Coakley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Coakley 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. Middlesex leads with 58 Coakleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.44x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 58 2.44x
Lancashire 57 2.02x
Surrey 34 2.93x
Glamorgan 17 4.10x
Staffordshire 15 1.87x
Hampshire 13 2.66x
Kent 11 1.35x
Wiltshire 7 3.33x
Devon 6 1.21x
Gloucestershire 6 1.29x
Monmouthshire 6 3.49x
Worcestershire 5 1.61x
Sussex 2 0.50x
Yorkshire 2 0.08x
Cornwall 1 0.37x
Durham 1 0.14x
Lanarkshire 1 0.13x
Somerset 1 0.26x
Warwickshire 1 0.17x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Pendleton In Salford in Lancashire leads with 14 Coakleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 41.60x.

Place Total Index
Pendleton In Salford 14 41.60x
St George In East London 12 53.60x
Bermondsey 10 14.11x
Wolverhampton 10 16.19x
Southwark St John 9 123.63x
Camberwell 8 5.26x
Marlborough St Mary Virgin 7 472.97x
Shadwell London 7 105.11x
Southampton St Mary 7 22.82x
St Marylebone London 7 5.51x
Great Bolton 6 16.04x
Roath 6 31.88x
St Pancras London 6 3.13x
Trevethin 6 36.92x
Clifton 5 21.19x
Kingswinford 5 17.14x
Llandaff 5 36.26x
Milton In Gravesend 5 41.05x
Plymouth St Andrew 5 13.10x
Portsea 5 5.23x
Southwark St George Martyr 5 10.44x
Warley Salop 5 1111.11x
Windle 5 31.47x
Bethnal Green London 4 3.87x
Cardiff St John 4 29.54x
Chadderton 4 28.96x
Crumpsall 4 60.06x
Garston 4 47.96x
Mile End Old Town London 4 7.90x
Poplar London 4 8.90x
Westminster St James 4 16.35x
Wigan 4 10.13x
Limehouse London 3 11.48x
Manchester 3 2.36x
Minster In Sheppey 3 22.30x
Newton In Makerfield 3 34.68x
Oldham 3 3.29x
Poulton With Fearnhead 3 500.00x
Brighton 2 2.47x
Cardiff St Mary 2 8.76x
Hook 2 38.54x
St Andrew Holborn London 2 19.42x
St Giles In Fields London 2 17.12x
Battersea 1 1.14x
Chatham 1 4.48x
Cheetham 1 4.75x
Cronton 1 263.16x
Devonport 1 17.57x
Glasgow 1 0.73x
Hound 1 30.21x
Layton With Warbreck 1 9.65x
Northfleet 1 13.99x
Pilkington 1 9.32x
Rugby 1 12.32x
Scilly Islands 1 208.33x
Seal 1 76.34x
St Botolph Aldgate London 1 20.41x
St Luke London 1 2.62x
Stockton On Tees 1 2.93x
Twerton 1 25.32x
Twickenham 1 9.80x
Westbury On Trym 1 6.33x
Woking 1 14.31x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 22
Ellen 10
Sarah 9
Catherine 7
Annie 5
Emma 5
Bridget 4
Elizabeth 4
Jane 4
Alice 3
Ann 3
Charlotte 3
Harriet 3
Julia 3
Margaret 3
Fanny 2
Frances 2
Hannah 2
Kate 2
May 2
Minnie 2
Adelaide 1
Agnes 1
Amelia 1
Caraline 1
Caroline 1
Christiana 1
Clara 1
Elisabeth 1
Emly 1
Florence 1
Honora 1
Honorish 1
Isabella 1
Jessie 1
Johana 1
Johanna 1
Katie 1
Letitia 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
Madeleine 1
Margt. 1
Maria 1
Mercy 1
Norah 1
Phoebe 1
Rachel 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 27
Thomas 11
Daniel 9
William 8
James 6
Michael 4
Patrick 4
George 3
Joseph 3
Wm. 3
David 2
Denis 2
Dennis 2
Ellis 2
Frederick 2
Jeremiah 2
Timothy 2
Tom 2
Arthur 1
Bartholomew 1
Benjamin 1
Charles 1
Cornelias 1
Cornelius 1
Edward 1
Ernest 1
Frances 1
Fredrick 1
Geo.Benjn. 1
Henry 1
Isaac 1
Jas. 1
Jas.Jno. 1
Michl. 1
Patsie 1
Patsy 1
Robert 1
Victor 1

FAQ

Coakley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Coakley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 245 people were recorded with the Coakley surname. That placed it at #11,232 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Coakley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,179 in 2016. That gives Coakley a modern rank of #5,041.

What does the Coakley surname mean?

Derived from the Irish Gaelic "Ó Cadhla," meaning "descendant of Cadhla," a personal name meaning "graceful" or "comely."

What does the Coakley map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Coakley 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.