NameCensus.

UK surname

Coast

A geographical surname derived from a location near a coastline or coastal region.

In the 1881 census there were 174 people recorded with the Coast surname, ranking it #14,042 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 96, ranked #31,684, down from #14,042 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Witchling, Otterden, Lenham and Rochester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Test Valley, Ashford and Wirral.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Coast is 223 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 44.8%.

1881 census count

174

Ranked #14,042

Modern count

96

2016, ranked #31,684

Peak year

1891

223 bearers

Map years

7

1861 to 2006

Key insights

  • Coast had 174 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,042 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 96 in 2016, ranked #31,684.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 223 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Coast surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Coast surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Coast 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 86 #18,820
1861 historical 124 #17,797
1881 historical 174 #14,042
1891 historical 223 #13,800
1901 historical 171 #16,689
1911 historical 169 #16,564
1997 modern 120 #24,158
1998 modern 121 #24,677
1999 modern 123 #24,643
2000 modern 116 #25,452
2001 modern 115 #25,222
2002 modern 118 #25,358
2003 modern 113 #25,797
2004 modern 113 #25,999
2005 modern 106 #27,044
2006 modern 105 #27,479
2007 modern 100 #28,669
2008 modern 100 #29,001
2009 modern 102 #29,286
2010 modern 105 #29,453
2011 modern 104 #29,424
2012 modern 107 #29,017
2013 modern 104 #30,076
2014 modern 100 #31,033
2015 modern 96 #31,624
2016 modern 96 #31,684

Geography

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Where Coasts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Witchling, Otterden, Lenham, Rochester and Throwley. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Test Valley, Ashford, Wirral, Bradford and Milton Keynes. 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 London parishes London 1
2 Witchling, Otterden, Lenham Kent
3 Rochester Kent
4 London parishes London 3
5 Throwley Kent

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Test Valley 015 Test Valley
2 Ashford 006 Ashford
3 Wirral 014 Wirral
4 Bradford 029 Bradford
5 Milton Keynes 004 Milton Keynes

Forenames

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First names often paired with Coast

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Coast

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

Ageing Communities

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Coast is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Coast 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

Coast falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Coast 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 Coast, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Coast

The surname COAST is of English origin, with its roots tracing back to the late 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "coste," which referred to a dweller near the coast or a coastal region.

During the medieval period, the name was commonly found in areas along the English coastline, particularly in counties such as Devon, Dorset, and Cornwall. The earliest known record of the surname appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1296, where one Richard atte Coste is mentioned.

In the 14th century, the surname COAST was also documented in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire, which contained tax records from the region. This suggests that the name had spread to other parts of England by that time.

The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the surname COAST. However, it does mention several place names with the word "coste" or similar variations, indicating that the surname likely originated from these locations.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the COAST surname was John Coast, born in the late 15th century in Gloucestershire, England. He served as a member of the local gentry and held land in the village of Tewkesbury.

In the 16th century, the COAST surname gained prominence with the explorer and navigator Sir William Coast (c. 1520-1580). He was a prominent figure in the English maritime expeditions of the era and is credited with mapping several coastlines in the Americas.

Another notable figure was Thomas Coast (1608-1672), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Stockport in Cheshire. He wrote several theological works and was known for his sermons.

During the 17th century, the COAST surname appeared in various parish records across England, with families settled in areas such as Suffolk, Norfolk, and Yorkshire. One notable bearer was John Coast (1644-1712), a merchant and landowner from Lincolnshire who served as a Justice of the Peace.

In the 18th century, Captain James Coast (1724-1799) was a British Royal Navy officer who gained recognition for his contributions to naval navigation and cartography. He published several navigational charts and sailing directions that were widely used by mariners of the time.

Throughout its history, the COAST surname has maintained a strong presence in various regions of England, reflecting its origins as a name associated with coastal areas and maritime activities.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Coast families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Coast 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. Kent leads with 126 Coasts recorded in 1881 and an index of 21.76x.

County Total Index
Kent 126 21.76x
Middlesex 30 1.77x
Buckinghamshire 9 8.77x
Yorkshire 3 0.18x
Gloucestershire 2 0.60x
Sussex 2 0.70x
Glamorgan 1 0.34x
Somerset 1 0.37x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Throwley in Kent leads with 23 Coasts recorded in 1881 and an index of 6388.89x.

Place Total Index
Throwley 23 6388.89x
Lenham 18 1551.72x
Faversham 14 253.62x
St Pancras London 11 8.05x
Bethnal Green London 9 12.21x
Newport Pagnell 9 418.60x
Charing 8 1025.64x
Gillingham 8 67.00x
Frinstead 7 5833.33x
Hothfield 5 2631.58x
Rochester St Margaret 5 81.83x
Deal 4 80.97x
Deptford St Paul 4 8.95x
Oare 4 1333.33x
Bradford 3 7.37x
Canterbury St Andrew 3 1250.00x
Leaveland 3 4285.71x
Mile End Old Town London 3 8.31x
Newnham 3 1666.67x
St George Hanover Square 3 10.03x
Kensington London 2 2.12x
Leigh 2 263.16x
Littlebourne 2 454.55x
Sheldwich 2 540.54x
Sittingbourne 2 43.76x
Swanscombe 2 76.92x
Brenenden 1 135.14x
Bromley 1 11.33x
Brompton Regis 1 333.33x
Canterbury St Dunstan 1 100.00x
Clifton 1 5.94x
Dover St James 1 39.37x
Eastbourne 1 7.59x
Frindsbury 1 45.87x
Llandaff 1 10.17x
Northfleet 1 19.61x
Shoreditch London 1 1.36x
Shoreham 1 121.95x
Storrington 1 128.21x
West Dean 1 18.48x
Willesden 1 6.25x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 12
Elizabeth 7
Emily 6
Eliza 4
Martha 4
Sarah 4
Alice 3
Caroline 3
Ellen 3
Kate 3
Ada 2
Annie 2
Clara 2
Edith 2
Emma 2
Ethel 2
Jane 2
Jessie 2
Amy 1
Ann 1
Catharine 1
Decima 1
Dora 1
Eleanor 1
Emly 1
Eva 1
Evelyn 1
Fanney 1
Fanny 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Grace 1
Harriet 1
Hetty 1
Julia 1
Laura 1
Louisa 1
Maria 1
May 1
Minnie 1
Nellie 1
Olive 1
Priscilla 1
Rose 1
Ruth 1
Zea 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 11
John 8
George 7
Thomas 7
James 4
Nathaniel 4
Charles 3
David 3
Edward 3
Frederick 3
Herbert 3
Albert 2
Arthur 2
Harry 2
Henry 2
Alan 1
Daniel 1
Danil 1
Ernest 1
Esther 1
Frank 1
Fred. 1
Jno. 1
Kenneth 1
Robert 1
Thos. 1
Victor 1
W. 1
Walter 1
Willie 1
Wm.R. 1

FAQ

Coast surname: questions and answers

How common was the Coast surname in 1881?

In 1881, 174 people were recorded with the Coast surname. That placed it at #14,042 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Coast surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 96 in 2016. That gives Coast a modern rank of #31,684.

What does the Coast surname mean?

A geographical surname derived from a location near a coastline or coastal region.

What does the Coast map show?

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