NameCensus.

UK surname

Cobain

A variant of the French surname Coban, referring to someone living in a small cottage or cabin.

In the 1881 census there were 29 people recorded with the Cobain surname, ranking it #29,484 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 292, ranked #15,022, up from #29,484 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rochdale, Petershill and Sefton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cobain is 313 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 906.9%.

1881 census count

29

Ranked #29,484

Modern count

292

2016, ranked #15,022

Peak year

2010

313 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cobain had 29 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #29,484 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 292 in 2016, ranked #15,022.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 62 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Cobain surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cobain surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cobain 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 7 #32,070
1861 historical 19 #31,470
1881 historical 29 #29,484
1891 historical 56 #29,638
1901 historical 62 #27,252
1911 historical 52 #27,620
1997 modern 279 #14,175
1998 modern 296 #13,997
1999 modern 285 #14,438
2000 modern 276 #14,724
2001 modern 273 #14,614
2002 modern 295 #14,146
2003 modern 283 #14,368
2004 modern 291 #14,138
2005 modern 289 #14,166
2006 modern 277 #14,667
2007 modern 289 #14,401
2008 modern 288 #14,537
2009 modern 298 #14,480
2010 modern 313 #14,289
2011 modern 298 #14,666
2012 modern 292 #14,770
2013 modern 303 #14,651
2014 modern 301 #14,809
2015 modern 296 #14,893
2016 modern 292 #15,022

Geography

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Where Cobains are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Rochdale, Petershill, Sefton, Flintshire and Craigend and Ruchazie. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rochdale 022 Rochdale
2 Petershill Glasgow City
3 Sefton 014 Sefton
4 Flintshire 015 Flintshire
5 Craigend and Ruchazie Glasgow City

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cobain

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cobain

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Cobain, 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 Cobain surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Cobain 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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Cobain is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Cobain is most concentrated in decile 7 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Cobain 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 Cobain is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Cobain

The surname Cobain originated in the north of England during the Anglo-Saxon era. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word 'cobbyn', which meant a small shelter or dwelling. The name may have initially referred to someone who lived in a modest abode or hut.

In the Domesday Book, a great survey of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror, there are several references to place names that could be related to the Cobain surname. For instance, the village of Cobbenhai in Worcestershire and the hamlet of Cobbyngton in Derbyshire may have been named after early Cobain settlers in those areas.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Cobain surname dates back to 1273, when a certain Richard Cobyn was mentioned in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire. Another early bearer of the name was John Cobayn, who was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327.

During the Middle Ages, the Cobain name appeared to have been concentrated primarily in the northern counties of England, particularly in Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Northumberland. Variations in spelling were common, with surnames like Cobayne, Cobyn, and Cobbyn also being used.

In the 16th century, a notable figure with the Cobain surname was John Cobayn, a merchant and alderman in the city of York. He lived from around 1510 to 1585 and was involved in civic affairs and trade.

Another prominent individual was Sir Thomas Cobain, a landowner and Member of Parliament for Yorkshire in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He was born around 1565 and died in 1623.

During the English Civil War in the 1640s, a Royalist soldier named Captain William Cobain fought for King Charles I. He was killed in battle in 1643 at the age of 38.

In the 18th century, a wealthy merchant and landowner named Robert Cobain lived in the town of Pontefract in Yorkshire. He was born in 1712 and passed away in 1789.

Lastly, in the 19th century, a prominent figure was Sir James Cobain, a British diplomat and ambassador who served in various countries across Europe and Asia. He was born in 1824 and died in 1892.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cobain families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cobain 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. Lanarkshire leads with 22 Cobains recorded in 1881 and an index of 23.26x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 22 23.26x
Lancashire 5 1.44x
Renfrewshire 2 8.83x
Royal Navy 1 28.74x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Glasgow in Lanarkshire leads with 11 Cobains recorded in 1881 and an index of 65.52x.

Place Total Index
Glasgow 11 65.52x
Govan 11 47.03x
Toxteth Park 5 42.55x
Lochwinnoch 2 588.24x
Royal Navy 1 33.56x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Jane 1
Mary 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 2
James 1
Robert 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Cobain households.

FAQ

Cobain surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cobain surname in 1881?

In 1881, 29 people were recorded with the Cobain surname. That placed it at #29,484 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cobain surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 292 in 2016. That gives Cobain a modern rank of #15,022.

What does the Cobain surname mean?

A variant of the French surname Coban, referring to someone living in a small cottage or cabin.

What does the Cobain map show?

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