NameCensus.

UK surname

Cobbe

A surname derived from a nickname for a rounded or stumpy person.

In the 1881 census there were 99 people recorded with the Cobbe surname, ranking it #19,877 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 124, ranked #26,975, down from #19,877 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Astbury and Maulden. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include West Berkshire, Cheshire West and Chester and East Lindsey.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cobbe is 143 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 25.3%.

1881 census count

99

Ranked #19,877

Modern count

124

2016, ranked #26,975

Peak year

1998

143 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cobbe had 99 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #19,877 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 124 in 2016, ranked #26,975.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 137 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Cobbe surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cobbe surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cobbe 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 72 #20,720
1861 historical 77 #23,975
1881 historical 99 #19,877
1891 historical 115 #21,878
1901 historical 137 #19,032
1911 historical 129 #19,577
1997 modern 133 #22,705
1998 modern 143 #22,317
1999 modern 138 #22,983
2000 modern 126 #24,220
2001 modern 127 #23,781
2002 modern 134 #23,492
2003 modern 127 #24,019
2004 modern 123 #24,679
2005 modern 116 #25,564
2006 modern 114 #26,120
2007 modern 123 #25,208
2008 modern 125 #25,249
2009 modern 125 #25,823
2010 modern 131 #25,656
2011 modern 136 #24,819
2012 modern 130 #25,559
2013 modern 134 #25,525
2014 modern 140 #24,977
2015 modern 129 #26,226
2016 modern 124 #26,975

Geography

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Where Cobbes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Astbury, Maulden, Manchester and Wigan. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to West Berkshire, Cheshire West and Chester, East Lindsey, Stroud and Wirral. 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 Astbury Cheshire
3 Maulden Bedfordshire
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Wigan Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 West Berkshire 007 West Berkshire
2 Cheshire West and Chester 022 Cheshire West and Chester
3 East Lindsey 013 East Lindsey
4 Stroud 002 Stroud
5 Wirral 013 Wirral

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cobbe

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cobbe

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Cobbe, 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 Cobbe surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Cobbe 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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

European Enclaves

Within London, Cobbe is most associated with areas classed as European Enclaves, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

Many residents of these accessible neighbourhoods have wide-ranging non-UK European origins. Typically residing in privately rented flats, many residents live alone and are beyond normal retirement age. There are more students than elsewhere in the Supergroup, some of which live in communal establishments. Household residents are often drawn from different ethnic groups.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Cobbe 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

Cobbe 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 Cobbe 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 Cobbe, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Cobbe

The surname Cobbe originates from England, particularly during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old Norse personal name "Kobbi," which is a diminutive form of Jakob or James, meaning "supplanter." This name is closely linked to the Old Danish word "kobbe," meaning a seal, which could imply someone who was known for their marine associations or characteristics.

Cobbe appears in historical records as early as the 13th century. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of John Cobbe, who is mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Cheshire in 1260. The name has also been found in the Subsidy Rolls for Somerset in 1327, where a Richard Cobbe is listed as a taxpayer.

The surname has seen various spellings throughout history, including Cobb, Cob, and Cobbin. These variations can be attributed to dialect differences and the evolution of the English language. The place name Cobham in Surrey suggests a possible geographical connection or origin for individuals bearing the surname Cobbe, as it translates to "Cobb's homestead."

Thomas Cobbe, born in 1680, was a notable figure bearing this surname. He was an Anglican cleric who became the Bishop of Killala and Achonry in Ireland in 1750. His son, Charles Cobbe, born in 1745, continued the family's prominence by serving as the Archbishop of Dublin from 1743 until his death in 1765. Another significant individual was Charles Cobbe, a Captain in the Royal Navy who played a role during the American War of Independence, born in 1715 and died in 1794.

Historical documents from the late 17th and early 18th centuries also reference a Colonel Richard Cobbe, an officer in the British Army, who distinguished himself in several military campaigns in Europe. His leadership contributed to the fame and nobility associated with the Cobbe name. He was born in 1665 and died in 1724.

The Cobbe family name has persisted through centuries, illustrating a storied heritage rooted in English and Norse traditions. Its historical references and notable bearers demonstrate a lineage of individuals who held various esteemed positions and contributed significantly to their respective fields.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cobbe families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cobbe 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 21 Cobbes recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.05x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 21 2.05x
Cheshire 13 5.75x
Yorkshire 12 1.18x
Lancashire 9 0.74x
Kent 8 2.29x
Channel Islands 6 19.77x
Oxfordshire 6 9.49x
Bedfordshire 5 9.43x
Hampshire 5 2.38x
Hertfordshire 3 4.25x
Nottinghamshire 3 2.17x
Shropshire 3 3.39x
Somerset 2 1.21x
Aberdeenshire 1 1.05x
Devon 1 0.47x
Dorset 1 1.49x
Essex 1 0.49x
Gloucestershire 1 0.50x
Lincolnshire 1 0.61x
Staffordshire 1 0.29x
Surrey 1 0.20x
Worcestershire 1 0.75x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Congleton in Cheshire leads with 7 Cobbes recorded in 1881 and an index of 179.03x.

Place Total Index
Congleton 7 179.03x
Gillingham 7 97.22x
Heptonstall 7 492.96x
St Helier 6 60.73x
Maulden 5 1086.96x
Stoke Newington London 5 62.66x
W Adderbury 5 3125.00x
Bromley London 4 17.75x
Chiswick 4 71.43x
Kensington London 4 7.02x
Wybunbury 4 1904.76x
Christchurch 3 65.93x
Hemel Hempstead 3 94.34x
Holy Trinity 3 12.29x
Newark Upon Trent 3 60.48x
Oswestry Town 3 106.01x
St Luke London 3 18.26x
Arclid 2 1818.18x
Liss 2 465.12x
Little Bolton 2 12.80x
Southworth With Croft 2 555.56x
Spaxton 2 625.00x
Turton 2 100.50x
Alford 1 192.31x
Bawtry 1 312.50x
Broughton In Salford 1 9.00x
Burslem 1 10.10x
Chorlton On Medlock 1 5.18x
Clifton 1 9.84x
E Adderbury 1 312.50x
Fordington 1 68.97x
Gainsborough 1 25.91x
Gate Fulford 1 42.19x
Great Clacton 1 144.93x
Greenwich 1 6.13x
Plymouth St Andrew 1 6.09x
Preston 1 3.08x
St Martin In Fields 1 16.31x
Wimbledon 1 17.86x
Worcester St Nicholas 1 158.73x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 6
Jane 5
Mary 4
Sarah 4
Adela 2
Alice 2
Ellen 2
Frances 2
Sophia 2
Agness 1
Amy 1
Anna 1
Annie 1
Catherine 1
Clara 1
Dora 1
Eliza 1
Emma 1
Estelle 1
Ethel 1
Gena 1
Hannah 1
Harriett 1
Helen 1
Johanna 1
Letitia 1
Lousia 1
Lucy 1
Lydia 1
Mabel 1
Maria 1
Martha 1
Vanda 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 10
Charles 6
Henry 6
Thomas 6
George 4
James 3
John 3
Albert 1
Alexander 1
Chas.Beresford 1
Chas.Burton 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Giles 1
Hervic 1
Ivor 1
Richard 1
Samuel 1
Tom 1

FAQ

Cobbe surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cobbe surname in 1881?

In 1881, 99 people were recorded with the Cobbe surname. That placed it at #19,877 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cobbe surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 124 in 2016. That gives Cobbe a modern rank of #26,975.

What does the Cobbe surname mean?

A surname derived from a nickname for a rounded or stumpy person.

What does the Cobbe map show?

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