NameCensus.

UK surname

Coburn

An English occupational surname for someone who burned charcoal or lived near a place where it was produced.

In the 1881 census there were 571 people recorded with the Coburn surname, ranking it #6,089 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,708, ranked #3,652, up from #6,089 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Stockport, Woburn and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Blaenau Gwent, Knowsley and Rhondda Cynon Taf.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Coburn is 1,708 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 199.1%.

1881 census count

571

Ranked #6,089

Modern count

1,708

2016, ranked #3,652

Peak year

2016

1,708 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Coburn had 571 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,089 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,708 in 2016, ranked #3,652.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 792 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Coburn surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Coburn surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Coburn 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 197 #10,535
1861 historical 198 #12,114
1881 historical 571 #6,089
1891 historical 590 #6,478
1901 historical 792 #5,689
1911 historical 743 #5,776
1997 modern 1,421 #4,091
1998 modern 1,505 #4,034
1999 modern 1,542 #3,985
2000 modern 1,557 #3,942
2001 modern 1,507 #3,969
2002 modern 1,577 #3,904
2003 modern 1,520 #3,953
2004 modern 1,516 #3,961
2005 modern 1,501 #3,961
2006 modern 1,514 #3,940
2007 modern 1,545 #3,888
2008 modern 1,573 #3,843
2009 modern 1,628 #3,826
2010 modern 1,669 #3,820
2011 modern 1,683 #3,744
2012 modern 1,649 #3,738
2013 modern 1,695 #3,717
2014 modern 1,699 #3,724
2015 modern 1,697 #3,693
2016 modern 1,708 #3,652

Geography

Back to top

Where Coburns are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Blaenau Gwent, Knowsley, Rhondda Cynon Taf and Epping Forest. 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 Stockport Cheshire
2 Woburn Bedfordshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Gateshead Durham
5 Maulden Bedfordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Blaenau Gwent 005 Blaenau Gwent
2 Knowsley 006 Knowsley
3 Rhondda Cynon Taf 018 Rhondda Cynon Taf
4 Epping Forest 007 Epping Forest
5 Rhondda Cynon Taf 023 Rhondda Cynon Taf

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Coburn

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Coburn

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

Coburn 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

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

Meaning and origin of Coburn

The surname COBURN originated in England and Scotland during the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "cob" meaning a headland or promontory, and "burn" meaning a stream or brook. Thus, the name likely referred to someone who lived near a stream at the base of a headland or hillside.

COBURN is a locational surname, meaning it originated from a place name. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in various historical documents from the 12th and 13th centuries, such as the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire and the Chartulary of Kelso Abbey in Scotland.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was William de Coburn, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1166. Another early reference is to Thomas de Coburne, who was recorded in the Chartulary of Kelso Abbey in 1292.

The name COBURN has also been associated with various place names throughout England and Scotland, such as Cobburn in Northumberland, Coburn in Yorkshire, and Coburn Muir in Lanarkshire, Scotland. These place names likely contributed to the widespread adoption of the surname in those regions.

Notable individuals throughout history who bore the surname COBURN include:

1. John Coburn (c. 1648-1719), an English-born settler in New Jersey who served as a member of the Provincial Assembly. 2. Abraham Coburn (1768-1848), an American manufacturer and philanthropist who founded the Coburn School in Massachusetts. 3. Charles D. Coburn (1877-1961), an American actor who won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1943 for his role in "The More the Merrier." 4. William Coburn (1804-1887), a Scottish-born artist and engraver who worked in the United States and is known for his landscapes and portraits. 5. John Wesley Coburn (1829-1908), an American politician and lawyer who served as a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from Indiana.

These are just a few examples of notable individuals who carried the surname COBURN throughout history, highlighting its wide geographic distribution and various occupations and achievements associated with the name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Coburn families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Coburn 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. Lancashire leads with 77 Coburns recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.17x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 77 1.17x
Bedfordshire 62 21.65x
Middlesex 47 0.85x
Cheshire 43 3.52x
Durham 30 1.82x
Yorkshire 27 0.49x
Warwickshire 25 1.79x
Surrey 20 0.74x
Ayrshire 17 4.11x
Kent 16 0.85x
Monmouthshire 16 4.00x
Staffordshire 15 0.80x
Herefordshire 14 6.17x
Derbyshire 12 1.39x
Lanarkshire 12 0.67x
Northumberland 12 1.46x
Norfolk 11 1.29x
Wigtownshire 11 14.98x
Berkshire 10 2.41x
Essex 8 0.73x
Dunbartonshire 7 4.71x
Caernarfonshire 6 2.68x
Glamorgan 6 0.62x
Gloucestershire 6 0.55x
Sussex 6 0.64x
Worcestershire 6 0.83x
Aberdeenshire 5 0.98x
Nottinghamshire 5 0.67x
Somerset 5 0.56x
Renfrewshire 4 0.93x
Angus 3 0.59x
Hampshire 3 0.26x
Wiltshire 3 0.61x
Berwickshire 2 2.99x
Cambridgeshire 2 0.57x
Devon 2 0.17x
Oxfordshire 2 0.59x
Anglesey 1 1.02x
Argyllshire 1 0.65x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.30x
Buteshire 1 2.98x
Cumberland 1 0.21x
Dumfriesshire 1 0.82x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 1.25x
Leicestershire 1 0.16x
Midlothian 1 0.14x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Woburn in Bedfordshire leads with 22 Coburns recorded in 1881 and an index of 883.53x.

Place Total Index
Woburn 22 883.53x
Stockport 18 28.65x
Aston 16 4.17x
Salford 15 7.77x
Liverpool 12 3.01x
Maulden 12 483.87x
St Pancras London 12 2.70x
Islington London 11 2.05x
Lambeth 11 2.28x
Maybole 11 87.30x
Abergavenny 9 60.12x
Brampton Bierlow 9 128.21x
Campton 9 857.14x
Cheadle 9 38.59x
Old Luce 9 194.38x
Sandy 9 178.22x
Speen 9 132.55x
Diss 8 109.74x
Westhoughton 8 45.69x
Ardsley 7 110.76x
Barony 7 1.55x
Birmingham 7 1.51x
Bishopwearmouth 7 4.96x
Denton 7 48.14x
Dumbarton 7 33.83x
Elswick 7 10.66x
Kensington London 7 2.28x
Southwark St George Martyr 7 6.29x
Spitalfields London 7 16.83x
Stockton On Tees 7 8.83x
Tranmere 7 15.60x
West Ham 7 2.90x
Aspley Guise 6 218.98x
Darlington 6 9.44x
Kirkdale 6 5.43x
Lewisham 6 5.96x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 5 5.22x
Alfreton 5 19.00x
Burntwood Edial 5 41.91x
Dinedor 5 1041.67x
Glasgow 5 1.57x
Greenwich 5 5.68x
Kidderminster Borough 5 11.83x
Lamesley 5 56.43x
Litchurch 5 14.35x
Llandudno 5 62.74x
West Herrington 5 86.66x
Wolverhampton 5 3.48x
Awre 4 179.37x
Birkenhead 4 4.11x
Bootle Cum Linacre 4 7.67x
Byker 4 9.83x
Dalry 4 20.53x
East Greenock 4 9.88x
Monmouth 4 37.74x
Orcop 4 380.95x
Ore 4 57.64x
St Marylebone London 4 1.35x
Staunton On Wye 4 396.04x
West Derby 4 2.08x
Ashton Under Lyne 3 2.09x
Dukinfield 3 5.32x
Heaton Norris 3 8.03x
Liff Benvie 3 3.86x
Llandaff 3 9.36x
Normanton 3 18.21x
Shepton Mallet 3 30.03x
West Bromwich 3 2.81x
Woolwich 3 4.30x
Clophill 2 95.24x
Eccles 2 68.26x
Eling 2 17.42x
Fulbrook 2 303.03x
Halifax 2 2.49x
Manchester 2 0.68x
New Luce 2 147.06x
Nottingham St Mary 2 1.04x
Penge 2 5.66x
Plymouth St Andrew 2 2.26x
Poulton Barre 2 26.77x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 30
Elizabeth 24
Ann 15
Jane 15
Sarah 15
Annie 9
Ellen 8
Emily 8
Margaret 7
Alice 6
Eliza 6
Emma 5
Hannah 5
Clara 4
Edith 4
Charlotte 3
Esther 3
Florence 3
Harriet 3
Isabella 3
Kate 3
Louisa 3
Maria 3
Martha 3
Anne 2
Caroline 2
Catherine 2
Fanny 2
Helena 2
Laura 2
Maud 2
Rosa 2
Ruth 2
Agnes 1
Amelia 1
Betsy 1
Blanch 1
Bridget 1
Elazabeth 1
Elizth. 1
Emelie 1
Janetta 1
Jessie 1
Katherine 1
Lilie 1
Lillie 1
Lilly 1
Lipporah 1
Lizzie 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 38
John 28
Thomas 20
George 16
James 16
Henry 15
Charles 11
Joseph 10
Samuel 10
Alfred 8
Albert 7
Arthur 7
Walter 5
David 4
Frederick 4
Robert 4
Edward 3
Elijah 3
Richard 3
Edwin 2
Ezra 2
Frederic 2
Harry 2
Nathaniel 2
Thos. 2
Willie 2
Wm. 2
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Geo. 1
Herbert 1
Horace 1
Hugh 1
Isaac 1
Jacob 1
Johnathon 1
Joshua 1
Martin 1
Matthew 1
Michael 1
Peter 1
Richd.G. 1
Robt.Owen 1
Sactemus 1
Saml. 1
Tho 1
Thos 1
Tucertes 1
Wm.H. 1

FAQ

Coburn surname: questions and answers

How common was the Coburn surname in 1881?

In 1881, 571 people were recorded with the Coburn surname. That placed it at #6,089 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Coburn surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,708 in 2016. That gives Coburn a modern rank of #3,652.

What does the Coburn surname mean?

An English occupational surname for someone who burned charcoal or lived near a place where it was produced.

What does the Coburn map show?

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