NameCensus.

UK surname

Cochran

Derived from a place name meaning "the roaring stream," likely referring to someone living near a fast-moving river or creek.

In the 1881 census there were 1,144 people recorded with the Cochran surname, ranking it #3,500 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 974, ranked #5,930, down from #3,500 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry and Greenock. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kingston upon Hull, Rhins North and South Somerset.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cochran is 1,508 in 1851. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 14.9%.

1881 census count

1,144

Ranked #3,500

Modern count

974

2016, ranked #5,930

Peak year

1851

1,508 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cochran had 1,144 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,500 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 974 in 2016, ranked #5,930.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,508 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Cochran surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cochran surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cochran 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 1,508 #1,901
1861 historical 1,349 #2,119
1881 historical 1,144 #3,500
1891 historical 1,063 #3,946
1901 historical 1,056 #4,551
1911 historical 196 #15,150
1997 modern 914 #5,906
1998 modern 947 #5,920
1999 modern 961 #5,900
2000 modern 970 #5,838
2001 modern 928 #5,932
2002 modern 929 #6,041
2003 modern 914 #6,009
2004 modern 913 #6,024
2005 modern 911 #5,970
2006 modern 893 #6,081
2007 modern 915 #6,015
2008 modern 938 #5,940
2009 modern 947 #6,013
2010 modern 944 #6,151
2011 modern 934 #6,150
2012 modern 948 #5,990
2013 modern 966 #5,992
2014 modern 986 #5,928
2015 modern 979 #5,911
2016 modern 974 #5,930

Geography

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Where Cochrans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Govan Combination, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry, Greenock, Glasgow and Paisley Abbey. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kingston upon Hull, Rhins North, South Somerset, Flintshire and Aboyne and South Deeside. 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 Govan Combination Lanark
2 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
3 Greenock Renfrew
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Paisley Abbey Renfrew

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kingston upon Hull 031 Kingston upon Hull, City of
2 Rhins North Dumfries and Galloway
3 South Somerset 008 South Somerset
4 Flintshire 006 Flintshire
5 Aboyne and South Deeside Aberdeenshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cochran

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cochran

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

Cochran is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Cochran 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 Cochran is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Cochran

The surname Cochran is of Scottish origin, derived from the Gaelic personal name "Ochógan," meaning "descendant of the young one." The name is believed to have originated in the region of Ayrshire in southwestern Scotland during the early Middle Ages.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 13th century, with references in several Scottish charters and records. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was William de Coughran, mentioned in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of homage renderings to King Edward I of England.

The surname Cochran is also linked to several place names in Scotland, such as Cochrane in Renfrewshire and Cochran in Dumfriesshire. These place names likely derived from the surname itself, reflecting the connections between families and the lands they owned or occupied.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Cochran. One of the most prominent was Robert Cochran (c. 1440-1482), a Scottish courtier and favorite of King James III, who was eventually executed for treason. Another notable figure was Robert Cochran (1758-1826), a Scottish-American soldier and politician who served as a brigadier general during the American Revolutionary War.

In the realm of literature, the surname is associated with the Scottish author William Cochrane (1605-1685), best known for his theological works. The name has also graced the pages of history through individuals like Sir Ralph Cochrane (1609-1680), a Scottish soldier and landowner, and Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald (1775-1860), a renowned British naval officer and radical politician.

Other notable bearers of the surname Cochran include Robert Cochran (1914-2006), an American film and television writer and producer known for his work on iconic shows like "The Fugitive" and "Columbo," and John Cochran (1813-1898), a Scottish-American chemist and geologist who served as the president of the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cochran families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cochran 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 317 Cochrans recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.79x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 317 8.79x
Renfrewshire 296 34.26x
Lancashire 91 0.69x
Ayrshire 78 9.35x
Middlesex 32 0.29x
Stirlingshire 29 7.05x
Wigtownshire 28 18.91x
Dunbartonshire 27 9.01x
Midlothian 23 1.54x
Hampshire 22 0.96x
Angus 21 2.03x
Yorkshire 19 0.17x
Cheshire 14 0.57x
Devon 14 0.60x
Argyllshire 13 4.19x
Aberdeenshire 12 1.16x
Nottinghamshire 12 0.80x
Northumberland 10 0.60x
Durham 9 0.27x
Surrey 8 0.15x
Essex 6 0.27x
Perthshire 6 1.20x
Sussex 6 0.32x
Buteshire 5 7.40x
Flintshire 5 1.67x
Suffolk 5 0.37x
Warwickshire 5 0.18x
Kent 4 0.11x
Kirkcudbrightshire 4 2.48x
Cumberland 3 0.31x
Gloucestershire 3 0.14x
Berwickshire 2 1.48x
Dumfriesshire 2 0.81x
Isle of Man 2 0.97x
Royal Navy 2 1.51x
Staffordshire 2 0.05x
Anglesey 1 0.51x
Bedfordshire 1 0.17x
Fife 1 0.15x
Norfolk 1 0.06x
Oxfordshire 1 0.15x
Wiltshire 1 0.10x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Paisley High Church in Renfrewshire leads with 115 Cochrans recorded in 1881 and an index of 167.18x.

Place Total Index
Paisley High Church 115 167.18x
Barony 99 10.85x
Glasgow 83 12.96x
Abbey 77 58.40x
Govan 66 7.40x
Avondale 22 104.36x
Portsea 19 4.24x
Dunlop 18 345.49x
East Greenock 18 22.06x
Neilston 18 41.49x
Loudoun 17 84.70x
Penninghame 16 105.96x
Row 15 38.70x
Kirkdale 14 6.29x
Barrow In Furness 13 7.22x
Aberdeen Old Machar 12 5.57x
Bethnal Green London 12 2.48x
Chorlton On Medlock 12 5.71x
Dundee 12 3.11x
Falkirk 12 12.47x
St Ninians 12 29.44x
Beith 11 44.18x
Kirkcolm 10 140.85x
Old Monkland 10 6.99x
Paisley Low Church 10 36.56x
Paisley Middle Church 10 19.88x
Port Glasgow 10 23.94x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 9 1.50x
Hamilton 9 8.95x
Liverpool 9 1.12x
Spotland 9 6.12x
Stoke Damerel 9 5.54x
Birkenhead 8 4.08x
Eastwood 8 15.03x
Everton 8 1.90x
Liff Benvie 8 5.10x
North Dissington 8 3200.00x
Carluke 7 21.38x
Gorbals 7 32.71x
Holy Trinity 7 2.63x
Kilmarnock 7 7.05x
Nottingham St Mary 7 1.80x
Ayr 6 15.24x
Bramley In Bramley 6 14.18x
Cathcart 6 12.83x
Claughton With Grange 6 53.52x
Dalkeith 6 20.36x
Kingston On Thames 6 4.60x
Lochwinnoch 6 46.58x
St George Hanover Square 6 3.05x
Stranton 6 5.37x
Alva 5 25.50x
Hulme 5 1.81x
Kilbarchan 5 19.05x
Kilmaronock 5 140.85x
Kilmore Kilbride 5 25.38x
Manchester 5 0.84x
Maryhill 5 7.08x
Northop Golftyn 5 142.05x
South Leith 5 2.97x
Tendring St Nicolas 5 223.21x
Dunblane 4 33.39x
Hillingdon 4 11.25x
Mildenhall 4 27.72x
Renfrew 4 14.02x
Sutton In Ashfield 4 12.27x
Wigan 4 2.16x
Bradford 3 1.12x
Cardross 3 8.34x
Cheltenham 3 1.78x
Dalmellington 3 12.22x
Inverkip 3 14.73x
Kilcalmonell Kilberry 3 170.45x
Kirkintilloch 3 7.37x
Leamington 3 16.10x
Middle Greenock 3 12.72x
Newton On Ayr 3 12.00x
Preston 3 9.14x
Tarbolton 3 21.85x
West Greenock 3 1.93x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 16
Elizabeth 14
Jane 8
Sarah 8
Ann 6
Margaret 6
Catherine 5
Agnes 4
Alice 4
Helen 4
Isabella 4
Louisa 4
Emma 3
Marion 3
Martha 3
Edith 2
Emily 2
Florence 2
Harriet 2
Janet 2
Jessie 2
Maria 2
Rachel 2
Williamina 2
Anne 1
Annie 1
Bertha 1
Betsey 1
Blanch 1
Blanche 1
Bridget 1
Caroline 1
Clementina 1
Devinia 1
Eliza 1
Elizth. 1
Ellen 1
Fanney 1
Fanny 1
Hannah 1
Hannie 1
Harriett 1
Isabel 1
Jeanie 1
Julia 1
Lilly 1
Lydia 1
Matilda 1
Minnie 1
Roberta 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 20
James 13
William 13
Robert 11
Thomas 11
Charles 5
George 4
Samuel 4
David 3
Edward 3
Harry 3
Michael 3
Richard 3
Alexander 2
Alfred 2
Andrew 2
Francis 2
Frank 2
Hugh 2
Joseph 2
Noble 2
Peter 2
Wm. 2
Algernon 1
Archibald 1
Archibold 1
Arthur 1
Eustace 1
Fred 1
Frederick 1
Garry 1
Geo. 1
Herbert 1
Leonard 1
Mathew 1
Micheal 1
Patrick 1
Paul 1
Robt. 1
Sidney 1
Thos. 1
Woodbury 1

FAQ

Cochran surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cochran surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,144 people were recorded with the Cochran surname. That placed it at #3,500 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cochran surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 974 in 2016. That gives Cochran a modern rank of #5,930.

What does the Cochran surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "the roaring stream," likely referring to someone living near a fast-moving river or creek.

What does the Cochran map show?

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