NameCensus.

UK surname

Cochrane

A Scottish locational surname derived from the lands of Cochrane in Renfrewshire, meaning "the Raven's hill."

In the 1881 census there were 4,634 people recorded with the Cochrane surname, ranking it #962 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 7,979, ranked #829, up from #962 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Govan Combination, London parishes and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Parkhead West and Barrowfield, Northumberland and Hilltown.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cochrane is 7,979 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 72.2%.

1881 census count

4,634

Ranked #962

Modern count

7,979

2016, ranked #829

Peak year

2016

7,979 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cochrane had 4,634 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #962 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 7,979 in 2016, ranked #829.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 5,983 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Cochrane surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cochrane surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cochrane 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 2,407 #1,233
1861 historical 2,742 #1,069
1881 historical 4,634 #962
1891 historical 5,076 #925
1901 historical 5,983 #927
1911 historical 1,637 #2,970
1997 modern 7,346 #876
1998 modern 7,722 #870
1999 modern 7,717 #875
2000 modern 7,636 #881
2001 modern 7,358 #896
2002 modern 7,605 #885
2003 modern 7,442 #882
2004 modern 7,463 #877
2005 modern 7,421 #873
2006 modern 7,442 #873
2007 modern 7,520 #870
2008 modern 7,639 #859
2009 modern 7,758 #869
2010 modern 7,968 #860
2011 modern 7,811 #867
2012 modern 7,732 #852
2013 modern 7,879 #849
2014 modern 7,961 #841
2015 modern 7,948 #834
2016 modern 7,979 #829

Geography

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Where Cochranes are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Parkhead West and Barrowfield, Northumberland, Hilltown, Northern and Irvine Valley Rural and Stobswell. 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 London parishes London 3
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Parkhead West and Barrowfield Glasgow City
2 Northumberland 024 Northumberland
3 Hilltown Dundee City
4 Northern and Irvine Valley Rural East Ayrshire
5 Stobswell Dundee City

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cochrane

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cochrane

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

Cochrane 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

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

Meaning and origin of Cochrane

The surname Cochrane is of Scottish origin, with its earliest known bearers hailing from the region of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. The name is derived from the Old Gaelic word "cochran," meaning "small red place" or "little red stream," referring to a geographical location associated with the family's ancestral lands.

The earliest recorded instance of the Cochrane name appears in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of homage rolls rendered to King Edward I of England after his conquest of Scotland. One entry mentions a "William de Coughran" from Renfrewshire, likely an early variant spelling of the surname.

In the 14th century, the Cochrane family rose to prominence with the exploits of Sir Robert Cochrane, a renowned Scottish knight who fought alongside King Robert the Bruce during the Wars of Scottish Independence. Sir Robert's bravery and loyalty earned him substantial land grants in Renfrewshire, cementing the family's ties to the region.

The Cochrane name also appears in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in the late 15th century, with records indicating land holdings in the counties of Ayr and Renfrew. One notable figure from this period was William Cochrane, Lord of Cowdoun, who served as a diplomat and ambassador under King James III.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Cochranes established themselves as a prominent noble family, with several members holding influential positions in the Scottish court and government. Sir William Cochrane (1605-1679), a staunch Royalist during the English Civil War, was appointed Lord Privy Seal of Scotland by King Charles II in recognition of his loyalty.

Another notable figure was Thomas Cochrane, 6th Earl of Dundonald (1689-1737), a Scottish nobleman and distinguished naval officer who served as Governor of Newfoundland and Commander-in-Chief of the North Sea Fleet. His descendant, Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald (1775-1860), was a renowned naval captain and radical politician who played a pivotal role in the Chilean War of Independence and the Greek War of Independence.

In later centuries, the Cochrane name continued to be associated with notable figures in various fields, including Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane (1758-1832), a British naval officer who served in the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars, and Alva Cochrane (1885-1977), an American songwriter and composer best known for penning the classic "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes."

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cochrane families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cochrane 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 1,021 Cochranes recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.98x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 1,021 6.98x
Midlothian 419 6.91x
Lancashire 346 0.64x
Renfrewshire 314 8.95x
Ayrshire 255 7.53x
Angus 244 5.82x
Middlesex 212 0.47x
Durham 150 1.11x
Perthshire 145 7.14x
Surrey 120 0.54x
Wigtownshire 115 19.14x
Stirlingshire 108 6.47x
Northumberland 106 1.57x
Dunbartonshire 95 7.81x
Fife 78 2.91x
Clackmannanshire 65 17.39x
Yorkshire 61 0.14x
Roxburghshire 57 6.95x
Selkirkshire 55 13.43x
Kent 54 0.35x
West Lothian 50 7.34x
Berwickshire 49 8.94x
Cheshire 35 0.35x
Argyllshire 31 2.46x
Channel Islands 31 2.31x
Kirkcudbrightshire 31 4.73x
Derbyshire 30 0.42x
Cumberland 27 0.69x
East Lothian 25 4.17x
Peeblesshire 25 11.75x
Dumfriesshire 21 2.10x
Norfolk 21 0.30x
Staffordshire 21 0.14x
Essex 20 0.22x
Aberdeenshire 18 0.43x
Hampshire 18 0.19x
Glamorgan 13 0.17x
Gloucestershire 13 0.15x
Worcestershire 13 0.22x
Lincolnshire 12 0.17x
Leicestershire 11 0.22x
Sussex 11 0.14x
Berkshire 10 0.29x
Devon 9 0.10x
Suffolk 9 0.16x
Monmouthshire 8 0.24x
Banffshire 6 0.64x
Isle of Man 5 0.60x
Somerset 5 0.07x
Brecknockshire 4 0.44x
Buteshire 4 1.46x
Cambridgeshire 4 0.14x
Royal Navy 4 0.74x
Kinross-shire 3 2.62x
Wiltshire 3 0.08x
Cornwall 2 0.04x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.03x
Pembrokeshire 2 0.14x
Sutherland 2 0.57x
Warwickshire 2 0.02x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.05x
Denbighshire 1 0.06x
Dorset 1 0.03x
Herefordshire 1 0.05x
Hertfordshire 1 0.03x
Inverness-shire 1 0.07x
Nairnshire 1 0.72x
Orkney 1 0.20x
Ross-shire 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Govan in Lanarkshire leads with 308 Cochranes recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.51x.

Place Total Index
Govan 308 8.51x
Barony 281 7.59x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 170 6.97x
Glasgow 164 6.31x
Dundee 100 6.39x
Abbey 71 13.27x
Liff Benvie 71 11.16x
Islington London 49 1.12x
South Leith 45 6.60x
Hamilton 40 9.80x
Kirkmaiden 40 105.18x
Liberton 40 42.74x
East Greenock 39 11.78x
Galashiels 39 25.77x
Neilston 39 22.15x
Everton 35 2.05x
Liverpool 35 1.07x
Avondale 34 39.73x
Bedlington 34 15.12x
Cambusnethan 33 10.15x
Falkirk 33 8.45x
Manchester 32 1.33x
Galston 30 32.39x
Hulme 30 2.68x
Lambeth 30 0.76x
Alloa 29 16.00x
Dalry 29 18.20x
Kirkdale 29 3.21x
Kirkintilloch 28 16.95x
Renfrew 28 24.18x
New Monkland 27 6.24x
Perth Middle Church 26 34.04x
St Peter Port 26 10.48x
Stoneykirk 26 60.51x
Hawick 24 13.08x
Old Monkland 24 4.13x
Paisley Middle Church 23 11.26x
West Greenock 23 3.65x
Bothwell 22 5.54x
Loudoun 21 25.78x
New Kilpatrick 21 18.15x
North Leith 21 7.49x
Old Kilpatrick 21 14.61x
Southwark St George Martyr 21 2.31x
Edinburgh St Georges 20 15.90x
Paisley Low Church 20 18.01x
St Pancras London 20 0.55x
Bermondsey 19 1.41x
Bootle Cum Linacre 19 4.46x
Cathcart 19 10.01x
Scone 19 52.66x
Clackmannan 18 25.48x
Ardwick 17 3.51x
Beith 17 16.82x
Larbert 17 17.04x
Port Glasgow 17 10.03x
St George Hanover Square 16 2.01x
Stretford 16 5.42x
Westoe 16 2.10x
Dundonald 15 12.01x
Inch 15 25.61x
Perth West Church 15 15.56x
Plumstead 15 2.91x
St Luke London 15 2.07x
Bishopwearmouth 14 1.21x
Lesmahagow 14 9.05x
Stewarton 14 20.89x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 13 1.66x
Dunlop 13 61.52x
Gordon 13 100.39x
Heigham 13 3.48x
Kilmarnock 13 3.23x
Newcastle On Tyne St 13 3.72x
Newington 13 0.78x
Penninghame 13 21.21x
Stonehouse 13 26.18x
Toxteth Park 13 0.71x
Dalkeith 12 10.03x
Dalmellington 12 12.05x
St Quivox 12 10.48x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 107
William 83
James 60
Thomas 49
Robert 39
George 32
Henry 21
Charles 18
David 18
Alexander 15
Joseph 14
Edward 12
Peter 10
Samuel 9
Alfred 8
Francis 8
Hugh 8
Archibald 7
Arthur 7
Richard 7
Frank 6
Michael 6
Robt. 6
Walter 6
Albert 5
Andrew 5
Patrick 5
Ernest 4
Harry 4
Basil 3
Daniel 3
Ebenezer 3
Edwd. 3
Harold 3
Stephen 3
Will. 3
Wm. 3
Allan 2
Andw. 2
Bernard 2
Douglas 2
Fitzroy 2
Frederick 2
Mark 2
Mathew 2
Morris 2
Percy 2
Ralph 2
Saml. 2
Timothy 2

FAQ

Cochrane surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cochrane surname in 1881?

In 1881, 4,634 people were recorded with the Cochrane surname. That placed it at #962 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cochrane surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 7,979 in 2016. That gives Cochrane a modern rank of #829.

What does the Cochrane surname mean?

A Scottish locational surname derived from the lands of Cochrane in Renfrewshire, meaning "the Raven's hill."

What does the Cochrane map show?

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