NameCensus.

UK surname

Cock

An English surname derived from Old French "coq" meaning rooster.

In the 1881 census there were 3,300 people recorded with the Cock surname, ranking it #1,373 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 605, ranked #8,661, down from #1,373 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Illogan, Redruth and Gwithian. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall, Colchester and Mendip.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cock is 5,128 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 81.7%.

1881 census count

3,300

Ranked #1,373

Modern count

605

2016, ranked #8,661

Peak year

1861

5,128 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cock had 3,300 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,373 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 605 in 2016, ranked #8,661.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 5,128 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Cock surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cock surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cock 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 4,791 #581
1861 historical 5,128 #550
1881 historical 3,300 #1,373
1891 historical 2,939 #1,601
1901 historical 2,753 #2,019
1911 historical 2,570 #1,988
1997 modern 855 #6,214
1998 modern 884 #6,253
1999 modern 867 #6,387
2000 modern 845 #6,492
2001 modern 809 #6,592
2002 modern 797 #6,794
2003 modern 769 #6,869
2004 modern 750 #7,015
2005 modern 715 #7,202
2006 modern 699 #7,356
2007 modern 704 #7,393
2008 modern 713 #7,373
2009 modern 723 #7,443
2010 modern 725 #7,579
2011 modern 712 #7,595
2012 modern 647 #8,103
2013 modern 641 #8,307
2014 modern 629 #8,473
2015 modern 614 #8,573
2016 modern 605 #8,661

Geography

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Where Cocks are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Illogan, Redruth, Gwithian, Roach and London parishes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall, Colchester and Mendip. 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 Illogan Cornwall
2 Redruth Cornwall
3 Gwithian Cornwall
4 Roach Cornwall
5 London parishes London 3

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 065 Cornwall
2 Colchester 021 Colchester
3 Cornwall 068 Cornwall
4 Mendip 013 Mendip
5 Cornwall 057 Cornwall

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cock

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cock

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Cock 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

Cock 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

Cock falls in decile 4 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Cock 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 Cock, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Cock

The surname Cock has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "cocc," which referred to a male bird, specifically a rooster or cockerel. This word eventually became a surname, likely referring to someone who raised or sold roosters, or who lived near an inn or tavern with a rooster sign.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Cock can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where a John Cock is mentioned. The Hundred Rolls were a census-like record of landholders in England, providing valuable insight into the distribution and prevalence of surnames during that time.

In the 14th century, the surname Cock appeared in various historical records, including the Subsidy Rolls of 1327 and the Poll Tax Returns of 1379. These records shed light on the geographical spread of the name, with instances found in counties such as Essex, Suffolk, and Cambridgeshire.

The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain the surname Cock. However, it does mention several place names that may have influenced the development of the surname, such as Cockfield in Suffolk and Cockhall in Norfolk.

Notable individuals with the surname Cock include Sir Henry Cock (1670-1753), a British merchant and philanthropist who founded the Cock's Charity in London. Another prominent figure was Sir John Cock (1765-1841), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars.

Other historically significant individuals bearing the surname Cock include Robert Cock (1546-1610), an English clergyman and author who wrote on theology and church history, and Edward Cock (1805-1892), a British painter known for his landscapes and genre scenes.

Throughout history, variations in the spelling of the surname Cock have been observed, such as Cocke, Cok, and Cokes. These variations often reflected regional dialects and differences in pronunciation, as well as the inconsistencies in record-keeping and spelling conventions of the time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cock families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cock 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. Cornwall leads with 1,231 Cocks recorded in 1881 and an index of 33.85x.

County Total Index
Cornwall 1,231 33.85x
Middlesex 224 0.70x
Devon 200 2.99x
Kent 183 1.67x
Lancashire 176 0.46x
Somerset 144 2.78x
Norfolk 143 2.90x
Yorkshire 130 0.41x
Essex 128 2.02x
Surrey 122 0.78x
Cheshire 42 0.59x
Sussex 40 0.74x
Durham 36 0.38x
Lincolnshire 36 0.70x
Suffolk 36 0.92x
Hertfordshire 34 1.54x
Hampshire 30 0.46x
Aberdeenshire 26 0.87x
Buckinghamshire 23 1.18x
Dorset 23 1.09x
Glamorgan 23 0.41x
Berkshire 21 0.87x
Cambridgeshire 21 1.03x
Shropshire 21 0.76x
Gloucestershire 18 0.29x
Clackmannanshire 17 6.41x
Cumberland 15 0.54x
Orkney 15 4.24x
Staffordshire 13 0.12x
Leicestershire 12 0.34x
Northumberland 11 0.23x
Warwickshire 11 0.14x
Westmorland 10 1.42x
Worcestershire 9 0.21x
Flintshire 8 0.93x
Monmouthshire 8 0.34x
Banffshire 6 0.90x
Herefordshire 6 0.46x
Northamptonshire 6 0.20x
Perthshire 6 0.42x
Royal Navy 6 1.57x
Angus 4 0.13x
Lanarkshire 4 0.04x
Nottinghamshire 4 0.09x
Peeblesshire 3 1.99x
Channel Islands 2 0.21x
Anglesey 1 0.18x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.08x
Huntingdonshire 1 0.16x
Midlothian 1 0.02x
Oxfordshire 1 0.05x
Wiltshire 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Camborne in Cornwall leads with 96 Cocks recorded in 1881 and an index of 64.06x.

Place Total Index
Camborne 96 64.06x
Kenwyn 89 93.59x
Illogan 82 85.16x
Gwithian 73 1081.48x
St Austell 60 48.27x
Roche 56 303.19x
St Pancras London 40 1.55x
St Agnes 35 68.72x
Redruth 33 32.08x
Slaithwaite 33 99.58x
Great Dunmow 32 96.85x
Habergham Eaves 32 9.18x
Phillack 32 68.17x
Feock 28 123.02x
Bredbury 27 65.79x
Stoke Damerel 27 5.77x
Warnham 26 222.03x
St Cleer 25 79.26x
Paul 24 36.33x
Ashton Under Lyne 23 2.76x
Luxulyan 23 189.93x
Wedmore 23 68.35x
Falmouth 22 17.09x
Feltwell 22 229.65x
Islington London 22 0.71x
Hackney London 21 1.17x
Calstock 20 28.04x
Camberwell 20 0.97x
Colne 19 16.73x
Crowan 19 65.95x
Ruskington 19 145.04x
St Clement 19 50.05x
Carnforth 18 85.96x
Alloa 17 13.21x
Truro St Mary 17 55.63x
Wandsworth 17 5.50x
West Mersea 17 139.92x
Gillingham 16 7.08x
Great Little Marsden 16 9.16x
Madron Penzance 16 12.10x
St Wenn 16 268.91x
Breage 15 45.18x
Burnham 15 60.61x
Portsea 15 1.16x
St Peters 15 29.59x
Tywardreath 15 64.21x
Ashill 14 194.17x
Bedminster 14 2.88x
Hammersmith London 14 1.77x
Millom 14 16.52x
Paddington London 14 1.19x
St Giles In The Wood 14 140.56x
Swansea Town 14 3.05x
Antony 13 37.02x
Bideford 13 18.15x
Bodmin 13 21.61x
Linthwaite 13 19.43x
Northam 13 26.68x
Padstow 13 53.79x
Sancton Houghton 13 319.41x
Shoreditch London 13 0.93x
South Molton 13 35.38x
South Petherwin 13 143.01x
St Gluvias Penryn 13 44.61x
St Marylebone London 13 0.76x
Tavistock 13 17.07x
West Ham 13 0.93x
Finchingfield 12 60.39x
Heigham 12 4.53x
Kea 12 44.28x
Lingards 12 124.87x
Milton 12 197.69x
Ramsgate 12 6.71x
Winkfield 12 29.99x
Barrow In Furness 11 2.12x
Clapham 11 2.74x
Kensington London 11 0.62x
Margate St John Baptist 11 5.48x
St Allen 11 171.34x
Woolwich 11 2.72x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 214
Elizabeth 147
Jane 115
Sarah 86
Ann 58
Eliza 52
Emma 50
Ellen 43
Emily 38
Annie 36
Margaret 30
Martha 27
Hannah 25
Louisa 25
Alice 23
Caroline 23
Fanny 23
Maria 22
Susan 22
Edith 21
Catherine 17
Charlotte 17
Grace 17
Harriet 16
Clara 15
Ada 14
Bessie 14
Kate 13
Lucy 13
Amelia 12
Elizth. 12
Florence 12
Agnes 10
Anna 10
Frances 10
Esther 9
Julia 9
Lydia 9
Rosa 9
Anne 8
Jessie 8
Harriett 7
Mabel 7
Matilda 7
Minnie 7
Gertrude 6
Henrietta 6
Rebecca 6
Sophia 6
Susannah 6

Top male names

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

FAQ

Cock surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cock surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,300 people were recorded with the Cock surname. That placed it at #1,373 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cock surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 605 in 2016. That gives Cock a modern rank of #8,661.

What does the Cock surname mean?

An English surname derived from Old French "coq" meaning rooster.

What does the Cock map show?

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