NameCensus.

UK surname

Cockayne

Originally referred to a person from the village of Cokaynesford in Lincolnshire, England.

In the 1881 census there were 897 people recorded with the Cockayne surname, ranking it #4,245 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,358, ranked #4,439, down from #4,245 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Sandiacre, Dale Abbey, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard and St Werburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sheffield, Chesterfield and Cannock Chase.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cockayne is 1,481 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 51.4%.

1881 census count

897

Ranked #4,245

Modern count

1,358

2016, ranked #4,439

Peak year

1999

1,481 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cockayne had 897 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,245 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,358 in 2016, ranked #4,439.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,260 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Cockayne surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cockayne surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cockayne 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 689 #3,778
1861 historical 662 #4,050
1881 historical 897 #4,245
1891 historical 1,027 #4,057
1901 historical 1,160 #4,206
1911 historical 1,260 #3,774
1997 modern 1,421 #4,091
1998 modern 1,465 #4,135
1999 modern 1,481 #4,132
2000 modern 1,479 #4,109
2001 modern 1,453 #4,096
2002 modern 1,454 #4,173
2003 modern 1,405 #4,218
2004 modern 1,421 #4,172
2005 modern 1,382 #4,234
2006 modern 1,372 #4,264
2007 modern 1,363 #4,325
2008 modern 1,364 #4,342
2009 modern 1,399 #4,332
2010 modern 1,410 #4,378
2011 modern 1,364 #4,449
2012 modern 1,345 #4,436
2013 modern 1,362 #4,468
2014 modern 1,377 #4,448
2015 modern 1,359 #4,455
2016 modern 1,358 #4,439

Geography

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Where Cockaynes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Sandiacre, Dale Abbey, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, St Werburgh, Nottingham St Mary and Sheffield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Sheffield, Chesterfield, Cannock Chase, Amber Valley and Cornwall. 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 Sandiacre, Dale Abbey Derbyshire
2 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
3 St Werburgh Derbyshire
4 Nottingham St Mary Nottinghamshire
5 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sheffield 001 Sheffield
2 Chesterfield 001 Chesterfield
3 Cannock Chase 003 Cannock Chase
4 Amber Valley 009 Amber Valley
5 Cornwall 035 Cornwall

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cockayne

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cockayne

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

Cockayne is most concentrated in decile 7 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Cockayne

The surname Cockayne originates from England and dates back to the late 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "cocc" meaning a small hill or mound, and "æken" meaning oak tree. The name likely referred to someone who lived near an oak-covered hill or knoll.

Early records show variations in spelling such as Cockaine, Cokayne, and Cokeyn. One of the earliest known references to the name is found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1195, mentioning a Richard Cokaine.

In the 13th century, the Cockayne family was well-established in Derbyshire and held lands in the village of Ashbourne. The name appears in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which were census records compiled during the reign of King Edward I.

The Domesday Book, a renowned medieval manuscript commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not explicitly mention the Cockayne surname. However, it does include references to places that may have been associated with the name's origins, such as Cokenho in Northamptonshire.

One notable bearer of the Cockayne surname was Sir Aston Cokayne (1608-1684), an English landowner and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Derbyshire during the English Civil War. Another was Sir William Cockayne (1561-1626), a lawyer and landowner who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1619-1620.

In the 17th century, the Cockayne family gained prominence in the county of Nottinghamshire. Charles Cockayne (1644-1711) was a noted antiquarian and historian who wrote extensively on the history and genealogy of the Cockayne family.

The name also has connections to the arts, with Charles Norris Cockayne (1788-1865) being a well-known English engraver and lithographer during the 19th century.

Moving into the 20th century, Thomas Oswald Cockayne (1868-1956) was a British botanist and taxonomist who made significant contributions to the study of the flora of New Zealand.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cockayne families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cockayne 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. Derbyshire leads with 193 Cockaynes recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.03x.

County Total Index
Derbyshire 193 14.03x
Yorkshire 193 2.22x
Staffordshire 153 5.16x
Nottinghamshire 99 8.36x
Lancashire 71 0.68x
Cheshire 33 1.70x
Leicestershire 29 2.98x
Middlesex 29 0.33x
Northamptonshire 21 2.54x
Warwickshire 14 0.63x
Durham 12 0.46x
Surrey 12 0.28x
Essex 7 0.40x
Cumberland 5 0.66x
Glamorgan 5 0.33x
Isle of Man 4 2.45x
Devon 3 0.16x
Lincolnshire 3 0.21x
Berkshire 2 0.30x
Hertfordshire 2 0.33x
Kent 2 0.07x
Shropshire 2 0.26x
Suffolk 2 0.19x
Sussex 2 0.14x
Gloucestershire 1 0.06x
Hampshire 1 0.06x
Royal Navy 1 0.95x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Walsall Foreign in Staffordshire leads with 67 Cockaynes recorded in 1881 and an index of 43.72x.

Place Total Index
Walsall Foreign 67 43.72x
Nottingham St Mary 48 15.67x
Sheffield 45 16.23x
Ecclesall Bierlow 29 16.37x
Ilkeston 25 64.80x
Sandiacre 25 509.17x
Derby St Werburgh 24 30.21x
Litchurch 18 32.51x
Norton Canes 18 166.51x
Nether Hallam 17 14.43x
Rushall 16 91.64x
Burntwood Edial 15 79.16x
Glossop Dale 15 23.28x
Handsworth 15 65.16x
Macclesfield 14 16.23x
Tudhoe 12 52.45x
Wellingborough 12 28.87x
Alverthorpe Cum Thornes 11 34.78x
Norton 11 97.00x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 10 12.32x
Derby St Alkmund 10 24.25x
Kensington London 10 2.05x
Toxteth Park 10 2.83x
Brightside Bierlow 9 5.27x
Derby All Sts 9 78.33x
Kirk Ireton 9 616.44x
Oswaldtwistle 9 24.42x
Pinxton 9 128.76x
Werneth 9 148.03x
Aston 8 1.31x
Bradfield 8 23.83x
Morley 8 17.67x
Basford 7 12.82x
Bilston 7 12.17x
Bulwell 7 27.17x
Denaby 7 142.28x
Earl Shilton 7 330.19x
Everton 7 2.11x
Leicester All Sts 7 36.57x
Leicester St Leonard 7 75.92x
Rugeley 7 32.88x
Turnditch 7 769.23x
Wavertree 7 20.97x
Barrow In Furness 6 4.23x
Crompton 6 20.20x
Derby St Peter 6 13.69x
Gorton 6 6.12x
Hoyland Nether 6 28.09x
Lambeth 6 0.78x
Leicester St Margaret 6 2.52x
Long Eaton 6 33.04x
Radbourne 6 789.47x
Radford 6 9.97x
St Luke London 6 4.26x
Stapleford 6 62.37x
Dalston 5 85.47x
Dukinfield 5 5.58x
Edgbaston 5 7.28x
Hucknall Under 5 81.83x
Liverpool 5 0.79x
Swansea St Thomas 5 32.53x
Tottenham 5 3.57x
Upper Hallam 5 66.05x
Blackwell 4 59.17x
Conisbrough 4 48.96x
Crich 4 44.54x
Heanor 4 19.44x
Heeley 4 15.11x
Hemsworth 4 80.00x
Irthlingborough 4 49.38x
Oldham 4 1.19x
Onchan 4 8.51x
Pendleton In Salford 4 3.22x
Shenstone 4 53.05x
Wednesbury 4 5.40x
Disley Stanley 3 30.03x
Gainsborough 3 9.06x
Snenton 3 6.45x
Tansley 3 147.06x
Wolstanton 3 3.33x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 71
Sarah 50
Elizabeth 34
Ann 24
Emma 21
Eliza 19
Annie 13
Hannah 12
Harriet 11
Ellen 10
Ada 8
Alice 8
Catherine 8
Jane 8
Fanny 7
Florence 7
Selina 7
Emily 6
Margaret 6
Agnes 5
Charlotte 5
Harriett 5
Martha 5
Ruth 5
Anne 4
Clara 4
Maria 4
Caroline 3
Frances 3
Jessie 3
Julia 3
Kate 3
Lizzie 3
Matilda 3
Amy 2
Edith 2
Eleanor 2
Gertrude 2
Lucy 2
Lydia 2
Minnie 2
Nanny 2
Rebecca 2
Rose 2
Sophia 2
Bertha 1
Betey 1
Elirza 1
Eliz 1
Eliz. 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 57
John 51
George 37
Thomas 27
Henry 23
Joseph 23
Charles 20
James 20
Samuel 15
Edward 10
Albert 8
Alfred 8
Ernest 8
Frederick 8
Walter 8
Arthur 7
David 7
Wm. 7
Harry 5
Isaac 5
Francis 4
Frank 3
Fred 3
Robert 3
Abraham 2
Benjamen 2
Edwin 2
Geo. 2
Herbert 2
Howard 2
Jesse 2
Percy 2
Andrew 1
Be...ridge 1
Brien 1
Chas. 1
Edwd. 1
Forrest 1
Fredrick 1
Gallowe 1
Geo.E. 1
Georg 1
Henery 1
Isaih 1
Jacob 1
Jas. 1
Jno. 1
Joe 1
Josh. 1
Wm.G. 1

FAQ

Cockayne surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cockayne surname in 1881?

In 1881, 897 people were recorded with the Cockayne surname. That placed it at #4,245 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cockayne surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,358 in 2016. That gives Cockayne a modern rank of #4,439.

What does the Cockayne surname mean?

Originally referred to a person from the village of Cokaynesford in Lincolnshire, England.

What does the Cockayne map show?

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