NameCensus.

UK surname

Cocker

A surname derived from the archaic word "cocker" meaning a maker or seller of cooked foods.

In the 1881 census there were 2,457 people recorded with the Cocker surname, ranking it #1,810 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,367, ranked #2,769, down from #1,810 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, Sheffield and Blackburn. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Blackburn with Darwen, Wyre and Babergh.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cocker is 3,041 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 3.7%.

1881 census count

2,457

Ranked #1,810

Modern count

2,367

2016, ranked #2,769

Peak year

1911

3,041 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cocker had 2,457 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,810 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,367 in 2016, ranked #2,769.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,041 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Cocker surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cocker surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cocker 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 1,695 #1,703
1861 historical 1,837 #1,573
1881 historical 2,457 #1,810
1891 historical 2,659 #1,791
1901 historical 2,926 #1,914
1911 historical 3,041 #1,718
1997 modern 2,554 #2,482
1998 modern 2,606 #2,512
1999 modern 2,622 #2,513
2000 modern 2,566 #2,551
2001 modern 2,549 #2,518
2002 modern 2,584 #2,544
2003 modern 2,503 #2,566
2004 modern 2,470 #2,596
2005 modern 2,417 #2,619
2006 modern 2,408 #2,623
2007 modern 2,419 #2,637
2008 modern 2,451 #2,629
2009 modern 2,476 #2,669
2010 modern 2,506 #2,691
2011 modern 2,469 #2,701
2012 modern 2,376 #2,736
2013 modern 2,409 #2,748
2014 modern 2,407 #2,754
2015 modern 2,377 #2,763
2016 modern 2,367 #2,769

Geography

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Where Cockers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, Sheffield, Blackburn and Prestwich. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Blackburn with Darwen, Wyre and Babergh. 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 Rochdale Lancashire
2 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Blackburn Lancashire
4 Prestwich Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Blackburn with Darwen 011 Blackburn with Darwen
2 Blackburn with Darwen 008 Blackburn with Darwen
3 Wyre 014 Wyre
4 Blackburn with Darwen 012 Blackburn with Darwen
5 Babergh 011 Babergh

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cocker

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cocker

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Cocker, 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

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Cocker surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Cocker household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Cocker is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Cocker is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Cocker

The surname Cocker is of English origin, deriving from the Old English word 'cocc', which referred to a messenger or a watchman. It is believed to have emerged in the 11th century, during the Norman Conquest of England.

The name was particularly prevalent in the northern counties of England, such as Yorkshire and Lancashire, where many early bearers of the name were employed as messengers or watchmen in towns and villages. The earliest recorded instance of the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where a person named Cokker is listed as a tenant in the village of Writlington, Yorkshire.

During the Middle Ages, the name underwent various spellings, including Coker, Cocker, Cokker, and Cokker. One notable bearer of the name was John Cocker, a renowned English mathematician and author who lived from 1631 to 1677. He is best known for his influential work, "Cocker's Arithmetic," which became a standard textbook for teaching arithmetic in schools throughout England and its colonies.

Another prominent figure with the surname Cocker was Jarvis Cocker, an English musician and songwriter born in 1963. He rose to fame as the lead singer and lyricist of the influential British band Pulp, known for their sardonic wit and observational lyrics.

In the 17th century, the name Cocker was also associated with the village of Cocker, located in the county of Yorkshire. This place name likely contributed to the perpetuation of the surname in that region.

Other notable individuals with the surname Cocker include William Cocker (1711-1797), an English botanist and naturalist known for his contributions to the study of British flora, and Edward Cocker (1631-1675), an English calligrapher and author of the influential work "The Pen's Transcendency."

While the surname Cocker may have originated as an occupational name, it has evolved over the centuries to become a respected family name with a rich history and varied geographical roots, primarily in northern England.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cocker families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cocker 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 1,163 Cockers recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.09x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 1,163 4.09x
Yorkshire 538 2.27x
Derbyshire 173 4.61x
Aberdeenshire 113 5.09x
Cheshire 78 1.47x
Devon 46 0.92x
Middlesex 38 0.16x
Monmouthshire 36 2.08x
Surrey 33 0.28x
Norfolk 31 0.84x
Suffolk 26 0.89x
Essex 24 0.51x
Nottinghamshire 17 0.53x
Staffordshire 17 0.21x
Warwickshire 15 0.25x
Glamorgan 13 0.31x
Lanarkshire 12 0.15x
Worcestershire 10 0.32x
Denbighshire 7 0.77x
Durham 7 0.10x
Kent 7 0.09x
Banffshire 6 1.21x
Renfrewshire 6 0.32x
Stirlingshire 5 0.57x
Sussex 4 0.10x
Leicestershire 3 0.11x
Northamptonshire 3 0.13x
Somerset 3 0.08x
Westmorland 3 0.57x
Wigtownshire 3 0.94x
Gloucestershire 2 0.04x
Hampshire 2 0.04x
Hertfordshire 2 0.12x
Royal Navy 2 0.70x
Angus 1 0.05x
Berkshire 1 0.06x
Buteshire 1 0.69x
Dorset 1 0.06x
Inverness-shire 1 0.14x
Northumberland 1 0.03x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.13x
Shropshire 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Oldham in Lancashire leads with 200 Cockers recorded in 1881 and an index of 21.80x.

Place Total Index
Oldham 200 21.80x
Over Darwen 114 50.20x
Sheffield 85 11.25x
Crompton 80 98.81x
Ecclesall Bierlow 64 13.25x
Preston 55 7.23x
Royton 46 52.90x
Nether Hallam 44 13.70x
Ashton Under Lyne 42 6.76x
Chorley 42 26.33x
Leyland 32 64.70x
Brightside Bierlow 30 6.44x
Great Bolton 29 7.70x
Chadderton 28 20.15x
Newton 27 12.32x
Bedford 26 43.73x
Eyam 26 248.33x
Blackburn 25 3.31x
Buxton 23 72.44x
Huddersfield 23 6.65x
Manchester 23 1.80x
Derby St Alkmund 22 19.57x
Derby St Werburgh 22 10.16x
East Dereham 21 45.12x
Hulme 21 3.54x
Aberdeen Old Machar 20 4.32x
Oswaldtwistle 19 18.92x
Walton Le Dale 19 24.87x
Elland Cum Greetland 18 16.83x
Heap 18 11.94x
Salford 18 2.15x
Calver 17 476.19x
Chorlton On Medlock 17 3.76x
Hucknall Torkard 17 20.76x
Farington 16 96.68x
Habergham Eaves 16 6.16x
Middleton In Oldham 16 18.77x
Soyland 16 56.18x
Little Bolton 15 4.10x
Little Hulton 15 31.87x
Ugborough 15 124.38x
Ecclesfield 14 8.04x
Pilsworth 14 224.00x
Risca 14 42.88x
Rumworth 14 34.46x
Almondbury 13 11.32x
Barton Upon Irwell 13 6.07x
Dalton In Huddersfield 13 24.45x
Dukinfield 13 5.32x
Hunslet 13 3.51x
North Meols 13 4.67x
Pennington In Leigh 13 23.84x
Stockport 13 4.78x
Cliff Cum Lund 12 228.14x
Fyvie 12 33.14x
Ipswich St Clement 12 16.18x
Macclesfield 12 5.10x
Pendleton In Salford 12 3.54x
Stayley 12 19.85x
Accrington 11 4.26x
Fairfield 11 43.84x
Whitwood 11 32.62x
New Deer 10 24.89x
Battersea 9 1.02x
Cluny 9 84.35x
Colchester St Giles 9 19.26x
Dewsbury 9 3.70x
Elton 9 9.16x
Horbury 9 21.67x
Ipswich St Peter 9 22.91x
Llanvihangel Llantarnam 9 27.25x
Plymouth St Andrew 9 2.34x
Southowram 9 12.42x
Aston 8 0.48x
Fixby 8 193.70x
Halifax 8 2.30x
Merthyr Tydfil 8 2.00x
Stoke Damerel 8 2.29x
Stoke Upon Trent 8 0.93x
Werneth 8 48.28x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 201
Sarah 92
Elizabeth 68
Ann 57
Alice 49
Eliza 42
Margaret 42
Ellen 38
Hannah 38
Jane 36
Emma 31
Martha 29
Annie 25
Emily 24
Betsy 16
Harriet 16
Betty 14
Charlotte 14
Maria 14
Ada 13
Elizth. 13
Clara 12
Lucy 12
Catherine 9
Florence 9
Susannah 9
Edith 8
Kate 8
Louisa 8
Agnes 7
Amelia 7
Anne 7
Caroline 7
Esther 7
Henrietta 6
Fanny 5
Francis 5
Minnie 5
Rachel 5
Frances 4
Isabella 4
Jessie 4
Lydia 4
Rebecca 4
Eleanor 3
Eliz. 3
Julia 3
Nancy 3
Rhoda 3
Sareh 3

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 157
William 119
James 112
Thomas 75
Joseph 56
Robert 42
George 40
Samuel 35
Henry 29
Walter 18
Charles 17
Edward 17
Arthur 15
Alfred 14
Harry 12
Benjamin 11
Tom 11
Abraham 10
Albert 10
Richard 10
Wm. 10
David 9
Frank 9
Fred 9
Jonathan 9
Peter 9
Ernest 8
Herbert 8
Ralph 8
Thos. 8
Isaac 7
Lawrence 7
Christopher 6
Eli 6
Matthew 6
Edmund 5
Edwin 5
Frederick 5
Jas. 5
Moses 5
Percy 5
Robt. 5
Ephraim 4
Chas. 3
Frederic 3
Geo. 3
Harold 3
Hugh 3
Jno. 3
Lewis 3

FAQ

Cocker surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cocker surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,457 people were recorded with the Cocker surname. That placed it at #1,810 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cocker surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,367 in 2016. That gives Cocker a modern rank of #2,769.

What does the Cocker surname mean?

A surname derived from the archaic word "cocker" meaning a maker or seller of cooked foods.

What does the Cocker map show?

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