NameCensus.

UK surname

Cockerell

A surname referring to a small farmer or chicken keeper.

In the 1881 census there were 369 people recorded with the Cockerell surname, ranking it #8,443 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 360, ranked #12,867, down from #8,443 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Tunbridge, Bidborough and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rhondda Cynon Taf, Bracknell Forest and South Somerset.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cockerell is 451 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 2.4%.

1881 census count

369

Ranked #8,443

Modern count

360

2016, ranked #12,867

Peak year

1911

451 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cockerell had 369 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,443 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 360 in 2016, ranked #12,867.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 451 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Cockerell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cockerell surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cockerell 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 212 #9,965
1861 historical 140 #16,169
1881 historical 369 #8,443
1891 historical 445 #8,134
1901 historical 441 #8,830
1911 historical 451 #8,489
1997 modern 378 #11,474
1998 modern 411 #11,122
1999 modern 408 #11,288
2000 modern 385 #11,738
2001 modern 376 #11,753
2002 modern 411 #11,208
2003 modern 395 #11,364
2004 modern 397 #11,345
2005 modern 381 #11,619
2006 modern 385 #11,556
2007 modern 385 #11,698
2008 modern 384 #11,851
2009 modern 388 #12,000
2010 modern 385 #12,353
2011 modern 363 #12,738
2012 modern 358 #12,724
2013 modern 360 #12,890
2014 modern 363 #12,908
2015 modern 366 #12,717
2016 modern 360 #12,867

Geography

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Where Cockerells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Tunbridge, Bidborough, St Pancras and Lambeth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Rhondda Cynon Taf, Bracknell Forest, South Somerset, South Gloucestershire and East Craigs South. 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 London parishes London 1
2 Tunbridge, Bidborough Kent
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 Lambeth London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rhondda Cynon Taf 014 Rhondda Cynon Taf
2 Bracknell Forest 007 Bracknell Forest
3 South Somerset 008 South Somerset
4 South Gloucestershire 001 South Gloucestershire
5 East Craigs South City of Edinburgh

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cockerell

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cockerell

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Cockerell surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Cockerell household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Cockerell is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Cockerell is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Cockerell falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Cockerell

The surname Cockerell is of Anglo-Saxon origin and can be traced back to the 11th century in England. It derives from the Old English words "cocc" meaning a rooster or cockerel, and "hyll" meaning a hill or elevated land. The name was likely a topographic name referring to someone who lived near a hill where cockerels or roosters were raised.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where a landowner named Willelmus Cockerell is listed as holding estates in Oxfordshire. This suggests that the name was established in England by the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066.

The surname Cockerell has had several spelling variations over the centuries, including Cockerell, Cockerill, Cockerill, and Cockrill. These variations are often found in historical records and documents from different regions of England.

In the 13th century, a notable bearer of the name was John Cockerell, a wealthy merchant and landowner in the county of Somerset. Records show that he owned properties in the town of Taunton and surrounding areas.

During the 16th century, a prominent member of the Cockerell family was Sir William Cockerell (1492-1569), who served as a Member of Parliament and held the position of Sheriff of Wiltshire. He was also known for his involvement in the dissolution of monasteries under King Henry VIII.

In the 17th century, Samuel Cockerell (1636-1696) was an English churchman who became the Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield. He played a role in the restoration of the Church of England after the English Civil War.

Another notable figure was Charles Robert Cockerell (1788-1863), a renowned English architect and archaeologist. He designed several notable buildings, including the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford and the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge.

In the 19th century, Theodore Dru Alison Cockerell (1866-1948) was a British-American naturalist, educator, and author. He made significant contributions to the study of bees and published numerous works on entomology and natural history.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cockerell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cockerell 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. Middlesex leads with 108 Cockerells recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.99x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 108 2.99x
Kent 48 3.90x
Surrey 32 1.82x
Suffolk 28 6.37x
Essex 21 2.95x
Warwickshire 19 2.09x
Yorkshire 16 0.45x
Lancashire 15 0.35x
Hampshire 14 1.89x
Sussex 14 2.30x
Norfolk 13 2.34x
Northamptonshire 10 2.95x
Durham 7 0.65x
Dorset 6 2.53x
Gloucestershire 4 0.57x
Devon 3 0.40x
Northumberland 3 0.56x
Leicestershire 2 0.50x
Wiltshire 2 0.63x
Bedfordshire 1 0.54x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.44x
Channel Islands 1 0.94x
Hertfordshire 1 0.40x
Lincolnshire 1 0.17x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Tonbridge in Kent leads with 19 Cockerells recorded in 1881 and an index of 42.78x.

Place Total Index
Tonbridge 19 42.78x
Fulham London 16 30.57x
Mile End Old Town London 14 18.23x
St George Hanover Square 11 17.30x
St Pancras London 11 3.79x
Battersea 10 7.53x
Knodishall 10 1818.18x
Margate St John Baptist 10 44.35x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 8 48.02x
Bourton On Dunsmore 7 1944.44x
Chatham 7 20.66x
Great Ayton 7 319.63x
Long Itchington 7 492.96x
Shoreditch London 7 4.47x
Beaulieu 6 521.74x
Bethnal Green London 6 3.83x
Ipswich St Margaret 6 40.21x
Rochester St Margaret 6 46.19x
Sawdon 6 2857.14x
St Marylebone London 6 3.11x
Swanage 6 205.48x
Westminster St James 6 16.17x
Hackney London 5 2.47x
Hove 5 18.73x
Kensington London 5 2.49x
Livesey 5 66.49x
St Mary Extra 5 84.03x
Stradbroke 5 337.84x
Westoe 5 8.21x
Bristol St George 4 12.22x
Colchester St Botolph 4 66.01x
Hammersmith London 4 4.50x
North Meols 4 9.54x
West Ham 4 2.54x
Whitechapel London 4 11.25x
Bromley London 3 3.78x
Chichester St Pancras 3 164.84x
Clapham 3 6.65x
Claydon 3 461.54x
Cosgrove 3 379.75x
Coventry St Michael 3 10.26x
Lambeth 3 0.95x
Lewisham 3 4.57x
Naseby 3 400.00x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 3 9.35x
North Weald Bassett 3 241.94x
Plymouth St Andrew 3 5.18x
Portsea 3 2.07x
Tottenham 3 5.22x
Witham 3 81.74x
Abington 2 1333.33x
Bermondsey 2 1.86x
Bradford On Avon 2 19.57x
Brentwood 2 46.08x
Clerkenwell London 2 2.35x
Croft 2 281.69x
Deptford St Paul 2 2.11x
Great Yarmouth 2 4.35x
Halvergate 2 333.33x
Ipswich St Clement 2 17.91x
Putney 2 12.16x
Salford 2 1.59x
West Derby 2 1.60x
Woldingham 2 1176.47x
Ashford 1 35.09x
Bishopwearmouth 1 1.09x
Brackley St Peter 1 42.92x
Colne 1 7.84x
East Grinstead 1 11.61x
Foleshill 1 10.44x
Hampstead London 1 1.78x
Hertford St John 1 26.95x
Kingston On Thames 1 2.37x
Northampton St Giles 1 7.73x
Richmond 1 4.06x
St James Dukes Place 1 129.87x
Sunderland 1 5.27x
Sutton 1 7.86x
Woodford 1 12.41x
Worth 1 22.62x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 20
Alice 12
Sarah 10
Elizabeth 9
Jane 8
Emily 7
Eliza 6
Margaret 6
Ann 5
Annie 5
Emma 5
Charlotte 4
Ellen 4
Kate 4
Louisa 4
Martha 4
Ada 3
Fanny 3
Harriett 3
Anna 2
Caroline 2
Edith 2
Elizth. 2
Florence 2
Frances 2
Harriet 2
Henrietta 2
Jessie 2
Maria 2
Susan 2
Alma 1
Amy 1
Beatrice 1
Beatrix 1
Betsey 1
Catherine 1
Elizebeth 1
Ethel 1
Eva 1
Evelyn 1
Gertrude 1
Hepzibah 1
Hester 1
Hetty 1
Horatia 1
Josephine 1
Julia 1
Laura 1
Lucy 1
Unity 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Charles 19
William 19
George 15
John 15
James 11
Frederick 9
Thomas 8
Alfred 6
Edward 6
Henry 5
Albert 3
Harry 3
Maurice 3
Robert 3
Wm. 3
Arthur 2
Benjamin 2
Ernest 2
Joseph 2
Lewis 2
Nat 2
Richard 2
Robt. 2
Stephen 2
Thos. 2
Walter 2
David 1
Douglas 1
F.George 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Fredrick 1
Geo. 1
H.Francis 1
Henery 1
Herbert 1
Isaac 1
Josiah 1
Lawrence 1
Leonard 1
Leslie 1
Louis 1
Michael 1
Ralph 1
Rowland 1
Saml.P. 1
Samuel 1
Sydney 1
W.Geo. 1

FAQ

Cockerell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cockerell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 369 people were recorded with the Cockerell surname. That placed it at #8,443 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cockerell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 360 in 2016. That gives Cockerell a modern rank of #12,867.

What does the Cockerell surname mean?

A surname referring to a small farmer or chicken keeper.

What does the Cockerell map show?

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