NameCensus.

UK surname

Cockerill

A variant of the occupational surname referring to a keeper or raiser of roosters or chickens.

In the 1881 census there were 1,447 people recorded with the Cockerill surname, ranking it #2,876 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,956, ranked #3,282, down from #2,876 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochdale, London parishes and Gayton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Riding of Yorkshire, Daventry and Rossendale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cockerill is 2,103 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 35.2%.

1881 census count

1,447

Ranked #2,876

Modern count

1,956

2016, ranked #3,282

Peak year

1911

2,103 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cockerill had 1,447 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,876 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,956 in 2016, ranked #3,282.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,103 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Cockerill surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cockerill surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cockerill 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 880 #3,107
1861 historical 698 #3,875
1881 historical 1,447 #2,876
1891 historical 1,549 #2,852
1901 historical 1,878 #2,804
1911 historical 2,103 #2,381
1997 modern 1,964 #3,101
1998 modern 2,030 #3,122
1999 modern 2,048 #3,124
2000 modern 2,021 #3,142
2001 modern 1,989 #3,124
2002 modern 2,014 #3,154
2003 modern 1,967 #3,161
2004 modern 1,944 #3,192
2005 modern 1,912 #3,207
2006 modern 1,922 #3,199
2007 modern 1,933 #3,207
2008 modern 1,930 #3,229
2009 modern 1,962 #3,267
2010 modern 2,007 #3,267
2011 modern 1,959 #3,291
2012 modern 1,920 #3,301
2013 modern 1,983 #3,265
2014 modern 1,989 #3,276
2015 modern 1,978 #3,266
2016 modern 1,956 #3,282

Geography

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Where Cockerills are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochdale, London parishes, Gayton, Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken and Scarborough. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Riding of Yorkshire, Daventry and Rossendale. 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 London parishes London 3
3 Gayton Northamptonshire
4 Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken Warwickshire
5 Scarborough Yorkshire, North Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Riding of Yorkshire 003 East Riding of Yorkshire
2 Daventry 002 Daventry
3 Rossendale 002 Rossendale
4 East Riding of Yorkshire 002 East Riding of Yorkshire
5 East Riding of Yorkshire 001 East Riding of Yorkshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cockerill

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cockerill

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

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Cockerill 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

Cockerill 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

Cockerill falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Cockerill

The surname Cockerill is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the early medieval period. It is believed to have originated as a locational name, derived from a place called Cockerill or Cockerell, likely located in one of the eastern counties of England.

One of the earliest recorded instances of this surname appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Cocherelle." This suggests that the name was already well-established in parts of England by the late 11th century.

The name is thought to have evolved from the Old English words "cocc," meaning "a cock or rooster," and "hyll," meaning "a hill." This implies that the original bearers of the name may have lived near a prominent hill or elevated area associated with roosters or poultry farming.

In the 13th century, records show a John de Cokerell living in Oxfordshire, England. Another early record from 1327 mentions a Robert Cokerell, who was a resident of Nottinghamshire.

During the 16th century, the spelling variations of the name proliferated, with forms such as Cockerell, Cockerill, and Cockeril appearing in various historical documents and parish records across England.

One notable individual bearing this surname was Sir Aston Cockayne (1608-1684), an English politician and lawyer who served as Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer. He was born in Derbyshire and was a prominent figure during the English Civil War.

Another historical figure was Edward Cockerill (1809-1896), a British engineer and industrialist who played a significant role in the development of the Belgian iron industry in the 19th century. He established the Cockerill Company, a major manufacturer of machinery and armaments.

In the 18th century, John Cockerill (1725-1798) was a renowned English clockmaker and inventor from Yorkshire. He is credited with creating the first self-winding clock mechanism, a significant innovation in horology.

The surname Cockerill has also been associated with the Cockerill family of artists, including William Cockerill (1687-1765), a British painter and engraver, and his son, William Cockerill Jr. (1714-1768), who was also a painter and etcher.

Throughout its history, the Cockerill surname has maintained a strong presence in various parts of England, particularly in the eastern and northern counties, where it is believed to have originated.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cockerill families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cockerill 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. Yorkshire leads with 457 Cockerills recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.27x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 457 3.27x
Northamptonshire 193 14.57x
Warwickshire 191 5.38x
Lancashire 108 0.65x
Leicestershire 102 6.53x
Durham 77 1.84x
Middlesex 71 0.50x
Staffordshire 52 1.09x
Surrey 35 0.51x
Norfolk 28 1.29x
Nottinghamshire 22 1.16x
Suffolk 17 0.99x
Lincolnshire 16 0.71x
Northumberland 13 0.62x
Kent 8 0.17x
Worcestershire 8 0.43x
Cheshire 7 0.23x
Hampshire 7 0.24x
Aberdeenshire 6 0.46x
Angus 4 0.31x
Buckinghamshire 4 0.47x
Essex 3 0.11x
Herefordshire 3 0.52x
Cambridgeshire 2 0.22x
Oxfordshire 2 0.23x
Derbyshire 1 0.05x
Fife 1 0.12x
Glamorgan 1 0.04x
Gloucestershire 1 0.04x
Hertfordshire 1 0.10x
Renfrewshire 1 0.09x
Somerset 1 0.04x
Sussex 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. Collingtree in Northamptonshire leads with 35 Cockerills recorded in 1881 and an index of 2822.58x.

Place Total Index
Collingtree 35 2822.58x
Haslingden 34 49.13x
Aston 33 3.37x
Scarborough 32 25.23x
Coventry Holy Trinity 28 26.40x
Wolverhampton 27 7.39x
Sculcoates 26 11.75x
Rugby 25 52.02x
Gayton 22 794.22x
Nottingham St Mary 22 4.48x
Lubenham 21 739.44x
Holy Trinity 20 5.96x
Leicester St Margaret 20 5.25x
Leamington Hastings 19 855.86x
Long Itchington 19 341.73x
Northampton All Sts 19 42.26x
Milton 18 512.82x
Priors Marston 17 611.51x
Hunslet 15 6.89x
Skeffling 15 1875.00x
Stockton On Tees 15 7.43x
Thornton Dale 14 378.38x
Bishopwearmouth 13 3.61x
Burniston 13 764.71x
Falsgrave 12 58.34x
Folkton Flixton 12 740.74x
Kirkby Mallory Earl 12 160.21x
New Malton 12 71.90x
Walsall Foreign 12 4.89x
Gorleston 11 25.24x
Leeds 11 1.40x
Stratford On Avon 11 55.84x
Wappenham 11 491.07x
Whitby 11 23.38x
Fylingdales 10 143.68x
Hillmorton 10 157.73x
Richmond 10 10.40x
St Pancras London 10 0.88x
Wardleworth 10 10.47x
Accrington 9 5.92x
Battersea 9 1.74x
Bridlington 9 28.16x
Ganton 9 552.15x
Pattishall 9 204.55x
Spotland 9 4.84x
Stranton 9 6.38x
Bodney 8 1600.00x
Darlington 8 4.94x
Ecclesfield 8 7.82x
Hardingstone 8 63.24x
Hawsker Cum Stainsacre 8 172.41x
Hunmanby 8 122.89x
Lofthouse 8 38.39x
Northampton St Sepulchre 8 11.87x
Old Malton 8 91.12x
Potters Marston 8 8000.00x
Snainton 8 213.90x
St Sepulchre London 8 38.80x
Sunderland 8 10.81x
York St Mary 8 13.84x
Ashby Magna 7 573.77x
Cloughton 7 266.16x
Dunchurch 7 144.33x
Enderby 7 86.53x
Goathland 7 282.26x
Great Bolton 7 3.16x
Hackness 7 693.07x
Harwood Dale 7 679.61x
Hilderthorpe 7 99.29x
Lewisham 7 2.73x
Northampton St Giles 7 13.87x
Ryhope 7 24.06x
St Nicholas Lincoln 7 32.51x
Westerdale 7 546.88x
Bury 6 3.14x
Croft 6 215.83x
Lower Booths 6 20.03x
Northampton Priory St 6 7.55x
Reedham 6 144.93x
Wykeham 6 217.39x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 100
Elizabeth 56
Sarah 56
Jane 32
Ann 30
Emma 25
Alice 23
Ellen 22
Eliza 18
Annie 16
Edith 14
Martha 13
Caroline 12
Emily 12
Fanny 12
Hannah 12
Harriett 11
Margaret 11
Ada 10
Clara 9
Esther 8
Frances 8
Charlotte 7
Florence 7
Betsy 6
Isabella 6
Louisa 6
Catherine 5
Ethel 5
Kate 5
Lucy 5
Maria 5
Minnie 4
Rebecca 4
Susan 4
Agnes 3
Amelia 3
Amy 3
Anne 3
Elizth. 3
Eva 3
Harriet 3
Lizzie 3
Lydia 3
Phoebe 3
Rachel 3
Ruth 3
Selina 3
Sophia 3
Julia 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 113
William 105
Thomas 54
George 34
Henry 34
James 30
Charles 28
Joseph 26
Robert 22
Edward 20
Richard 17
Frederick 14
Arthur 13
Walter 10
Alfred 9
Frank 9
Herbert 9
Samuel 9
Tom 9
Fred 8
Albert 7
Harry 7
Francis 6
Benjamin 5
Daniel 5
Edwin 5
Ernest 5
Wm. 5
Ingram 4
Mark 4
Chas. 3
David 3
Wallace 3
Dickinson 2
Fredk. 2
Leonard 2
Peter 2
Reuben 2
Riley 2
Robinson 2
Silas 2
Amos 1
Benjn. 1
Berty 1
Brassall 1
Elisha 1
Enos 1
Ethelbert 1
Jabez 1
Jacob 1

FAQ

Cockerill surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cockerill surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,447 people were recorded with the Cockerill surname. That placed it at #2,876 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cockerill surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,956 in 2016. That gives Cockerill a modern rank of #3,282.

What does the Cockerill surname mean?

A variant of the occupational surname referring to a keeper or raiser of roosters or chickens.

What does the Cockerill map show?

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