NameCensus.

UK surname

Cockle

A surname derived from the small edible saltwater clam.

In the 1881 census there were 473 people recorded with the Cockle surname, ranking it #7,057 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 564, ranked #9,103, down from #7,057 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Rochdale and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Mendip, Bristol and Bath and North East Somerset.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cockle is 723 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 19.2%.

1881 census count

473

Ranked #7,057

Modern count

564

2016, ranked #9,103

Peak year

1911

723 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cockle had 473 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,057 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 564 in 2016, ranked #9,103.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 723 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Cockle surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cockle surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cockle 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 310 #7,434
1861 historical 258 #9,603
1881 historical 473 #7,057
1891 historical 628 #6,158
1901 historical 653 #6,621
1911 historical 723 #5,920
1997 modern 611 #8,038
1998 modern 642 #7,975
1999 modern 649 #7,950
2000 modern 640 #8,031
2001 modern 633 #7,937
2002 modern 632 #8,145
2003 modern 621 #8,112
2004 modern 600 #8,346
2005 modern 570 #8,582
2006 modern 575 #8,550
2007 modern 589 #8,477
2008 modern 603 #8,382
2009 modern 612 #8,470
2010 modern 618 #8,587
2011 modern 599 #8,708
2012 modern 580 #8,813
2013 modern 582 #8,931
2014 modern 585 #8,966
2015 modern 568 #9,068
2016 modern 564 #9,103

Geography

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Where Cockles are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Rochdale, London parishes and Haddenham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Mendip, Bristol and Bath and North East Somerset. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 Rochdale Lancashire
3 London parishes London 1
4 London parishes London 3
5 Haddenham Cambridgeshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Mendip 010 Mendip
2 Bristol 048 Bristol, City of
3 Bristol 046 Bristol, City of
4 Bath and North East Somerset 016 Bath and North East Somerset
5 Bristol 042 Bristol, City of

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cockle

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cockle

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Cockle 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

Cockle is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Cockle

The surname Cockle is of English origin, and it is believed to have derived from either a topographic name or an occupational name. The first recorded instance of the name dates back to the late 12th century.

One theory suggests that Cockle is a topographic surname, referring to someone who lived near a small stream or brook. It is derived from the Old English word "coccel," which means a small stream or rivulet. In some regions of England, the word "cockle" was used to describe a small stream or a water-worn pebble.

Another theory proposes that Cockle is an occupational surname, referring to someone who gathered or sold cockles, a type of edible saltwater clam. This occupation was particularly prevalent in coastal areas of England, and the name may have originated from these regions.

The Cockle surname is found in various historical records, including the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions individuals with the surname in Gloucestershire and Somerset. In the 13th century, the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire recorded a person named William Cokyl.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the Cockle surname is John Cockle, who was born in Worcestershire, England, in the late 14th century. Another notable individual was Thomas Cockle, a prominent merchant and landowner who lived in Essex, England, in the 16th century.

During the 17th century, the Cockle surname was found in various parts of England, including Yorkshire, where a family of that name owned land in the village of Heslington. John Cockle, born in 1632 in Yorkshire, was a renowned mathematician and astronomer.

In the 18th century, Sir James Cockle, born in 1819 in Lincolnshire, was a notable English mathematician and lawyer. He made significant contributions to the study of algebra and is remembered for his work on the Cockle curve.

Another prominent figure with the Cockle surname was James Cockle, born in 1804 in Middlesex, England. He was a respected attorney and served as a Member of Parliament for Southampton from 1841 to 1857.

While the Cockle surname has roots in England, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including North America, Australia, and other English-speaking countries, due to migration and diaspora.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cockle families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cockle 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 77 Cockles recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.66x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 77 1.66x
Kent 73 4.61x
Cambridgeshire 53 18.02x
Surrey 45 1.99x
Suffolk 34 6.01x
Gloucestershire 30 3.29x
Northamptonshire 25 5.72x
Wiltshire 22 5.36x
Lancashire 17 0.31x
Somerset 15 2.01x
Hertfordshire 13 4.06x
Bedfordshire 11 4.58x
Midlothian 11 1.77x
Norfolk 11 1.54x
Yorkshire 8 0.17x
Cumberland 6 1.50x
Essex 6 0.65x
Warwickshire 5 0.43x
Hampshire 4 0.42x
Sussex 3 0.38x
Staffordshire 2 0.13x
Berkshire 1 0.29x
Leicestershire 1 0.19x
Royal Navy 1 1.81x
West Lothian 1 1.43x
Westmorland 1 0.98x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Deptford St Paul in Kent leads with 37 Cockles recorded in 1881 and an index of 30.28x.

Place Total Index
Deptford St Paul 37 30.28x
Haddenham 32 1155.23x
Rede 31 8611.11x
Bristol St James St Paul 12 39.51x
Lambeth 12 2.96x
Northampton Priory St 12 45.78x
Northampton St Giles 12 72.12x
Castleton 11 19.99x
Poplar London 11 12.55x
Amesbury 10 558.66x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 10 4.00x
Luton 10 24.03x
Walcot 10 25.12x
Bristol St Paul In 9 37.10x
Ealing 9 21.69x
St Pancras London 9 2.41x
Bermondsey 8 5.79x
Box 8 228.57x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 8 9.33x
Greenwich 8 10.82x
Lee 8 34.78x
St Luke London 8 10.74x
Terrington St Clement 8 248.45x
Camberwell 7 2.36x
Chatham 7 16.06x
Leverington 7 360.82x
Plumstead 7 13.26x
Redbourn 7 200.00x
St Marylebone London 7 2.82x
Whitehaven 6 28.16x
Bedminster 5 7.12x
Bromley London 5 4.89x
Mile End Old Town London 5 5.06x
Newington 5 2.92x
St Albans St Michael 5 139.66x
Battersea 4 2.34x
Henham 4 307.69x
Kensington London 4 1.55x
St George Hanover Square 4 4.89x
Wentworth 4 1290.32x
Amport 3 277.78x
Foots Cray 3 99.01x
Halifax 3 4.44x
Newchurch 3 6.66x
Stoke Newington London 3 8.29x
Teddington London 3 28.52x
West Moulsey 3 285.71x
Westbury 3 31.32x
Wootton Wawen 3 81.30x
Burton Upon Trent 2 5.45x
Edmonton 2 5.35x
Ely Holy Trinity St Mary 2 15.60x
Harwick St Nicholas 2 138.89x
Kingston On Thames 2 3.68x
Lewisham 2 2.37x
Lingfield 2 45.35x
Milton 2 227.27x
Sheffield 2 1.37x
South Lynn 2 24.81x
Stretford 2 6.60x
Wimbledon 2 7.87x
Accrington 1 2.00x
Boness 1 10.37x
Bury St Edmunds St James 1 6.62x
Bury St Edmunds St Mary 1 9.43x
Clifton 1 161.29x
Cookham 1 9.20x
Coventry St Michael 1 2.66x
Edinburgh St Marys 1 8.27x
Elstree 1 95.24x
Hammersmith London 1 0.87x
Hunslet 1 1.39x
Ipswich St Nicholas 1 32.05x
Islington London 1 0.22x
Kempston 1 18.32x
Minster In Sheppey 1 3.81x
Royal Navy 1 2.11x
Solihull 1 11.88x
St Paul Covent Garden 1 21.51x
Witcham 1 163.93x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 32
George 20
John 20
Joseph 12
Frederick 10
Henry 10
James 10
Charles 9
Arthur 8
Alfred 7
Edwin 5
Ernest 5
Frank 4
Robert 4
Samuel 4
Thomas 4
Walter 4
Edward 3
Francis 3
Herbert 3
Mark 3
Albert 2
Percy 2
Augustine 1
Benjamin 1
Chas.F. 1
Daniel 1
David 1
Dennis 1
Edmund 1
Fredk. 1
Fredk.Tydale 1
Fredrick 1
Horace 1
Hugh 1
Hy. 1
Hy.F. 1
J.H. 1
Jhn. 1
Maurice 1
Montague 1
Read 1
Reginald 1
Richard 1
Rowland 1
Ruden 1
Sidney 1
Stephen 1
Sydney 1
Thos. 1

FAQ

Cockle surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cockle surname in 1881?

In 1881, 473 people were recorded with the Cockle surname. That placed it at #7,057 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cockle surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 564 in 2016. That gives Cockle a modern rank of #9,103.

What does the Cockle surname mean?

A surname derived from the small edible saltwater clam.

What does the Cockle map show?

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