NameCensus.

UK surname

Cockley

A variant of the English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "clearing with red clay soil".

In the 1881 census there were 81 people recorded with the Cockley surname, ranking it #22,082 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 104, ranked #30,317, down from #22,082 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Northfleet, London parishes and Thurrock, Grays. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Newham, Cornwall and Barking and Dagenham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cockley is 142 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 28.4%.

1881 census count

81

Ranked #22,082

Modern count

104

2016, ranked #30,317

Peak year

1861

142 bearers

Map years

5

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cockley had 81 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #22,082 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 104 in 2016, ranked #30,317.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 142 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Cockley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cockley surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cockley 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 113 #15,815
1861 historical 142 #15,982
1881 historical 81 #22,082
1891 historical 131 #20,073
1901 historical 83 #24,900
1911 historical 79 #24,903
1997 modern 94 #27,781
1998 modern 104 #26,981
1999 modern 106 #26,885
2000 modern 102 #27,425
2001 modern 100 #27,402
2002 modern 102 #27,596
2003 modern 99 #27,871
2004 modern 100 #27,964
2005 modern 102 #27,689
2006 modern 94 #29,264
2007 modern 90 #30,228
2008 modern 99 #29,181
2009 modern 100 #29,597
2010 modern 102 #29,930
2011 modern 101 #29,938
2012 modern 100 #30,258
2013 modern 106 #29,740
2014 modern 104 #30,365
2015 modern 103 #30,444
2016 modern 104 #30,317

Geography

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Where Cockleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Northfleet, London parishes, Thurrock, Grays, Great and Little Totham, Goldhanger, Heybridge, Tolleshunt Major, Tolleshunt Knights, Tolleshunt Dar and Cardiff St John and St Mary. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Newham, Cornwall, Barking and Dagenham and Bexley. 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 Northfleet Kent
2 London parishes London 3
3 Thurrock, Grays Essex
4 Great and Little Totham, Goldhanger, Heybridge, Tolleshunt Major, Tolleshunt Knights, Tolleshunt Dar Essex
5 Cardiff St John and St Mary Glamorganshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Newham 012 Newham
2 Cornwall 035 Cornwall
3 Barking and Dagenham 013 Barking and Dagenham
4 Bexley 020 Bexley
5 Newham 013 Newham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cockley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cockley

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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations

Nationally, the Cockley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Cockley 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 is often found in less central parts of London and other major towns and cities. Adults are more likely than the Supergroup average to have never been married and are typically aged less than 45 years. Many have young dependent children and individuals may have been born in Africa. There are many members identifying with a Black ethnic group, with the other ethnic groups (as listed in the glossary) also represented, though Chinese less so. Accommodation in flats, frequently socially rented, is common in these neighbourhoods. Part time employment is also common, and work is often in elementary occupations, while unemployment is also the highest within this Supergroup.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Cockley is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Cockley 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

Cockley falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Cockley

The surname Cockley finds its origins in England, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "cocc," meaning a hill or mound, and "leah," meaning a meadow or clearing. This suggests that the name initially referred to someone who lived near a hill or mound in a meadow or clearing.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it is spelled as "Cokkeleg." This document was a survey of landholders in England, indicating that the Cockley family held land during this period.

Another notable historical reference is found in the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire from 1327, where the name is listed as "Cokeley." These rolls were tax records, suggesting that the Cockleys were landowners or individuals of some means at the time.

In the 15th century, the name is found spelled as "Cocklegh" in the Feet of Fines for Essex, a legal document recording land transactions. This further reinforces the connection between the name and its geographical origins.

One of the earliest recorded individuals bearing the name was John Cockley, who was born in Gloucestershire, England, around 1520. He was a prominent landowner and served as a member of the local gentry.

Another noteworthy figure was Sir Richard Cockley (1560-1631), a successful merchant and politician from London. He served as an alderman and was elected Lord Mayor of London in 1619.

In the 17th century, the surname appears in various forms, including "Cockleigh" and "Cockly," as seen in parish records from Wiltshire and Somerset.

William Cockley (1648-1717) was a renowned clockmaker from London, whose works were highly prized for their accuracy and craftsmanship.

During the 18th century, the name was often associated with the village of Cockley Cley in Norfolk, which likely derived its name from the same Old English roots as the surname.

One of the most famous individuals with the Cockley surname was Sir James Cockley (1779-1858), a British naval officer who distinguished himself in the Napoleonic Wars and was later appointed Governor of Newfoundland.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cockley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cockley 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. Essex leads with 42 Cockleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 26.93x.

County Total Index
Essex 42 26.93x
Glamorgan 10 7.27x
Middlesex 9 1.14x
Lancashire 6 0.64x
Nottinghamshire 4 3.76x
Cumberland 3 4.41x
Angus 2 2.73x
Surrey 2 0.52x
Warwickshire 2 1.00x
Monmouthshire 1 1.75x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Tolleshunt D Arcy in Essex leads with 14 Cockleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 6363.64x.

Place Total Index
Tolleshunt D Arcy 14 6363.64x
Merthyr Tydfil 8 60.51x
Grays Thurrock 7 482.76x
West Ham 6 17.43x
Burnham 5 862.07x
Liverpool 4 7.03x
Eastwood 3 2142.86x
Hawkwell 3 4285.71x
North Muskham 3 2000.00x
Preston Quarter 3 157.07x
St Andrew Holborn London 3 87.72x
Birmingham 2 3.01x
Dundee 2 7.32x
Hadleigh 2 1538.46x
Hanwell 2 142.86x
Manchester 2 4.75x
Aberdare 1 10.59x
Canvey Island 1 1250.00x
Cardiff St Mary 1 13.19x
Fulham London 1 8.73x
Hackney London 1 2.26x
Laindon 1 1111.11x
Lambeth 1 1.45x
Newington 1 3.43x
Nottingham St Mary 1 3.63x
St Clement Danes London 1 61.35x
St Woollos 1 15.70x
Whitechapel London 1 12.84x

Top female names

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

FAQ

Cockley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cockley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 81 people were recorded with the Cockley surname. That placed it at #22,082 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cockley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 104 in 2016. That gives Cockley a modern rank of #30,317.

What does the Cockley surname mean?

A variant of the English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "clearing with red clay soil".

What does the Cockley map show?

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