NameCensus.

UK surname

Cocks

An English surname derived from a nickname for a small, spirited person.

In the 1881 census there were 1,991 people recorded with the Cocks surname, ranking it #2,210 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,130, ranked #3,034, down from #2,210 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Stockport, London parishes and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall and Stockport.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cocks is 2,845 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 7.0%.

1881 census count

1,991

Ranked #2,210

Modern count

2,130

2016, ranked #3,034

Peak year

1911

2,845 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cocks had 1,991 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,210 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,130 in 2016, ranked #3,034.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,845 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Cocks surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cocks surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cocks 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 1,166 #2,420
1861 historical 1,134 #2,476
1881 historical 1,991 #2,210
1891 historical 2,004 #2,297
1901 historical 2,578 #2,132
1911 historical 2,845 #1,835
1997 modern 2,379 #2,628
1998 modern 2,476 #2,637
1999 modern 2,527 #2,609
2000 modern 2,501 #2,616
2001 modern 2,429 #2,625
2002 modern 2,456 #2,667
2003 modern 2,360 #2,695
2004 modern 2,339 #2,715
2005 modern 2,263 #2,756
2006 modern 2,232 #2,799
2007 modern 2,210 #2,853
2008 modern 2,246 #2,827
2009 modern 2,251 #2,893
2010 modern 2,300 #2,896
2011 modern 2,247 #2,923
2012 modern 2,155 #2,970
2013 modern 2,184 #2,986
2014 modern 2,191 #2,996
2015 modern 2,168 #2,994
2016 modern 2,130 #3,034

Geography

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Where Cocks' are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall and Stockport. 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 Stockport Cheshire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 Manchester Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 030 Cornwall
2 Cornwall 031 Cornwall
3 Cornwall 024 Cornwall
4 Stockport 004 Stockport
5 Cornwall 039 Cornwall

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cocks

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cocks

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Cocks 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

Cocks 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

Cocks falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Cocks

The surname Cocks is of English origin and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word 'cocc', which referred to a rooster or male bird. This word itself came from the Latin term 'coccus', meaning a small red dye made from insects.

The Cocks name was particularly prominent in the counties of Somerset and Gloucestershire in the southwest of England. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in tax rolls and census records from this region, such as the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1327, which listed a John Cokkes in Somerset.

During the medieval period, surnames were often derived from occupations, physical traits, or nicknames. In the case of Cocks, it is likely that the name originated as a nickname or descriptive term for someone who exhibited cocky or rooster-like behavior, or perhaps had a physical resemblance to the bird.

One notable early bearer of the Cocks name was Sir Richard Cocks, a merchant and diplomat who lived from 1566 to 1624. He served as the head of the English East India Company's factory in Japan and played a significant role in establishing trade relations between England and Japan in the early 17th century.

Another important figure was John Cocks, born in 1787, who was a prominent English banker and politician. He served as the Member of Parliament for Wallingford from 1818 to 1820 and was known for his involvement in various financial and philanthropic initiatives.

In the realm of literature, Arthur Cocks, born in 1881, was a notable English poet and writer. He published several collections of poetry and was known for his vivid descriptions of nature and rural life.

The Cocks surname can also be found in various place names throughout England, such as Cockburn in Yorkshire, which is believed to have derived from the Old English words 'cocc' and 'burna', meaning a stream where cocks or roosters were found.

While the surname Cocks may have had humble beginnings as a nickname or descriptor, it has since become a well-established and respected name with a rich history spanning centuries in England and beyond.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cocks families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cocks 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 378 Cocks' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.95x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 378 1.95x
Devon 150 3.71x
Surrey 145 1.53x
Lancashire 136 0.59x
Kent 124 1.87x
Norfolk 105 3.52x
Lincolnshire 94 3.03x
Cornwall 74 3.37x
Essex 74 1.93x
Yorkshire 72 0.37x
Cheshire 60 1.40x
Berkshire 58 3.98x
Glamorgan 42 1.24x
Suffolk 42 1.78x
Hampshire 39 0.98x
Somerset 38 1.22x
Northumberland 36 1.25x
Buckinghamshire 34 2.90x
Gloucestershire 34 0.89x
Hertfordshire 30 2.24x
Oxfordshire 23 1.92x
Shropshire 22 1.31x
Warwickshire 20 0.41x
Cambridgeshire 18 1.46x
Staffordshire 16 0.24x
Durham 15 0.26x
Lanarkshire 14 0.22x
Sussex 14 0.43x
Monmouthshire 13 0.93x
Northamptonshire 9 0.49x
Nottinghamshire 9 0.34x
Wiltshire 9 0.52x
Worcestershire 8 0.32x
Bedfordshire 7 0.70x
Leicestershire 7 0.33x
Herefordshire 4 0.50x
Royal Navy 4 1.73x
Aberdeenshire 2 0.11x
Cumberland 2 0.12x
Denbighshire 2 0.27x
Dorset 2 0.16x
Fife 2 0.17x
Derbyshire 1 0.03x
Midlothian 1 0.04x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.16x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lambeth in Surrey leads with 48 Cocks' recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.84x.

Place Total Index
Lambeth 48 2.84x
Kensington London 33 3.06x
Bredbury 31 125.00x
Hackney London 29 2.66x
St Marylebone London 28 2.70x
West Ham 28 3.31x
Tavistock 25 54.31x
Chelsea London 23 3.93x
Mile End Old Town London 23 5.57x
Plymouth Charles The 21 11.80x
Islington London 20 1.06x
Oldham 18 2.42x
Stoke Damerel 18 6.36x
Leeds 17 1.57x
Paddington London 17 2.38x
Roath 16 10.42x
Southwark St George Martyr 16 4.10x
St Austell 16 21.30x
Acol 15 761.42x
Hyde 15 11.86x
Irnham 15 793.65x
Tollesbury 15 156.25x
Cowpen 14 21.05x
Folkestone 14 10.90x
Shouldham 14 332.54x
Ashton Under Lyne 13 2.58x
Brandon 13 81.05x
Rotherhithe 13 5.42x
Hindley 12 12.22x
Moston 12 51.95x
St Pancras London 12 0.77x
Bethnal Green London 11 1.30x
Camberwell 11 0.89x
Droylsden 11 14.64x
Greenwich 11 3.56x
Ilsington 11 155.81x
St Luke London 11 3.53x
Bedminster 10 3.41x
Beech Hill 10 537.63x
Bromley 10 9.91x
Bromley London 10 2.34x
Chiswick 10 9.43x
Corby 10 192.31x
Fulham London 10 3.55x
Gloucester St John Baptist 10 40.67x
Great Missenden 10 69.16x
Lindley Cum Quarmby 10 20.61x
Tottenham 10 3.23x
Warfield 10 75.59x
Aston 9 0.67x
Barton Upon Irwell 9 5.19x
Bassingbourn 9 49.81x
Bow London 9 3.64x
Clerkenwell London 9 1.96x
Cookham 9 19.82x
Govan 9 0.58x
Great Hale 9 191.49x
Great Yarmouth 9 3.64x
Peterborough 9 6.81x
Reading St Mary 9 7.71x
St Budeaux 9 71.54x
Wanstead 9 13.41x
Wigtoft 9 200.45x
Wraxall 9 151.01x
Barnstaple 8 12.61x
Chinnor 8 96.39x
Enville 8 155.64x
Gloucester Barton St 8 35.86x
Lathom 8 28.76x
Milson 8 1000.00x
Snenton 8 7.78x
South Rauceby 8 310.08x
St Martin In Fields 8 6.88x
Stapleford 8 215.05x
West Wycombe 8 50.25x
Westminster St John 8 3.38x
Woolwich 8 3.27x
Hallow 7 56.41x
Hulme 7 1.46x
Weybridge 7 34.50x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 128
Elizabeth 74
Sarah 63
Jane 34
Emily 32
Alice 30
Eliza 30
Ellen 28
Ann 27
Annie 27
Emma 25
Charlotte 18
Louisa 17
Edith 16
Ada 15
Caroline 15
Harriet 15
Margaret 15
Martha 15
Fanny 14
Agnes 13
Kate 13
Catherine 12
Hannah 11
Maria 11
Clara 10
Frances 10
Amelia 9
Florence 9
Isabella 9
Lucy 9
Beatrice 8
Elizth. 8
Gertrude 8
Harriett 8
Jessie 8
Esther 7
Minnie 7
Anne 6
Bessie 6
Rebecca 6
Amy 5
Anna 5
Eleanor 5
Julia 5
Laura 5
Maud 5
Rose 5
Lydia 4
Matilda 4

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 118
John 95
George 65
Charles 51
James 50
Thomas 49
Henry 44
Robert 33
Arthur 30
Alfred 29
Joseph 29
Walter 23
Edward 22
Frederick 21
Albert 14
Ernest 14
Richard 14
Samuel 14
Herbert 12
Frank 10
Francis 8
Wm. 6
Benjamin 5
Harry 5
Reginald 5
Willie 5
David 4
Horace 4
Percy 4
Peter 4
Philip 4
Edwin 3
Fred 3
Fredk. 3
Josiah 3
Sidney 3
Stephen 3
Bertram 2
Cecil 2
Chas. 2
Daniel 2
Fredrick 2
Geo. 2
Horrocks 2
Jno. 2
Matthew 2
Phillip 2
Robt. 2
Stroud 2
Thos. 2

FAQ

Cocks surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cocks surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,991 people were recorded with the Cocks surname. That placed it at #2,210 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cocks surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,130 in 2016. That gives Cocks a modern rank of #3,034.

What does the Cocks surname mean?

An English surname derived from a nickname for a small, spirited person.

What does the Cocks map show?

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