NameCensus.

UK surname

Cockwill

In the 1881 census there were 69 people recorded with the Cockwill surname, ranking it #23,816 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 107, ranked #29,762, down from #23,816 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Buckland Filleigh, Plymouth St Andrew (incl. Eddystone Lighthouse in 1841) and Thurshelton, Lewtrenchard. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Torridge, West Devon and Sefton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cockwill is 175 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 55.1%.

1881 census count

69

Ranked #23,816

Modern count

107

2016, ranked #29,762

Peak year

1861

175 bearers

Map years

5

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cockwill had 69 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #23,816 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 107 in 2016, ranked #29,762.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 175 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Cockwill surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cockwill surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cockwill 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 35 #27,037
1861 historical 175 #13,409
1881 historical 69 #23,816
1891 historical 124 #20,818
1901 historical 79 #25,363
1911 historical 165 #16,808
1997 modern 100 #26,901
1998 modern 105 #26,822
1999 modern 102 #27,468
2000 modern 95 #28,441
2001 modern 92 #28,528
2002 modern 96 #28,534
2003 modern 93 #28,829
2004 modern 99 #28,136
2005 modern 101 #27,854
2006 modern 99 #28,453
2007 modern 96 #29,339
2008 modern 95 #29,822
2009 modern 103 #29,127
2010 modern 109 #28,831
2011 modern 110 #28,478
2012 modern 110 #28,514
2013 modern 105 #29,916
2014 modern 111 #29,113
2015 modern 106 #29,895
2016 modern 107 #29,762

Geography

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Where Cockwills are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Buckland Filleigh, Plymouth St Andrew (incl. Eddystone Lighthouse in 1841), Thurshelton, Lewtrenchard, Petrockstow and Dowland. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Torridge, West Devon and Sefton. 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 Buckland Filleigh Devon
2 Plymouth St Andrew (incl. Eddystone Lighthouse in 1841) Devon
3 Thurshelton, Lewtrenchard Devon
4 Petrockstow Devon
5 Dowland Devon

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Torridge 006 Torridge
2 West Devon 001 West Devon
3 Sefton 006 Sefton
4 Sefton 007 Sefton
5 West Devon 004 West Devon

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cockwill

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cockwill

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Cockwill surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Cockwill household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

No data

Group

No data

Within London, Cockwill is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Cockwill is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

1881 census detail

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Cockwill families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cockwill 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. Devon leads with 60 Cockwills recorded in 1881 and an index of 42.82x.

County Total Index
Devon 60 42.82x
Glamorgan 8 6.83x
Sussex 1 0.88x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Meeth in Devon leads with 22 Cockwills recorded in 1881 and an index of 44000.00x.

Place Total Index
Meeth 22 44000.00x
Petrockstow 15 12500.00x
Michaelstone Super Avon 8 629.92x
Coldridge 6 5454.55x
Iddesleigh 4 4000.00x
Exbourne 3 3333.33x
Lewtrenchard 3 4285.71x
Plymouth Charles The 3 48.62x
Bratton Clovelly 1 714.29x
Great Torrington 1 126.58x
Hatherleigh 1 285.71x
High Bickington 1 625.00x
Hove 1 20.08x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 7
Elizabeth 5
Annie 3
Eliza 2
Ellen 2
Emily 2
Emma 2
Bessie 1
Charity 1
Clara 1
Eva 1
Fanny 1
Hannah 1
Helen 1
Infant 1
Norah 1
Tamzen 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 6
William 6
Thomas 4
Henry 3
Benjamin 2
Robert 2
Shadrick 2
Simon 2
Anthony 1
Benjiman 1
Bryn 1
Charles 1
Frederick 1
James 1
Shadrack 1
Shadreck 1
Willie 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Cockwill households.

FAQ

Cockwill surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cockwill surname in 1881?

In 1881, 69 people were recorded with the Cockwill surname. That placed it at #23,816 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cockwill surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 107 in 2016. That gives Cockwill a modern rank of #29,762.

What does the Cockwill map show?

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