NameCensus.

UK surname

Code

A surname referring to a person who lived near a hollow or woody area.

In the 1881 census there were 117 people recorded with the Code surname, ranking it #18,026 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 117, ranked #28,033, down from #18,026 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Manchester, Prescot and Dean. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cheshire East, Teignbridge and North Kesteven.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Code is 157 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 0.0%.

1881 census count

117

Ranked #18,026

Modern count

117

2016, ranked #28,033

Peak year

1861

157 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Code had 117 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,026 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 117 in 2016, ranked #28,033.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 157 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Code surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Code surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Code 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 75 #20,268
1861 historical 157 #14,732
1881 historical 117 #18,026
1891 historical 138 #19,411
1901 historical 137 #19,032
1911 historical 122 #20,245
1997 modern 104 #26,351
1998 modern 112 #25,856
1999 modern 112 #26,044
2000 modern 104 #27,150
2001 modern 105 #26,620
2002 modern 109 #26,552
2003 modern 108 #26,486
2004 modern 105 #27,181
2005 modern 108 #26,736
2006 modern 106 #27,332
2007 modern 105 #27,868
2008 modern 105 #28,180
2009 modern 111 #27,846
2010 modern 113 #28,162
2011 modern 117 #27,334
2012 modern 108 #28,849
2013 modern 118 #27,686
2014 modern 117 #28,109
2015 modern 119 #27,684
2016 modern 117 #28,033

Geography

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Where Codes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Manchester, Prescot, Dean, Liverpool and West Derby. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cheshire East, Teignbridge, North Kesteven, High Peak and St. Helens. 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 Manchester Lancashire
2 Prescot Lancashire
3 Dean Lancashire
4 Liverpool Lancashire
5 West Derby Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cheshire East 027 Cheshire East
2 Teignbridge 011 Teignbridge
3 North Kesteven 009 North Kesteven
4 High Peak 013 High Peak
5 St. Helens 023 St. Helens

Forenames

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First names often paired with Code

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Code

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

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Code is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

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

Code 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

Code falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Code

The surname Code is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "cod," which means a small bag or pouch. This suggests that the name may have been initially given as an occupational surname to someone who worked as a bag maker or someone who carried a small bag or pouch.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Code can be found in various historical documents from the 13th and 14th centuries. It appears in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, where a person named Roger Code is mentioned. The name is also present in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, indicating its prevalence in different parts of England during that period.

One notable individual bearing the surname Code was John Code, a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of London during the 15th century. He served as the Sheriff of London in 1444 and was actively involved in the city's governance and trade affairs.

In the 16th century, the surname Code appears in the parish records of St. Botolph's Church in Colchester, Essex. A notable entry is the baptism of William Code in 1572, suggesting the presence of the surname in this region.

Another individual of historical significance was Sir Robert Code, who lived in the 17th century. He was a renowned lawyer and served as the Chief Justice of the Common Pleas in England from 1658 to 1660.

During the 18th century, the surname Code was prevalent in various parts of England, including Yorkshire, where the village of Code Green near Wakefield was named after the family. One notable figure from this era was Thomas Code (1719-1794), a respected clergyman and theologian who served as the rector of Cranwich in Norfolk.

In the 19th century, the Code surname gained prominence in the field of literature. William Code (1816-1886) was a renowned poet and writer from Warwickshire, known for his works depicting rural life in England.

Over the centuries, the surname Code has also been found with various spelling variations, such as Codes, Codd, and Codde, reflecting the inconsistencies in record-keeping and regional dialects of the time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Code families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Code 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. Lancashire leads with 58 Codes recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.14x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 58 4.14x
Kent 11 2.73x
Middlesex 11 0.93x
Lanarkshire 7 1.83x
Essex 5 2.15x
Staffordshire 5 1.26x
Channel Islands 4 11.44x
Cornwall 4 2.99x
Devon 4 1.63x
Flintshire 4 12.61x
Cumberland 2 1.97x
Somerset 2 1.05x
Glamorgan 1 0.49x
Hertfordshire 1 1.23x
Surrey 1 0.17x
Yorkshire 1 0.09x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 30 Codes recorded in 1881 and an index of 35.27x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 30 35.27x
West Derby 11 26.85x
Ardwick 7 55.42x
Barony 7 7.25x
Woolwich 7 47.04x
Walsall Borough 5 161.81x
Holywell 4 100.50x
Kensington London 4 6.10x
Marazion 4 2500.00x
St Peter Port 4 61.82x
Widnes 4 39.60x
Ashton Under Lyne 3 9.80x
Bekesbourne 3 2142.86x
Milton Abbott 3 833.33x
Saffron Walden 3 121.95x
Chelmsford 2 50.00x
Paddington London 2 4.61x
Road 2 869.57x
Alston 1 53.48x
Bow London 1 6.65x
Chorlton On Medlock 1 4.49x
Edmonton 1 10.52x
Frensham 1 119.05x
Hammersmith London 1 3.44x
Hertford All Saints 1 222.22x
Lewisham 1 4.66x
Meltham 1 54.95x
Millom 1 32.15x
Spitalfields London 1 11.26x
St Pancras London 1 1.05x
Swansea Town 1 5.93x
Tormoham 1 9.62x
Toxteth Park 1 2.11x
Wavertree 1 22.32x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 13
Elizabeth 6
Annie 3
Catherine 3
Ellen 3
Emily 3
Jane 3
Margaret 3
Sarah 3
Eleanor 2
Eliza 2
Emma 2
Harriet 2
Ann 1
Cathrine 1
Clara 1
E.Eleanor 1
E.Phoebe 1
Elizh. 1
Georgina 1
Grace 1
Harriot 1
Julia 1
Louisa 1
Margt. 1
Maria 1
Martha 1
Monica 1
Olive 1
Rose 1
Sophia 1
Susan 1
Teresa 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 10
James 7
William 5
George 3
Charles 2
Edward 2
Nicholas 2
Phillip 2
Thomas 2
Arthur 1
Cornelius 1
Edwd.Henry 1
Gerald 1
Harry 1
Malcolm 1
Patrick 1
Samuel 1
Theophilus 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Code surname: questions and answers

How common was the Code surname in 1881?

In 1881, 117 people were recorded with the Code surname. That placed it at #18,026 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Code surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 117 in 2016. That gives Code a modern rank of #28,033.

What does the Code surname mean?

A surname referring to a person who lived near a hollow or woody area.

What does the Code map show?

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