NameCensus.

UK surname

Codner

An English surname possibly derived from the occupational name "codner" referring to a maker or seller of coarse woolen cloth.

In the 1881 census there were 93 people recorded with the Codner surname, ranking it #20,593 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 243, ranked #17,131, up from #20,593 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Tormoham with Torquay, Kingskerswell and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Hartlepool, Teignbridge and Plymouth.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Codner is 243 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 161.3%.

1881 census count

93

Ranked #20,593

Modern count

243

2016, ranked #17,131

Peak year

2016

243 bearers

Map years

7

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Codner had 93 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #20,593 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 243 in 2016, ranked #17,131.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 126 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Codner surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Codner surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Codner 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 89 #18,446
1861 historical 126 #17,569
1881 historical 93 #20,593
1891 historical 106 #23,105
1901 historical 116 #20,933
1911 historical 122 #20,245
1997 modern 195 #17,912
1998 modern 192 #18,561
1999 modern 200 #18,237
2000 modern 198 #18,330
2001 modern 189 #18,590
2002 modern 209 #17,803
2003 modern 209 #17,620
2004 modern 208 #17,758
2005 modern 204 #17,893
2006 modern 209 #17,784
2007 modern 211 #17,856
2008 modern 210 #18,052
2009 modern 227 #17,544
2010 modern 228 #17,844
2011 modern 237 #17,235
2012 modern 236 #17,187
2013 modern 236 #17,472
2014 modern 231 #17,813
2015 modern 240 #17,279
2016 modern 243 #17,131

Geography

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Where Codners are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Tormoham with Torquay, Kingskerswell, St Pancras, St Thomas the Apostle, Whitestone and Exeter City: St George. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Hartlepool, Teignbridge, Plymouth, South Hams and Wolverhampton. 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 Tormoham with Torquay Devon
2 Kingskerswell Devon
3 St Pancras London (North Districts)
4 St Thomas the Apostle, Whitestone Devon
5 Exeter City: St George Devon

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Hartlepool 014 Hartlepool
2 Teignbridge 007 Teignbridge
3 Plymouth 019 Plymouth
4 South Hams 008 South Hams
5 Wolverhampton 022 Wolverhampton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Codner

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Codner

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

Codner 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

Codner falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Codner

The surname Codner is believed to have originated in England, likely in the late medieval period or early modern era. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "cod," meaning a small bag or pouch, and the occupational suffix "-ner," indicating a person who made or sold such items. Thus, the name may have been initially used to describe a maker or seller of small bags or pouches.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hertfordshire Parish Registers from the 16th century, where a John Codner was mentioned in 1568. Another early reference is found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1572, which lists a Thomas Codner.

The Codner surname appears to have been concentrated in the counties of Hertfordshire, Worcestershire, and Gloucestershire during the 16th and 17th centuries. Some notable individuals bearing this surname from this period include Robert Codner, a merchant from Gloucester who was mentioned in records from the early 17th century.

In the 18th century, the Codner name can be found in various records from counties such as Shropshire and Staffordshire. One notable individual from this time was William Codner, a wealthy landowner from Shropshire who was born in 1712 and died in 1788.

As the Industrial Revolution took hold in the 19th century, the Codner surname began to spread more widely throughout England. One prominent figure from this period was John Codner, a successful businessman and industrialist from Birmingham, who lived from 1793 to 1867.

Other notable individuals with the Codner surname include George Codner, a British artist and illustrator who was born in 1835 and died in 1913, and Alfred Codner, a celebrated architect from London who lived from 1866 to 1942 and designed several notable buildings in the city.

While the Codner surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through emigration during the 19th and 20th centuries. However, its origins can be traced back to the occupational trades of medieval and early modern England.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Codner families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Codner 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 54 Codners recorded in 1881 and an index of 28.60x.

County Total Index
Devon 54 28.60x
Middlesex 27 2.98x
Yorkshire 8 0.89x
Kent 1 0.32x
Oxfordshire 1 1.79x
Somerset 1 0.68x
Sussex 1 0.65x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Pancras London in Middlesex leads with 18 Codners recorded in 1881 and an index of 24.65x.

Place Total Index
St Pancras London 18 24.65x
Exeter St Thomas The 10 520.83x
Stoke Damerel 9 68.13x
Tormoham 9 112.64x
Dartington 8 4000.00x
Holy Trinity 8 37.00x
Islington London 7 7.96x
Kingskerswell 7 2258.06x
Paignton 6 416.67x
Plymouth St Andrew 2 13.75x
Abbots Kerswell 1 714.29x
Corfe 1 833.33x
Holywell 1 384.62x
Lewisham 1 6.06x
Paddington London 1 3.00x
Preston 1 37.45x
South Brent 1 243.90x
Stoke Newington London 1 14.14x
Totnes 1 90.91x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 5
Mary 4
Alice 2
Ann 2
Annie 2
Emily 2
Jane 2
M.E. 2
Sarah 2
Ada 1
Agnes 1
Agness 1
Amy 1
Augusta 1
Bessie 1
Caroline 1
Daisy 1
Edith 1
Eliza 1
Emma 1
Evenda 1
Fanny 1
Grace 1
Henrietta 1
Isabella 1
Jessie 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
Laura 1
Lilian 1
Lily 1
Louisa 1
Louise 1
Maria 1
Rhoda 1
Rose 1
S.M. 1
Tryphena 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 7
William 7
Samuel 3
George 2
Henry 2
Richard 2
Thomas 2
Arnold 1
Bertie 1
Clement 1
Daniel 1
David 1
E.N.R. 1
Eli 1
Frederick 1
Harold 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Percy 1
Reginald 1
Thos. 1
Walter 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Codner surname: questions and answers

How common was the Codner surname in 1881?

In 1881, 93 people were recorded with the Codner surname. That placed it at #20,593 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Codner surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 243 in 2016. That gives Codner a modern rank of #17,131.

What does the Codner surname mean?

An English surname possibly derived from the occupational name "codner" referring to a maker or seller of coarse woolen cloth.

What does the Codner map show?

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