NameCensus.

UK surname

Cody

Derived from the Irish surname Ó Cuidighthigh, meaning "descendant of Cuidightheach," a personal name meaning "helpful" or "obliging."

In the 1881 census there were 173 people recorded with the Cody surname, ranking it #14,112 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,061, ranked #5,505, up from #14,112 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St George in the East, London parishes and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Stockton-on-Tees, Conwy and Southend-on-Sea.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cody is 1,087 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 513.3%.

1881 census count

173

Ranked #14,112

Modern count

1,061

2016, ranked #5,505

Peak year

2010

1,087 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cody had 173 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,112 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,061 in 2016, ranked #5,505.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 416 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Cody surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cody surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cody 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 202 #10,323
1861 historical 169 #13,823
1881 historical 173 #14,112
1891 historical 216 #14,107
1901 historical 356 #10,305
1911 historical 416 #9,028
1997 modern 1,001 #5,498
1998 modern 1,023 #5,577
1999 modern 1,048 #5,492
2000 modern 1,063 #5,412
2001 modern 1,051 #5,365
2002 modern 1,068 #5,403
2003 modern 1,032 #5,454
2004 modern 1,029 #5,482
2005 modern 1,040 #5,375
2006 modern 1,043 #5,385
2007 modern 1,053 #5,378
2008 modern 1,038 #5,474
2009 modern 1,073 #5,434
2010 modern 1,087 #5,493
2011 modern 1,063 #5,530
2012 modern 1,040 #5,549
2013 modern 1,055 #5,578
2014 modern 1,067 #5,553
2015 modern 1,065 #5,508
2016 modern 1,061 #5,505

Geography

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Where Codys are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Stockton-on-Tees, Conwy, Southend-on-Sea, Cheshire West and Chester and Lancaster. 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 St George in the East London (East Districts)
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 St Marylebone London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Stockton-on-Tees 003 Stockton-on-Tees
2 Conwy 007 Conwy
3 Southend-on-Sea 017 Southend-on-Sea
4 Cheshire West and Chester 028 Cheshire West and Chester
5 Lancaster 020 Lancaster

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cody

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cody

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Cody surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Cody household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Cody 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

Cody 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

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

Meaning and origin of Cody

The surname Cody originated in Ireland and is derived from the Irish Gaelic O'Codaidh, which means 'descendant of Codadh'. Codadh itself is a personal name derived from the word 'codaidh', meaning 'victorious' or 'wealthy'. The name is thought to have first appeared in the 12th century in County Cork, though records are sparse from that era.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Cody is in the Annals of Inisfallen, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, which mentions a Tadhg O'Codaidh in 1273. Another early reference is in the Annals of the Four Masters, which mentions a Diarmaid O'Codaidh in 1419.

The Cody surname is also found in various Irish place names, such as Ballycoddy in County Cork and Codysborough in County Wexford. These place names likely derive from Codys who lived in those areas in the past.

One notable bearer of the Cody surname was William F. Cody (1846-1917), better known as 'Buffalo Bill', the famous American scout, bison hunter, and showman. His family traced their roots back to County Cork, Ireland.

Another famous Cody was Samuel Franklin Cody (1867-1913), an English-born pioneer of aviation who made the first sustained powered flight in Britain in 1908. He was born Samuel Franklin Cowdery, but later changed his name to Cody.

In literature, the name features in James Joyce's novel 'Ulysses', where one of the characters is named Gerty MacDowell (née Cody). Joyce may have chosen the name due to its Irish origins and associations with County Cork.

Other notable Codys include Michael Cody (1929-2012), an Irish Fine Gael politician who served as Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries, and Sir Patrick Cody (1923-2008), an Irish judge who served as Chief Justice of Ireland from 1985 to 1994.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cody families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cody 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 45 Codys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.65x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 45 2.65x
Lancashire 33 1.64x
Yorkshire 16 0.95x
Surrey 13 1.57x
Glamorgan 11 3.72x
Cheshire 9 2.40x
Suffolk 8 3.87x
Kent 7 1.21x
Warwickshire 5 1.17x
Angus 4 2.54x
Devon 3 0.85x
Pembrokeshire 3 5.56x
Gloucestershire 2 0.60x
Lanarkshire 2 0.36x
Midlothian 2 0.88x
Somerset 2 0.73x
Staffordshire 2 0.35x
Berkshire 1 0.78x
Hampshire 1 0.29x
Herefordshire 1 1.44x
Lincolnshire 1 0.37x
Northumberland 1 0.40x
Royal Navy 1 4.94x
Shropshire 1 0.68x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Wardleworth in Lancashire leads with 11 Codys recorded in 1881 and an index of 95.57x.

Place Total Index
Wardleworth 11 95.57x
St Marylebone London 9 9.93x
Lowestoft 8 81.88x
St George In East London 8 50.13x
Holy Trinity 7 17.30x
Islington London 7 4.26x
Lambeth 7 4.73x
Cardiff St Mary 5 30.71x
Pemberton 5 62.27x
Clerkenwell London 4 9.99x
Dukinfield 4 23.11x
Dundee 4 6.81x
Liverpool 4 3.27x
Cardiff St John 3 31.09x
Charlton Next Woolwich 3 49.67x
Christ Church Newgate 3 379.75x
Everton 3 4.67x
Kensington London 3 3.18x
Leamington Priors 3 28.49x
Monks Coppenhall 3 21.22x
Plymouth St Andrew 3 11.02x
Preston 3 5.57x
St Luke London 3 11.02x
Steynton 3 172.41x
Barony 2 1.44x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 2 6.38x
Buckland In Dover 2 104.17x
Darlaston 2 25.25x
Egham 2 39.37x
Horbury 2 68.03x
Merthyr Tydfil 2 7.04x
Sheffield 2 3.73x
South Leith 2 7.82x
Southwark Christchurch 2 25.16x
Toxteth Park 2 2.93x
Warrington 2 8.38x
Whitechapel London 2 11.95x
Aighton Bailey 1 103.09x
Bath St James 1 35.09x
Bedlington 1 11.86x
Birmingham 1 0.70x
Bow London 1 4.63x
Bradford 1 2.46x
Chelsea London 1 1.96x
Childwall 1 909.09x
Cleobury Mortimer 1 108.70x
Denaby 1 105.26x
Holme On Spalding Moor 1 90.91x
Knutsford Nether 1 44.25x
Leeds 1 1.05x
Llantrisant 1 13.42x
Lower Bullingham 1 357.14x
Middlesbrough 1 4.57x
Midsomer Norton 1 38.91x
Moss Side 1 9.43x
Northwood 1 20.20x
Norwood 1 25.77x
Ramsgate 1 10.58x
Sandhurst 1 40.49x
Shoreditch London 1 1.36x
St George Hanover Square 1 3.34x
St Gilesin Fields London 1 69.44x
St Peterin Eastgate 1 119.05x
Timperley 1 76.92x
Walmer 1 39.68x
Warwick St Nicholas 1 31.85x
Wimbledon 1 10.76x
Woking 1 20.08x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 21
Catherine 7
Elizabeth 6
Annie 5
Caroline 5
Ann 4
Ellen 4
Eliza 3
Alice 2
Hannah 2
Jane 2
Nora 2
Sarah 2
Teresa 2
Agnes 1
Anna 1
Anne 1
Betsey 1
Bridget 1
Clara 1
Eleanor 1
Elizth 1
Harriett 1
Helena 1
Hephzebah 1
Kate 1
Laura 1
Louisa 1
Margaret 1
Margret 1
Margt. 1
Maria 1
Norah 1
Phifeomen 1
Susa 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 13
William 9
James 8
Thomas 8
Michael 5
Charles 3
Patrick 3
Henry 2
Jeremiah 2
Maurice 2
Owen 2
Richard 2
Albert 1
Benedict 1
Frederic 1
Frederick 1
Isaac 1
Jas. 1
Joseph 1
Martin 1
Patk. 1
Patrtrick 1
Peter 1
Robert 1
Sidney 1
Thos. 1
Victor 1
Vincent 1

FAQ

Cody surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cody surname in 1881?

In 1881, 173 people were recorded with the Cody surname. That placed it at #14,112 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cody surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,061 in 2016. That gives Cody a modern rank of #5,505.

What does the Cody surname mean?

Derived from the Irish surname Ó Cuidighthigh, meaning "descendant of Cuidightheach," a personal name meaning "helpful" or "obliging."

What does the Cody map show?

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