NameCensus.

UK surname

Coggan

A surname potentially derived from a Cornish place name or occupation related to cog-making.

In the 1881 census there were 500 people recorded with the Coggan surname, ranking it #6,776 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 461, ranked #10,625, down from #6,776 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bedminster, Langport, Drayton with Middleney, Curry Rivell, Swell, Aller and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include West Lindsey, Caerphilly and North Lincolnshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Coggan is 533 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 7.8%.

1881 census count

500

Ranked #6,776

Modern count

461

2016, ranked #10,625

Peak year

1901

533 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Coggan had 500 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,776 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 461 in 2016, ranked #10,625.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 533 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Coggan surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Coggan surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Coggan 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 322 #7,215
1861 historical 309 #8,207
1881 historical 500 #6,776
1891 historical 468 #7,833
1901 historical 533 #7,697
1911 historical 471 #8,201
1997 modern 481 #9,584
1998 modern 498 #9,622
1999 modern 488 #9,846
2000 modern 485 #9,853
2001 modern 481 #9,743
2002 modern 499 #9,648
2003 modern 475 #9,848
2004 modern 472 #9,926
2005 modern 446 #10,283
2006 modern 443 #10,369
2007 modern 432 #10,682
2008 modern 427 #10,892
2009 modern 436 #10,965
2010 modern 451 #10,897
2011 modern 439 #10,995
2012 modern 449 #10,675
2013 modern 462 #10,618
2014 modern 464 #10,645
2015 modern 456 #10,715
2016 modern 461 #10,625

Geography

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Where Coggans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bedminster, Langport, Drayton with Middleney, Curry Rivell, Swell, Aller, London parishes, Sheffield and Epworth, Belton, Haxey (Owston, Lincolnshire), Owston (West Butterwick and Kelfield; Owston, Lincol. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to West Lindsey, Caerphilly and North Lincolnshire. 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 Bedminster Somerset
2 Langport, Drayton with Middleney, Curry Rivell, Swell, Aller Somerset
3 London parishes London 3
4 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Epworth, Belton, Haxey (Owston, Lincolnshire), Owston (West Butterwick and Kelfield; Owston, Lincol Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 West Lindsey 009 West Lindsey
2 Caerphilly 002 Caerphilly
3 North Lincolnshire 002 North Lincolnshire
4 North Lincolnshire 023 North Lincolnshire
5 North Lincolnshire 001 North Lincolnshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Coggan

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Coggan

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

European Enclaves

Within London, Coggan is most associated with areas classed as European Enclaves, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

Many residents of these accessible neighbourhoods have wide-ranging non-UK European origins. Typically residing in privately rented flats, many residents live alone and are beyond normal retirement age. There are more students than elsewhere in the Supergroup, some of which live in communal establishments. Household residents are often drawn from different ethnic groups.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Coggan 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

Coggan 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 Coggan is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Coggan, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Coggan

The surname Coggan is of English origin and dates back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "cog," meaning a small boat or vessel, and likely referred to someone who worked on or owned such a boat.

The name can be traced back to various parts of England, including Cornwall, Devon, and Somerset, where it was particularly prevalent due to the coastal regions and maritime connections. Early records show variations in spelling, such as Coggan, Coggen, and Coggin.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1202, where a Robert Coggan is mentioned. The Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1327 also reference a John Coggan.

In the 15th century, the name appears in the Paston Letters, a collection of correspondence from a wealthy Norfolk family. In a letter dated 1472, a certain Coggan is mentioned as a messenger or servant.

Notable individuals bearing the Coggan surname include Sir John Coggan (1592-1673), an English merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1665. Another notable figure is Reginald Coggan (1909-2000), who served as the 101st Archbishop of Canterbury from 1974 to 1980.

In the literary world, Ralph Coggan (1836-1927) was a British poet and writer known for his works on Cornish folklore and tradition. His most famous work is "The Agalynten Ombyan," published in 1887.

In the realm of sports, Phillip Coggan (1923-2010) was a renowned English cricketer who played for Gloucestershire County Cricket Club in the 1940s and 1950s.

Another notable figure is Sir John Coggan (1908-1976), a British diplomat who served as Ambassador to Thailand and later to France in the 1960s and 1970s.

While the name has maintained a presence throughout English history, it has also spread to other parts of the world through migration and settlement, particularly to regions with strong British influences.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Coggan families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Coggan 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. Yorkshire leads with 206 Coggans recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.24x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 206 4.24x
Somerset 80 10.13x
Lincolnshire 78 9.94x
Middlesex 36 0.73x
Nottinghamshire 17 2.57x
Warwickshire 15 1.21x
Lanarkshire 13 0.82x
Cheshire 8 0.74x
Dorset 7 2.17x
Surrey 6 0.25x
Kent 5 0.30x
Glamorgan 4 0.47x
Hampshire 4 0.40x
Lancashire 4 0.07x
Wiltshire 4 0.92x
Channel Islands 3 2.06x
Essex 3 0.31x
Monmouthshire 3 0.85x
Derbyshire 1 0.13x
Devon 1 0.10x
Durham 1 0.07x
Herefordshire 1 0.50x
Midlothian 1 0.15x
Staffordshire 1 0.06x
Sussex 1 0.12x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Sheffield in Yorkshire leads with 33 Coggans recorded in 1881 and an index of 21.32x.

Place Total Index
Sheffield 33 21.32x
Nether Hallam 24 36.49x
Brightside Bierlow 19 19.92x
Epworth 18 491.80x
Birmingham 15 3.64x
West Butterwick With 15 1239.67x
Burnham 14 232.56x
Bedminster 13 17.52x
Ecclesall Bierlow 13 13.15x
Haxey 12 360.36x
Swinton In Rotherham 11 85.54x
Holme On Spalding Moor 10 313.48x
Messingham 10 526.32x
Gainsborough 9 48.68x
Glasgow 9 3.19x
Leeds 9 3.28x
North Ferriby 8 1000.00x
St Pancras London 8 2.03x
Twerton 8 98.28x
Crowle 7 146.75x
Curry Rivell 7 265.15x
Stockport 7 12.56x
Wembdon 7 299.15x
Balby Cum Hexthorpe 6 103.45x
Hackney London 6 2.18x
Rastrick 6 44.44x
Soothill 6 34.17x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 5 11.04x
Broadwinsor 5 236.97x
Doncaster 5 14.08x
Holy Trinity 5 4.28x
Northowram 5 14.67x
Nottingham St Mary 5 2.92x
Paddington London 5 2.77x
Somerton 5 155.28x
Tong 5 53.25x
Brinsworth 4 177.78x
Compton Dundon 4 416.67x
Finningley 4 634.92x
Kensington London 4 1.47x
Llandaff 4 14.07x
Lydeard St Lawrence 4 449.44x
Margate St John Baptist 4 13.05x
Newington 4 2.21x
Nottingham St Nicholas 4 44.40x
Scotton 4 888.89x
Shepton Mallet 4 45.15x
Steeple Ashton 4 341.88x
Althorpe 3 167.60x
Evercreech 3 157.89x
Lanark 3 23.49x
Llanvihangel Llantarnam 3 44.38x
Misterton 3 146.34x
Portsea 3 1.52x
St George Hanover Square 3 3.47x
St Peterin Eastgate 3 123.46x
Walthamstow 3 8.61x
Wroot 3 500.00x
Bowling 2 4.15x
Goole 2 24.54x
Hatfield In Thorne 2 66.01x
Hook 2 18.69x
Kildwick 2 45.15x
Kingsbury Episcopi 2 78.13x
St Giles In Fields London 2 8.31x
St Marylebone London 2 0.76x
St Sampson 2 30.53x
Street 2 46.84x
Thornton In Bradford 2 12.35x
Wincanton 2 49.26x
York St Margaret 2 66.45x
Bishopwearmouth 1 0.80x
Burringham 1 109.89x
Darenth 1 38.76x
Halifax 1 1.40x
Isleworth 1 4.59x
Newhaven 1 14.88x
Out Rawcliffe 1 71.94x
Thorne 1 16.58x
Wells St Cuthbert Out 1 15.72x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 45
Sarah 21
Elizabeth 19
Eliza 14
Jane 11
Annie 10
Emma 10
Ann 9
Edith 8
Ellen 8
Caroline 5
Emily 5
Hannah 5
Alice 4
Florence 4
Louisa 4
Lucy 4
Margaret 4
Susan 4
Anna 3
Charlotte 3
Clara 3
Harriet 3
Jessie 3
Maria 3
Agnes 2
Anne 2
Catherine 2
Christiana 2
Fanny 2
Hester 2
Kate 2
Letitia 2
Lydia 2
Martha 2
Amelia 1
Betsey 1
Betty 1
Blanch 1
Eleinor 1
Elizth. 1
Elvyna 1
Ernest 1
Ettie 1
Jemima 1
Kezia 1
Lilly 1
Lizzie 1
Lybella 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 33
William 24
George 17
James 14
Thomas 14
Charles 10
Henry 9
Alfred 7
Joseph 7
Arthur 6
Richard 5
Robert 5
Walter 4
Frank 3
Frederick 3
Mark 3
Tom 3
Fredrick 2
Geo. 2
Josh. 2
Michael 2
Wm. 2
Alphansy 1
Amos 1
Bob 1
C.Arthur 1
Cornelius 1
Cromer 1
Daniel 1
Denby 1
Edward 1
Edwd. 1
Edwin 1
F.J. 1
Fr.Wm. 1
Francis 1
Fred 1
Frederic 1
Fredric 1
Geo.B. 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Hezekiah 1
Hugh 1
Jervis 1
Kelida 1
Millson 1
P. 1
Percy 1
Wm.Fredk. 1

FAQ

Coggan surname: questions and answers

How common was the Coggan surname in 1881?

In 1881, 500 people were recorded with the Coggan surname. That placed it at #6,776 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Coggan surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 461 in 2016. That gives Coggan a modern rank of #10,625.

What does the Coggan surname mean?

A surname potentially derived from a Cornish place name or occupation related to cog-making.

What does the Coggan map show?

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