NameCensus.

UK surname

Comish

A surname derived from the Dutch word "komisch" meaning comical or humorous.

In the 1881 census there were 12 people recorded with the Comish surname, ranking it #31,914 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 109, ranked #29,402, up from #31,914 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Minster, Whitworth and Sampford Spiney. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Barrow-in-Furness, Cheshire East and Allerdale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Comish is 195 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 808.3%.

1881 census count

12

Ranked #31,914

Modern count

109

2016, ranked #29,402

Peak year

1891

195 bearers

Map years

6

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Comish had 12 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #31,914 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 109 in 2016, ranked #29,402.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 195 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities.

Comish surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Comish surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Comish 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 15 #30,614
1861 historical 123 #17,914
1881 historical 12 #31,914
1891 historical 195 #15,211
1901 historical 49 #28,696
1911 historical 120 #20,447
1997 modern 108 #25,788
1998 modern 111 #25,990
1999 modern 109 #26,439
2000 modern 101 #27,555
2001 modern 99 #27,534
2002 modern 108 #26,698
2003 modern 109 #26,361
2004 modern 102 #27,637
2005 modern 100 #28,025
2006 modern 107 #27,179
2007 modern 109 #27,253
2008 modern 111 #27,225
2009 modern 115 #27,207
2010 modern 117 #27,557
2011 modern 120 #26,930
2012 modern 106 #29,187
2013 modern 109 #29,209
2014 modern 108 #29,658
2015 modern 110 #29,157
2016 modern 109 #29,402

Geography

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Where Comishs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Minster, Whitworth, Sampford Spiney, Toxteth Park and Paul. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Barrow-in-Furness, Cheshire East and Allerdale. 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 Minster Kent
2 Whitworth Durham
3 Sampford Spiney Devon
4 Toxteth Park Lancashire
5 Paul Cornwall

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Barrow-in-Furness 008 Barrow-in-Furness
2 Barrow-in-Furness 004 Barrow-in-Furness
3 Cheshire East 020 Cheshire East
4 Allerdale 002 Allerdale
5 Barrow-in-Furness 009 Barrow-in-Furness

Forenames

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First names often paired with Comish

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Comish

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

Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Single-person households are common in these neighbourhoods, and these residents are typically divorced rather than never married. A high proportion of residents were born outside the UK in the EU. There are many young adults, some with young children, but relatively few residents are of normal retirement age or over. Although levels of identification with ethnic minorities are in line with the Supergroup average, individuals identifying with Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is more common than average. High long-term disability rates are observed, and unpaid care is more common than in the rest of the Group. The predominant housing types are terraced houses and flats, which are typically part of the social rented sector. This Group is commonly found in coastal areas and (present-day or former) industrial 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

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Comish is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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

These very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Comish 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

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

Meaning and origin of Comish

The surname Comish originated in England during the late medieval period. It is believed to be a locational name, derived from the Old English words "cumb" meaning a valley or hollow, and "iscas" which referred to a stream or brook. This suggests that the name may have originated from a valley where a stream flowed, potentially a place called Comishcombe or a similar spelling.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Wiltshire in 1273, where a John de Comissh is mentioned. This document recorded landowners and their holdings, indicating that the Comish family held land in the area at that time.

The Comish surname appears to have been particularly prevalent in the counties of Wiltshire, Somerset, and Gloucestershire in the southwestern region of England during the medieval and early modern periods. This is supported by records such as the Subsidy Rolls of Somerset from 1327, which list a Walter Comyssh among the landowners.

In the late 16th century, a notable figure bearing the Comish surname was John Comish, a prominent merchant and shipowner from Bristol, who was born around 1540 and lived until the early 1600s. He was involved in the lucrative wine trade with Spain and Portugal.

Another historical figure was William Comish, a religious dissenter who was born in Wiltshire in 1625. He was imprisoned for his nonconformist beliefs during the reign of King Charles II but was later released and went on to become a respected minister in the region.

The Comish name can also be found in early American records, with one of the earliest examples being Thomas Comish, who arrived in Virginia from England in 1635. He went on to establish a successful plantation and his descendants continued to use the Comish surname in the colonial era.

In the 18th century, a notable bearer of the Comish name was Samuel Comish, born in Somerset in 1720. He was a prominent clockmaker and his intricate timepieces are still highly valued by collectors today.

Throughout the centuries, the surname has seen various spellings such as Comysshe, Comysh, and Commish, reflecting the evolution of language and regional variations in pronunciation and spelling. However, the core meaning and origins of the name remain rooted in the geographic features of a valley with a stream or brook.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Comish families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Comish 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. Isle of Man leads with 108 Comishs recorded in 1881 and an index of 497.01x.

County Total Index
Isle of Man 108 497.01x
Middlesex 6 0.51x
Devon 4 1.64x
Surrey 1 0.18x
Wigtownshire 1 6.44x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Arbory in Isle of Man leads with 33 Comishs recorded in 1881 and an index of 7021.28x.

Place Total Index
Arbory 33 7021.28x
Rushen 21 1428.57x
Onchan 12 191.69x
Andreas 11 1864.41x
Lezayre 7 714.29x
Isleworth 6 115.38x
Braddan 5 420.17x
Malew Castletown 5 12500.00x
Crediton 4 173.16x
German 4 336.13x
Malew 4 210.53x
Bride 3 1000.00x
Ramsey 2 10000.00x
Maughold 1 59.52x
Old Luce 1 102.04x
Richmond 1 12.52x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Ann 10
Catherine 5
Elizabeth 5
Eleanor 3
Margaret 3
Mary 3
Sarah 3
Alice 2
Christian 2
Ellen 2
Esther 2
Jane 2
Maria 2
Martha 2
Anne 1
Annie 1
Cathrn. 1
Eliza 1
Emily 1
Florence 1
Hannah 1
Henrietta 1
Julia 1
Margt. 1
Rebecca 1
Ruth 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 14
William 10
Henry 4
James 4
Joshua 4
Richard 3
Thomas 3
Charles 2
Philip 2
Robert 2
Stephen 2
Thos. 2
Alfred 1
Edward 1
Fredk. 1
George 1
Infant 1
Thos.H. 1
Walter 1
Wilfred 1
Wiliam 1

FAQ

Comish surname: questions and answers

How common was the Comish surname in 1881?

In 1881, 12 people were recorded with the Comish surname. That placed it at #31,914 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Comish surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 109 in 2016. That gives Comish a modern rank of #29,402.

What does the Comish surname mean?

A surname derived from the Dutch word "komisch" meaning comical or humorous.

What does the Comish map show?

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