NameCensus.

UK surname

Cone

An English occupational surname for a maker or seller of cones, derived from the Old English "cōn."

In the 1881 census there were 281 people recorded with the Cone surname, ranking it #10,175 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 357, ranked #12,953, down from #10,175 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bredfield, Swineshead, North Forty Foot Bank, Drainage Marsh, Forty-foot Bridge, Gibbet Hills, Rakes Farm, Roya and Sheffield. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Waveney, Tendring and Derbyshire Dales.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cone is 394 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 27.0%.

1881 census count

281

Ranked #10,175

Modern count

357

2016, ranked #12,953

Peak year

1999

394 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cone had 281 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,175 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 357 in 2016, ranked #12,953.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 357 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Cone surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cone surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cone 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 209 #10,066
1861 historical 304 #8,340
1881 historical 281 #10,175
1891 historical 281 #11,630
1901 historical 352 #10,394
1911 historical 357 #10,132
1997 modern 364 #11,827
1998 modern 385 #11,698
1999 modern 394 #11,579
2000 modern 394 #11,520
2001 modern 388 #11,459
2002 modern 371 #12,096
2003 modern 356 #12,258
2004 modern 357 #12,272
2005 modern 354 #12,270
2006 modern 359 #12,216
2007 modern 356 #12,437
2008 modern 356 #12,534
2009 modern 357 #12,766
2010 modern 348 #13,304
2011 modern 352 #13,032
2012 modern 367 #12,499
2013 modern 362 #12,843
2014 modern 366 #12,823
2015 modern 352 #13,109
2016 modern 357 #12,953

Geography

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Where Cones are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bredfield, Swineshead, North Forty Foot Bank, Drainage Marsh, Forty-foot Bridge, Gibbet Hills, Rakes Farm, Roya, Sheffield, London parishes and Middlesborough. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Waveney, Tendring, Derbyshire Dales and Sheffield. 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 Bredfield Suffolk
2 Swineshead, North Forty Foot Bank, Drainage Marsh, Forty-foot Bridge, Gibbet Hills, Rakes Farm, Roya Lincolnshire
3 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
4 London parishes London 2
5 Middlesborough Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Waveney 012 Waveney
2 Tendring 003 Tendring
3 Waveney 004 Waveney
4 Derbyshire Dales 001 Derbyshire Dales
5 Sheffield 003 Sheffield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cone

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cone

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Cone is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Cone 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

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

Meaning and origin of Cone

The surname CONE is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "con," which means "conical shape" or "cone-shaped hill." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived near a prominent conical hill or worked in an occupation related to cones or cone-shaped objects.

The earliest recorded use of the surname CONE can be traced back to the late 12th century in the county of Wiltshire, England. One of the earliest documented individuals with this name was Robert de Cone, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Wiltshire in 1195.

In the 13th century, the name appears in various spellings, such as Coon, Coun, and Coone, reflecting the inconsistencies in spelling during that time period. The CONE surname is also found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which were census-like records of landowners in England.

During the 14th century, the name CONE started appearing in other parts of England, including Yorkshire and Gloucestershire. One notable individual was John Cone, a wealthy merchant from Bristol who was born around 1320 and owned several properties in the area.

In the 15th century, the CONE surname spread further across England, and variations like Coane, Cohn, and Coyn emerged. One prominent figure was Sir William Cone (c. 1450-1520), a Member of Parliament who served under King Henry VIII.

As the centuries passed, the CONE surname continued to be found throughout England, and some bearers of the name migrated to other parts of the British Isles and eventually to the American colonies. Notable individuals with the CONE surname include:

1. Thomas Cone (1609-1684), an early settler in New Haven, Connecticut, and one of the founders of the town of Haddam, Connecticut. 2. Jonathan Cone (1718-1781), an American Revolutionary War soldier and patriot from Massachusetts. 3. Spencer Houghton Cone (1785-1855), an American Baptist minister and educator who founded the Cone Female Academy in New York. 4. Herman Cone (1857-1920), an American textile entrepreneur and co-founder of the successful Cone Mills Corporation in North Carolina. 5. Claribel Cone (1864-1929) and Etta Cone (1870-1949), American art collectors and patrons who amassed a significant collection of avant-garde artworks, including works by Matisse and Picasso.

The CONE surname has a rich history dating back to medieval England, and its bearers have made significant contributions across various fields throughout the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cone families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cone 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. Suffolk leads with 74 Cones recorded in 1881 and an index of 22.24x.

County Total Index
Suffolk 74 22.24x
Yorkshire 41 1.51x
Middlesex 38 1.39x
Lancashire 37 1.14x
Lincolnshire 16 3.66x
Northumberland 14 3.45x
Staffordshire 10 1.08x
Essex 9 1.67x
Derbyshire 8 1.87x
Surrey 8 0.60x
Angus 5 1.98x
Leicestershire 4 1.32x
Cheshire 3 0.50x
Worcestershire 3 0.84x
Devon 2 0.35x
Glamorgan 2 0.42x
Kent 2 0.21x
Stirlingshire 2 1.99x
Hampshire 1 0.18x
Northamptonshire 1 0.39x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lowestoft in Suffolk leads with 20 Cones recorded in 1881 and an index of 127.31x.

Place Total Index
Lowestoft 20 127.31x
Middlesbrough 18 51.08x
Swineshead 14 972.22x
Berwick Upon Tweed 13 150.99x
Bredfield 10 2500.00x
Haslingden 9 67.06x
Hornsey 9 26.06x
Melton 9 687.02x
Shoreditch London 9 7.60x
Mistley 8 551.72x
Eyke 7 1944.44x
Framlingham 7 296.61x
Northowram 7 36.88x
Wolstanton 7 25.00x
Great Glemham 6 1875.00x
Islington London 6 2.27x
Ludworth 6 298.51x
Tottenham 6 13.79x
Dundee 5 5.29x
Heap 5 29.09x
Tadcaster West 5 233.64x
Wigan 5 11.04x
Blackfordby 4 412.37x
Newington 4 3.96x
Pennington In Leigh 4 64.31x
Bedford 3 44.25x
Broadwas 3 1034.48x
Bromeswell 3 1500.00x
Eccleston In Prescot 3 18.44x
Halifax 3 7.55x
Oldham 3 2.87x
Semer 3 967.74x
Bingley 2 11.60x
Chorlton On Medlock 2 3.89x
Glossop Dale 2 9.99x
Lee 2 14.78x
Leftwich 2 74.63x
Somerleyton 2 357.14x
St Anne Soho London 2 12.82x
Thorpe Morieux 2 512.82x
Aldridge 1 56.50x
Barnsley 1 3.58x
Belton 1 56.50x
Bethnal Green London 1 0.84x
Camberwell 1 0.57x
Chelsea London 1 1.22x
Clee With Weelsby 1 10.46x
Colchester Holy Trinity 1 83.33x
Dunham Massey 1 54.05x
Exeter Heavitree 1 23.58x
Harborne 1 3.38x
Hillingdon 1 11.48x
Kensington London 1 0.66x
Keyingham 1 169.49x
Kilsyth 1 15.58x
Lambeth 1 0.42x
Layham 1 200.00x
Liverpool 1 0.51x
Llandaff 1 6.32x
Manningham 1 3.00x
Newcastle On Tyne St John 1 18.73x
Newcastle Under Lyme 1 6.13x
North Meols 1 3.15x
Plymouth St Andrew 1 2.28x
Portsmouth 1 7.76x
Roath 1 4.63x
Sculcoates 1 2.33x
Skelton In Guisbrough 1 13.66x
Southwark St George Martyr 1 1.82x
St Marylebone London 1 0.69x
St Pancras London 1 0.45x
Strathblane 1 79.37x
Walton On Hill 1 5.69x
Wandsworth 1 3.80x
Wantisden 1 1000.00x
Wattisfield 1 222.22x
Weedon Beck 1 54.35x
Whatfield 1 384.62x
Woodbridge 1 23.53x
York St Mary 1 8.92x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 23
Elizabeth 8
Sarah 8
Emily 6
Annie 5
Charlotte 5
Ellen 5
Alice 4
Ann 4
Bridget 4
Eliza 4
Hannah 4
Esther 3
Catherine 2
Clara 2
Edith 2
Ethel 2
Isabella 2
Jane 2
Janet 2
Kate 2
Lucy 2
Margaret 2
Rachel 2
Susan 2
Angelina 1
Bessie 1
Ealrana 1
Emma 1
Fanny 1
Flora 1
Grace 1
Harriet 1
Harriett 1
Helen 1
Helena 1
Ida 1
Louisa 1
Lydia 1
Mabel 1
Maria 1
Marion 1
Matilda 1
Ph. 1
Phoebe 1
Rebecca 1
Riah 1
Rosina 1
Sahra 1
Winneyford 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Cone surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cone surname in 1881?

In 1881, 281 people were recorded with the Cone surname. That placed it at #10,175 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cone surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 357 in 2016. That gives Cone a modern rank of #12,953.

What does the Cone surname mean?

An English occupational surname for a maker or seller of cones, derived from the Old English "cōn."

What does the Cone map show?

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