NameCensus.

UK surname

Cooch

A topographic surname possibly derived from a Middle English term for a small peak or hill.

In the 1881 census there were 115 people recorded with the Cooch surname, ranking it #18,230 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 151, ranked #23,615, down from #18,230 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wellingborough, Northampton All Saints and Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Maldon, Chelmsford and Cairneyhill and Crombie.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cooch is 189 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 31.3%.

1881 census count

115

Ranked #18,230

Modern count

151

2016, ranked #23,615

Peak year

1999

189 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cooch had 115 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,230 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 151 in 2016, ranked #23,615.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 160 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Cooch surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cooch surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cooch 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 125 #14,700
1861 historical 84 #23,058
1881 historical 115 #18,230
1891 historical 105 #23,241
1901 historical 160 #17,387
1911 historical 126 #19,831
1997 modern 161 #20,176
1998 modern 179 #19,372
1999 modern 189 #18,862
2000 modern 179 #19,494
2001 modern 175 #19,484
2002 modern 183 #19,354
2003 modern 172 #19,893
2004 modern 161 #20,840
2005 modern 149 #21,866
2006 modern 152 #21,721
2007 modern 154 #21,804
2008 modern 153 #22,132
2009 modern 158 #22,168
2010 modern 159 #22,577
2011 modern 157 #22,574
2012 modern 145 #23,780
2013 modern 150 #23,653
2014 modern 149 #23,969
2015 modern 148 #23,934
2016 modern 151 #23,615

Geography

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Where Coochs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wellingborough, Northampton All Saints, Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory, Kettering and Burnham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Maldon, Chelmsford, Cairneyhill and Crombie and Isle of Wight. 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 Wellingborough Northamptonshire
2 Northampton All Saints Northamptonshire
3 Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory Northamptonshire
4 Kettering Northamptonshire
5 Burnham Essex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Maldon 006 Maldon
2 Chelmsford 005 Chelmsford
3 Cairneyhill and Crombie Fife
4 Chelmsford 006 Chelmsford
5 Isle of Wight 005 Isle of Wight

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cooch

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cooch

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

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

City Support Workers

Within London, Cooch is most associated with areas classed as City Support Workers, 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

Scattered throughout Inner London, these areas house relatively few workers in the most senior roles within organisations, and greater prevalence of administrative roles relative to the Supergroup mean. Residents are less likely to be of Chinese ethnicity and are more likely to have been born in Africa. Relative to the Supergroup average, residents are also more likely to live in social housing and live in overcrowded conditions.

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

Cooch is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Cooch falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Cooch

The surname Cooch is believed to have originated in England, with roots dating back to the early medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "coc," meaning a small stream or brook, possibly indicating that the name's earliest bearers lived near a small waterway.

During the Anglo-Saxon era, place names often incorporated descriptive elements reflecting local topographical features. As such, the Cooch surname may have arisen from a location named after a small stream, possibly a place like Cockbrook or Coxbrook, both of which are documented in historic records.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, which lists a landowner named Willelmus Coc in Gloucestershire. This entry suggests that the Cooch surname, or its early variants, were already in use by the late 11th century.

In the 13th century, a Richard de Cok is mentioned in the Curia Regis Rolls of Hertfordshire, dated 1221. The use of the preposition "de" in this spelling indicates a connection to a specific place, further supporting the theory of the name's geographical origins.

Notable historical figures bearing the Cooch surname include Sir Neville Cooch (1585-1653), an English soldier and politician who served as a Member of Parliament during the English Civil War. Another prominent individual was Robert Cooch (1757-1846), an American lawyer and politician who served as a delegate to the Continental Congress.

In the 17th century, Robert Cooch (1588-1663) was an English Quaker who faced persecution for his religious beliefs and was imprisoned several times. His grandson, Thomas Cooch (1668-1749), was among the early settlers of Pennsylvania and helped establish the town of Cooch's Bridge, now known as Newark, Delaware.

Another notable figure was Sir George Cooch (1796-1888), a British military officer who served in the East India Company's army and was later knighted for his contributions to the British colonial administration in India.

These examples demonstrate the historical presence and geographical spread of the Cooch surname, originating in England but later appearing in various parts of the British Empire and the American colonies.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cooch families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cooch 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. Northamptonshire leads with 48 Coochs recorded in 1881 and an index of 46.72x.

County Total Index
Northamptonshire 48 46.72x
Essex 20 9.28x
Surrey 14 2.63x
Middlesex 11 1.01x
Kent 7 1.88x
Glamorgan 5 2.63x
Devon 2 0.88x
Buckinghamshire 1 1.51x
Cornwall 1 0.81x
Durham 1 0.31x
Oxfordshire 1 1.48x
Rutland 1 12.47x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Kingsthorpe in Northamptonshire leads with 13 Coochs recorded in 1881 and an index of 1140.35x.

Place Total Index
Kingsthorpe 13 1140.35x
Althorne 10 8333.33x
Northampton All Sts 10 286.53x
Wellingborough 10 193.42x
Kettering 7 168.27x
Charlton 5 201.61x
Hampstead London 5 29.39x
Newington 5 12.39x
Northampton St Giles 5 127.88x
Wandsworth 5 47.57x
Croydon 4 13.54x
Great Burstead 4 512.82x
Swansea Town 4 25.66x
Mile End Old Town London 3 12.90x
Lydd 2 250.00x
Mile End New Town London 2 92.59x
Plymouth St Andrew 2 11.42x
Prittlewell 2 66.89x
Rettendon 2 740.74x
Cardiff St John 1 16.10x
Grafton Underwood 1 1000.00x
Harlestone 1 476.19x
Heston 1 27.55x
Newport Pagnell 1 72.46x
North Bailey South 1 625.00x
Northampton St Sepulchre 1 19.12x
Roxwell 1 333.33x
Shirburn 1 833.33x
St Just In Roseland 1 185.19x
Tinwell 1 1250.00x
West Ham 1 2.10x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 7
Mary 7
Charlotte 3
Annie 2
Caroline 2
Edith 2
Eliza 2
Emily 2
Emma 2
Emmie 2
Georgina 2
Kate 2
Mabel 2
Maria 2
A.E. 1
Ann 1
Anne 1
E.S. 1
Eleanor 1
Elizth. 1
Ellen 1
Ellin 1
Emblem 1
Ethel 1
Florence 1
Hannah 1
Harriett 1
Helen 1
Helenor 1
Jessie 1
Margaret 1
Merey 1
Polly 1
S.A. 1
Sophia 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 8
George 5
John 5
Samuel 5
Charles 4
Henry 3
Edward 2
Joseph 2
Robert 2
Thomas 2
Abraham 1
Alfred 1
C.T. 1
Frank 1
Gerard 1
Herbert 1
James 1
Jessey 1
Jno. 1
Joshua 1
Octavius 1
Percy 1
Timothy 1
Willm.H. 1

FAQ

Cooch surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cooch surname in 1881?

In 1881, 115 people were recorded with the Cooch surname. That placed it at #18,230 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cooch surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 151 in 2016. That gives Cooch a modern rank of #23,615.

What does the Cooch surname mean?

A topographic surname possibly derived from a Middle English term for a small peak or hill.

What does the Cooch map show?

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