UK surname
An occupational surname referring to someone who cooked or prepared food.
In the 1881 census there were 158 people recorded with the Cooker surname, ranking it #14,989 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 29, ranked #36,059, down from #14,989 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Pancras and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cooker is 918 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 81.6%.
1881 census count
158
Ranked #14,989
Modern count
29
2016, ranked #36,059
Peak year
1861
918 bearers
Map years
6
1851 to 1911
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Cooker surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Cooker surname density by area, 1881 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe 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 | 304 | #7,559 |
| 1861 | historical | 918 | #3,022 |
| 1881 | historical | 158 | #14,989 |
| 1891 | historical | 492 | #7,528 |
| 1901 | historical | 216 | #14,426 |
| 1911 | historical | 318 | #10,988 |
| 1997 | modern | 52 | #32,444 |
| 1998 | modern | 43 | #33,557 |
| 1999 | modern | 35 | #34,418 |
| 2000 | modern | 36 | #34,317 |
| 2001 | modern | 26 | #35,152 |
| 2002 | modern | 31 | #34,866 |
| 2003 | modern | 25 | #35,471 |
| 2004 | modern | 20 | #36,053 |
| 2005 | modern | 22 | #35,993 |
| 2006 | modern | 21 | #36,179 |
| 2007 | modern | 20 | #36,362 |
| 2008 | modern | 20 | #36,443 |
| 2009 | modern | 25 | #36,191 |
| 2010 | modern | 28 | #36,084 |
| 2011 | modern | 29 | #36,004 |
| 2012 | modern | 23 | #36,366 |
| 2013 | modern | 26 | #36,217 |
| 2014 | modern | 28 | #36,107 |
| 2015 | modern | 31 | #35,939 |
| 2016 | modern | 29 | #36,059 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around London parishes, St Pancras, Manchester, Maidstone, Linton, Loddington and St Mary Islington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | London parishes | London 3 |
| 2 | St Pancras | London (North Districts) |
| 3 | Manchester | Lancashire |
| 4 | Maidstone, Linton, Loddington | Kent |
| 5 | St Mary Islington | London (North Districts) |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Cooker surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Cooker, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Cooker surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Cooker household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Cooker is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Cooker is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Cooker, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname COOKER is believed to have originated in England during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old English word "coc," meaning a cook or someone who prepares food. The name likely referred to an occupation or the ancestor's profession as a cook or chef.
The earliest recorded instances of the name COOKER can be traced back to the 13th century in various records and documents from various parts of England. One notable mention is in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1275, where a person named William le Cokere is listed.
In the 14th century, the surname COOKER appeared in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, a record of landholders and their possessions. A certain Robert le Cokere was listed as holding land in the village of Woodstock.
The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings and population in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the surname COOKER. However, it does mention several individuals with the occupation of "coc" or cook.
Notable individuals with the surname COOKER throughout history include:
1. John Cooker (c. 1550 - 1616), an English composer and musician during the Renaissance period. 2. Thomas Cooker (1631 - 1689), a prominent English merchant and landowner in the city of Bristol. 3. Mary Cooker (1678 - 1721), an English diarist and author from the late 17th century. 4. William Cooker (1785 - 1853), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars. 5. Harriet Cooker (1819 - 1901), an English philanthropist and social reformer who worked to improve living conditions for the poor in London.
The surname COOKER has also been associated with various place names and locations throughout England, such as Cooker's Green in Hertfordshire and Cooker's Hill in Wiltshire. These place names likely derived from individuals with the surname COOKER who lived or held land in those areas.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cooker surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 34 Cookers recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.25x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Middlesex | 34 | 2.25x |
| Kent | 33 | 6.40x |
| Yorkshire | 18 | 1.20x |
| Lancashire | 17 | 0.95x |
| Norfolk | 10 | 4.30x |
| Monmouthshire | 8 | 7.32x |
| Surrey | 7 | 0.95x |
| Nottinghamshire | 6 | 2.94x |
| Devon | 4 | 1.27x |
| Warwickshire | 4 | 1.05x |
| Berkshire | 2 | 1.76x |
| Cheshire | 2 | 0.60x |
| Essex | 2 | 0.67x |
| Pembrokeshire | 2 | 4.16x |
| Buteshire | 1 | 10.92x |
| Channel Islands | 1 | 2.23x |
| Derbyshire | 1 | 0.42x |
| Hampshire | 1 | 0.32x |
| Royal Navy | 1 | 5.55x |
| Sussex | 1 | 0.39x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Maidstone in Kent leads with 13 Cookers recorded in 1881 and an index of 84.64x.
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Cooker surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
| Name | Count |
|---|---|
| Mary | 16 |
| Elizabeth | 7 |
| Margaret | 6 |
| Alice | 5 |
| Sarah | 4 |
| Ann | 3 |
| Annie | 3 |
| Caroline | 3 |
| Emily | 2 |
| Emma | 2 |
| Fanny | 2 |
| Harriet | 2 |
| Jane | 2 |
| Louisa | 2 |
| Agnes | 1 |
| Allie | 1 |
| Alocnia | 1 |
| Bertha | 1 |
| Betsy | 1 |
| Betty | 1 |
| Eliz. | 1 |
| Eliza | 1 |
| Ellen | 1 |
| Hanah | 1 |
| Hannah | 1 |
| Isabella | 1 |
| Julia | 1 |
| Kate | 1 |
| Laura | 1 |
| Maria | 1 |
| Maud | 1 |
| Minnie | 1 |
| Naomi | 1 |
| Pheobe | 1 |
| Rachel | 1 |
| Rose | 1 |
| Rosomond | 1 |
| Ruth | 1 |
| Susan | 1 |
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Cooker surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Cooker households.
FAQ
In 1881, 158 people were recorded with the Cooker surname. That placed it at #14,989 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 29 in 2016. That gives Cooker a modern rank of #36,059.
An occupational surname referring to someone who cooked or prepared food.
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Cooker bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.