NameCensus.

UK surname

Cool

An English surname derived from a nickname for a fashionable or composed person, or from a place name.

In the 1881 census there were 147 people recorded with the Cool surname, ranking it #15,674 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 190, ranked #20,262, down from #15,674 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Newchurch and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Isle of Wight, Southampton and Adur.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cool is 316 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 29.3%.

1881 census count

147

Ranked #15,674

Modern count

190

2016, ranked #20,262

Peak year

1861

316 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cool had 147 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,674 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 190 in 2016, ranked #20,262.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 316 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Cool surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cool surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cool 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 151 #12,840
1861 historical 316 #8,054
1881 historical 147 #15,674
1891 historical 189 #15,547
1901 historical 148 #18,212
1911 historical 165 #16,808
1997 modern 126 #23,461
1998 modern 121 #24,677
1999 modern 125 #24,366
2000 modern 125 #24,351
2001 modern 119 #24,733
2002 modern 125 #24,492
2003 modern 115 #25,538
2004 modern 120 #25,078
2005 modern 120 #25,066
2006 modern 122 #25,010
2007 modern 132 #24,166
2008 modern 127 #25,020
2009 modern 134 #24,711
2010 modern 141 #24,460
2011 modern 135 #24,922
2012 modern 143 #24,019
2013 modern 160 #22,621
2014 modern 165 #22,356
2015 modern 169 #21,888
2016 modern 190 #20,262

Geography

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Where Cools are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Newchurch, London parishes, Sodbury, Chipping and Compton Chamberlayne. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Isle of Wight, Southampton, Adur, Basingstoke and Deane and Rushcliffe. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 Newchurch Hampshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Sodbury, Chipping Gloucestershire
5 Compton Chamberlayne Wiltshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Isle of Wight 013 Isle of Wight
2 Southampton 010 Southampton
3 Adur 006 Adur
4 Basingstoke and Deane 017 Basingstoke and Deane
5 Rushcliffe 009 Rushcliffe

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cool

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cool

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Cool surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Cool household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Cool is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, 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

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

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

Cool 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

Cool falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Cool

The surname COOL is of English origin and can be traced back to the late medieval period. It is believed to have originated as a descriptive nickname referring to a person's temperament or disposition, with the Old English word "col" meaning "cool" or "calm."

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname COOL can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the year 1230, where a certain William Cool is listed as a taxpayer. This suggests that the name was already established in parts of northern England by the 13th century.

In the 14th century, the surname appears in various spellings such as "Coole," "Colles," and "Coles" in various records and documents from different regions of England, indicating its widespread use and variations in spelling due to regional dialects and scribal practices of the time.

Some notable individuals with the surname COOL throughout history include Sir John Cool (c. 1520-1594), an English politician and member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another prominent figure was Thomas Cool (1677-1738), an English botanist and collector of plants, who contributed significantly to the study of flora in the early 18th century.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the surname COOL was also associated with several place names in England, such as Cool Pilate in Hampshire and Cool Dickering in Yorkshire, suggesting that some branches of the family may have derived their surname from these locations or been among the earliest settlers in those areas.

In the 19th century, one of the most notable individuals with the surname COOL was Benjamin Cool (1814-1890), an American architect and civil engineer who designed several notable buildings in New York City, including the Church of the Holy Trinity and the New York Produce Exchange building.

Another significant figure was Elizabeth Cool (1862-1938), an American educator and suffragist who played an active role in the women's rights movement and served as the president of the National Association of Colored Women's Clubs.

While the surname COOL is not among the most common in English-speaking countries, it has a rich history and has been borne by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cool families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cool 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. Gloucestershire leads with 37 Cools recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.48x.

County Total Index
Gloucestershire 37 12.48x
Hampshire 22 7.10x
Wiltshire 19 14.21x
Monmouthshire 15 13.73x
Isle of Man 10 35.63x
Durham 7 1.56x
Lancashire 6 0.33x
Angus 5 3.57x
Leicestershire 5 2.98x
Middlesex 5 0.33x
Staffordshire 5 0.98x
Yorkshire 4 0.27x
Ayrshire 3 2.65x
Kent 3 0.58x
Derbyshire 2 0.85x
Banffshire 1 3.19x
Berkshire 1 0.88x
Flintshire 1 2.46x
Midlothian 1 0.49x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.49x
Shetland 1 6.48x
Sussex 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. Bitton in Gloucestershire leads with 17 Cools recorded in 1881 and an index of 658.91x.

Place Total Index
Bitton 17 658.91x
Trevethin 10 96.90x
Malew 9 367.35x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 8 28.65x
Chipping Sodbury 8 1454.55x
Holmside 6 540.54x
Bedwellty 5 25.91x
Bishops Fonthill 5 5000.00x
Chitterne All Sts 5 2272.73x
Godshill 5 694.44x
Kirkdale 5 16.57x
Leicester St Margaret 5 12.23x
West Bromwich 5 17.12x
Boldre 4 360.36x
Burcombe 4 2500.00x
Liff Benvie 4 18.81x
Brockenhurst 3 555.56x
Compton Chamberlayne 3 1875.00x
Millbrook 3 38.46x
St Lawrence 3 2307.69x
Bitton Oldland 2 66.01x
Bristol St George 2 14.59x
Chesterfield 2 22.55x
Dalry 2 37.59x
Milton 2 259.74x
Normanton 2 44.44x
Paddington London 2 3.60x
Ayr 1 18.73x
Brighton 1 1.94x
Brightside Bierlow 1 3.40x
Buckland In Dover 1 58.48x
Bucklebury 1 169.49x
Chawton 1 416.67x
Dalkeith 1 25.00x
Flint 1 43.29x
Fonthill Gifford 1 400.00x
Gamrie 1 28.57x
Islington London 1 0.68x
Kensington London 1 1.19x
Layton With Warbreck 1 15.20x
Lerwick 1 1000.00x
Montrose 1 11.78x
Patrick 1 72.99x
Plumstead 1 5.82x
Salisbury St Edmund 1 46.51x
Sculcoates 1 4.21x
St Luke London 1 4.12x
St Pauls Cray 1 256.41x
Sutton 1 526.32x
Tanfield 1 18.69x
Ventnor 1 33.90x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 6
John 6
William 6
James 5
Henry 3
Herbert 3
Isaac 3
Charles 2
Job 2
Richard 2
Robert 2
Samuel 2
Thomas 2
Walter 2
Alfred 1
Benjamin 1
Bertie 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Frederick 1
Fredk. 1
Geo. 1
Gersham 1
Hary 1
Hemutial 1
Jane 1
Marsh 1
Palantine 1
Silas 1
Valentine 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Cool surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cool surname in 1881?

In 1881, 147 people were recorded with the Cool surname. That placed it at #15,674 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cool surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 190 in 2016. That gives Cool a modern rank of #20,262.

What does the Cool surname mean?

An English surname derived from a nickname for a fashionable or composed person, or from a place name.

What does the Cool map show?

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