NameCensus.

UK surname

Coombs

A topographic surname referring to someone who lived in a valley or hollow.

In the 1881 census there were 5,048 people recorded with the Coombs surname, ranking it #882 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 5,971, ranked #1,129, down from #882 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Lambeth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include The Vale of Glamorgan, York and Neath Port Talbot.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Coombs is 6,406 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 18.3%.

1881 census count

5,048

Ranked #882

Modern count

5,971

2016, ranked #1,129

Peak year

1911

6,406 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Coombs had 5,048 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #882 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 5,971 in 2016, ranked #1,129.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 6,406 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Coombs surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Coombs surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Coombs 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 3,453 #824
1861 historical 2,983 #964
1881 historical 5,048 #882
1891 historical 4,987 #941
1901 historical 6,094 #914
1911 historical 6,406 #802
1997 modern 6,183 #1,061
1998 modern 6,397 #1,070
1999 modern 6,390 #1,074
2000 modern 6,313 #1,079
2001 modern 6,208 #1,077
2002 modern 6,258 #1,090
2003 modern 6,143 #1,088
2004 modern 6,108 #1,091
2005 modern 5,943 #1,099
2006 modern 5,951 #1,100
2007 modern 5,998 #1,099
2008 modern 6,037 #1,099
2009 modern 6,208 #1,099
2010 modern 6,276 #1,109
2011 modern 6,195 #1,104
2012 modern 6,010 #1,116
2013 modern 6,108 #1,117
2014 modern 6,080 #1,126
2015 modern 6,036 #1,123
2016 modern 5,971 #1,129

Geography

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Where Coombs' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, Lambeth and Portsmouth, Portsea. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to The Vale of Glamorgan, York, Neath Port Talbot, Bristol and West Dorset. 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 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 Portsmouth, Portsea Hampshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 The Vale of Glamorgan 004 Vale of Glamorgan
2 York 009 York
3 Neath Port Talbot 019 Neath Port Talbot
4 Bristol 041 Bristol, City of
5 West Dorset 006 West Dorset

Forenames

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First names often paired with Coombs

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Coombs

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Coombs is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Coombs is most concentrated in decile 4 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Coombs falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Coombs

The surname Coombs has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "cumb," meaning a small valley or hollow between hills. This name likely originated as a topographic surname, given to someone who lived near or in such a geographical feature.

The earliest known record of the name appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1275, where it is spelled "Combe." Over time, various spellings emerged, including Coombes, Combes, and the modern form, Coombs. These variations reflect the regional dialects and phonetic interpretations of the name.

One notable historical reference is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which records several places with names derived from "cumb," such as Combe in Somerset and Coombes in Sussex. These place names suggest that the surname may have originated from people associated with those locations.

The earliest recorded bearer of the surname Coombs was John Combe, who was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Warwickshire in 1332. Another early example is William Coombes, mentioned in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire in 1379.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Coombs. One prominent figure was William Coombs (1647-1724), an English merchant and politician who served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1687. Another was Anthony Coombs (1742-1827), a British naval officer who participated in the American Revolutionary War and later became an admiral.

In the literary world, John Coombs (1767-1832) was an English poet and writer known for his works on rural life and natural history. James Coombs (1832-1899) was a British architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the National Liberal Club.

One of the earliest recorded Coombs settlers in America was Walter Coombs, who arrived in Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1635. His descendants later established themselves in various parts of New England and played roles in the American Revolutionary War and the development of the young nation.

While the surname Coombs has its roots in England, it has since spread across the globe, with notable bearers in countries like the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. The name continues to hold a rich historical legacy, reflecting its origins in the geographic features of the English landscape.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Coombs families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Coombs 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. Somerset leads with 826 Coombs' recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.39x.

County Total Index
Somerset 826 10.39x
Middlesex 615 1.25x
Dorset 504 15.55x
Surrey 420 1.75x
Hampshire 399 3.94x
Wiltshire 305 6.98x
Gloucestershire 300 3.10x
Kent 223 1.32x
Devon 137 1.33x
Glamorgan 125 1.45x
Cheshire 121 1.11x
Lancashire 110 0.19x
Worcestershire 109 1.69x
Berkshire 80 2.16x
Monmouthshire 78 2.18x
Warwickshire 69 0.55x
Essex 68 0.70x
Oxfordshire 65 2.13x
Northamptonshire 61 1.31x
Staffordshire 61 0.37x
Sussex 55 0.66x
Bedfordshire 51 1.99x
Yorkshire 51 0.10x
Cornwall 31 0.55x
Buckinghamshire 23 0.77x
Durham 23 0.16x
Nottinghamshire 23 0.35x
Brecknockshire 15 1.52x
Channel Islands 15 1.02x
Carmarthenshire 12 0.58x
Northumberland 12 0.16x
Denbighshire 8 0.43x
Derbyshire 8 0.10x
Shropshire 8 0.19x
Cumberland 7 0.16x
Herefordshire 6 0.30x
Leicestershire 6 0.11x
Royal Navy 5 0.85x
Ayrshire 4 0.11x
Hertfordshire 4 0.12x
Lincolnshire 4 0.05x
Westmorland 4 0.37x
Radnorshire 3 0.75x
Suffolk 3 0.05x
Norfolk 2 0.03x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.02x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.05x
Midlothian 1 0.02x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Frome in Somerset leads with 129 Coombs' recorded in 1881 and an index of 67.84x.

Place Total Index
Frome 129 67.84x
Lambeth 81 1.88x
Bethnal Green London 62 2.89x
Camberwell 59 1.87x
St Pancras London 44 1.11x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 43 4.71x
Bedminster 42 5.62x
Southampton St Mary 41 6.44x
Battersea 39 2.15x
St Marylebone London 38 1.44x
Fordingbridge 36 65.40x
Aston 34 0.99x
Bridport 34 50.95x
Headley 34 123.55x
Cheltenham 33 4.42x
Islington London 33 0.69x
Bristol St James St Paul 31 9.60x
Newington 31 1.70x
Paddington London 30 1.65x
Kensington London 29 1.06x
Baguley 28 225.08x
Buckhorn Weston 28 317.82x
Crewkerne 28 33.16x
Fovant 28 295.67x
Trevethin 27 8.01x
West Ham 27 1.25x
Rotherhithe 26 4.26x
Wincanton 26 63.55x
Fordington 25 35.81x
Hackney London 25 0.90x
Luton 25 5.65x
Millbrook 24 9.41x
St George Hanover Square 24 2.76x
Sutton 24 13.78x
Wellingborough 24 10.28x
Wilton 24 77.70x
Altrincham 23 12.07x
Bermondsey 23 1.56x
Bristol St Paul In 23 8.91x
Portsea 23 1.16x
Burton Bradstock 22 137.59x
Egg Buckland 22 125.36x
Beaminster 21 58.28x
Burnham 21 34.65x
Blandford Forum 20 31.27x
Bridgewater 20 9.27x
Glastonbury 20 30.82x
Heston 20 12.19x
Shoreditch London 20 0.93x
Worcester St Peter 20 16.38x
Hammersmith London 19 1.56x
Isleworth 19 8.65x
Poole St James 19 15.60x
Radstock 19 36.35x
Walcot 19 4.49x
Bromley London 18 1.66x
Chilmark 18 192.10x
Clifton 18 3.68x
Deptford St Paul 18 1.38x
Ealing 18 4.08x
Gillingham 18 32.31x
Ilminster 18 32.41x
Leckwith 18 88.93x
Clerkenwell London 17 1.46x
Mile End Old Town London 17 1.62x
Clapham 16 2.59x
North Cheriton 16 406.09x
Norton St Philip 16 184.76x
Richmond 16 4.74x
Salisbury St Martin 16 35.20x
Twerton 16 19.52x
Canterbury St Mary 15 13.26x
Chartham 15 35.72x
Chelsea London 15 1.01x
Hornsey 15 2.40x
Kington Magna 15 190.84x
Lyncombe Widcombe 15 7.21x
Upton Noble 15 410.96x
Westbury On Trym 15 4.57x
Wimborne 15 38.25x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 311
Elizabeth 197
Sarah 166
Eliza 105
Jane 104
Ellen 91
Emma 84
Alice 80
Annie 75
Ann 74
Emily 74
Louisa 48
Caroline 45
Hannah 44
Charlotte 41
Maria 36
Edith 34
Martha 34
Ada 31
Kate 30
Florence 27
Fanny 24
Harriet 24
Susan 23
Amelia 20
Lucy 20
Rose 19
Clara 18
Anne 17
Agnes 16
Amy 16
Frances 16
Harriett 15
Jessie 15
Margaret 15
Catherine 14
Bessie 13
Ethel 13
Minnie 13
Anna 12
Mabel 12
Beatrice 11
Eleanor 11
Julia 11
Elizth. 10
Lydia 10
Matilda 10
Georgina 9
Grace 9
Ruth 9

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 336
John 258
George 228
Henry 157
James 154
Thomas 135
Charles 122
Frederick 70
Alfred 58
Edward 53
Robert 51
Walter 51
Albert 48
Arthur 48
Samuel 48
Joseph 44
Frank 42
Edwin 33
Harry 33
Richard 33
Ernest 20
Francis 20
Herbert 19
Wm. 15
Fredk. 11
Benjamin 9
Chas. 9
David 9
Isaac 9
Tom 9
Fred 8
Percy 8
Sidney 8
Stephen 8
Thos. 8
Geo. 7
Peter 7
Elias 6
Mark 6
Alexander 5
Barnard 5
Christopher 5
Daniel 5
Willm. 5
Fred. 4
Matthew 4
Nathaniel 4
Philip 4
Robt. 4
Jesse 3

Top occupations

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 Coombs households.

FAQ

Coombs surname: questions and answers

How common was the Coombs surname in 1881?

In 1881, 5,048 people were recorded with the Coombs surname. That placed it at #882 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Coombs surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 5,971 in 2016. That gives Coombs a modern rank of #1,129.

What does the Coombs surname mean?

A topographic surname referring to someone who lived in a valley or hollow.

What does the Coombs map show?

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