NameCensus.

UK surname

Copestick

A topographic surname derived from an Old English term referring to a boundary post or marker.

In the 1881 census there were 139 people recorded with the Copestick surname, ranking it #16,228 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 245, ranked #17,049, down from #16,228 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolstanton, Astbury and Burslem. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cheshire East, Birmingham and Lichfield.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Copestick is 251 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 76.3%.

1881 census count

139

Ranked #16,228

Modern count

245

2016, ranked #17,049

Peak year

2010

251 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Copestick had 139 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,228 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 245 in 2016, ranked #17,049.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 198 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Copestick surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Copestick surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Copestick 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 118 #15,362
1861 historical 139 #16,263
1881 historical 139 #16,228
1891 historical 118 #21,540
1901 historical 170 #16,762
1911 historical 198 #15,058
1997 modern 174 #19,231
1998 modern 234 #16,404
1999 modern 249 #15,844
2000 modern 241 #16,146
2001 modern 230 #16,415
2002 modern 239 #16,332
2003 modern 241 #16,013
2004 modern 240 #16,144
2005 modern 240 #16,092
2006 modern 237 #16,334
2007 modern 234 #16,706
2008 modern 244 #16,346
2009 modern 242 #16,789
2010 modern 251 #16,749
2011 modern 246 #16,833
2012 modern 248 #16,618
2013 modern 244 #17,072
2014 modern 246 #17,079
2015 modern 244 #17,090
2016 modern 245 #17,049

Geography

Back to top

Where Copesticks are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolstanton, Astbury, Burslem, St Werburgh and Birmingham Town: Aston. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cheshire East, Birmingham and Lichfield. 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 Wolstanton Staffordshire
2 Astbury Cheshire
3 Burslem Staffordshire
4 St Werburgh Derbyshire
5 Birmingham Town: Aston Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cheshire East 026 Cheshire East
2 Cheshire East 027 Cheshire East
3 Birmingham 094 Birmingham
4 Lichfield 006 Lichfield
5 Birmingham 080 Birmingham

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Copestick

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Copestick

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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations

Nationally, the Copestick surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Copestick 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 is often found in less central parts of London and other major towns and cities. Adults are more likely than the Supergroup average to have never been married and are typically aged less than 45 years. Many have young dependent children and individuals may have been born in Africa. There are many members identifying with a Black ethnic group, with the other ethnic groups (as listed in the glossary) also represented, though Chinese less so. Accommodation in flats, frequently socially rented, is common in these neighbourhoods. Part time employment is also common, and work is often in elementary occupations, while unemployment is also the highest within this Supergroup.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Copestick is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Copestick is most concentrated in decile 3 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Copestick 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 Copestick is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Copestick, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Copestick

The surname Copestick is an English surname that originated in the county of Yorkshire, England during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from a combination of the Old English words "copp" meaning a crop or cone, and "sticca" meaning a stick or staff, suggesting the name may have originally referred to someone who carried a ceremonial staff or who worked with crops.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name dates back to the 13th century, where a Richard Copstick was mentioned in the Yorkshire Feet of Fines records from 1246. The name also appears in various spellings such as Coppestick, Coppstick, and Copstick in various historical documents from Yorkshire and surrounding areas.

In the 16th century, the Copestick family is known to have lived in the village of Kirkby Overblow, near Harrogate, Yorkshire. A notable figure from this time was John Copestick, a yeoman farmer who was born in 1564 and lived in Kirkby Overblow until his death in 1631.

During the 17th century, the Copestick name spread to other parts of England, with records showing individuals with this surname living in counties such as Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire. One notable individual from this period was William Copestick, a merchant from Lincoln who was born in 1645 and died in 1712.

The 18th century saw the Copestick name continue to be present in various parts of England, with records showing individuals living in areas such as Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Derbyshire. A notable figure from this time was Thomas Copestick, a wealthy landowner from Yorkshire who was born in 1735 and died in 1812.

In the 19th century, the Copestick surname became more widespread across England, with individuals bearing this name living in various cities and towns. One notable individual from this period was Charles Copestick, a renowned author and poet who was born in London in 1842 and died in 1915.

Over the centuries, the Copestick name has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Copestick Lane in Kirkby Overblow, Yorkshire, and Copestick Farm in Lincolnshire, further solidifying the surname's historical roots in these regions.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Copestick families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Copestick 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. Staffordshire leads with 80 Copesticks recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.48x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 80 17.48x
Derbyshire 23 10.84x
Cheshire 14 4.68x
Middlesex 13 0.96x
Warwickshire 5 1.46x
Somerset 2 0.92x
Hampshire 1 0.36x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.55x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Stoke Upon Trent in Staffordshire leads with 29 Copesticks recorded in 1881 and an index of 59.76x.

Place Total Index
Stoke Upon Trent 29 59.76x
Derby St Werburgh 21 171.29x
Burslem 20 152.56x
Newcastle Under Lyme 9 111.11x
Congleton 8 154.74x
Islington London 7 5.33x
Wolstanton 7 50.36x
Birmingham 5 4.39x
Wolstanton Oldcott 5 301.20x
Anslow 3 1666.67x
Audley 3 66.23x
Barthomley 3 1764.71x
Hampstead London 3 14.20x
Hackney London 2 2.63x
Trentham 2 51.41x
Altrincham 1 19.12x
Claylane 1 33.90x
Derby St Alkmund 1 15.72x
Kingsley 1 117.65x
Lyncombe Widcombe 1 17.51x
Macclesfield 1 7.52x
Nantwich 1 28.74x
Nottingham St Peter 1 49.02x
Portsea 1 1.84x
St Marylebone London 1 1.38x
Walcot 1 8.61x
Whittington 1 106.38x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 11
Sarah 10
Eliza 6
Elizabeth 5
Emma 3
Florence 3
Louisa 3
Ann 2
Ellen 2
Emily 2
Ada 1
Aderlaide 1
Agnes 1
Alice 1
Amelia 1
Amy 1
Anne 1
Annie 1
Elizebeth 1
Hanah 1
Helen 1
Isabella 1
Jane 1
Lilly 1
Margaret 1
Matilda 1
Maud 1
Minnie 1
Olive 1
Prudence 1
Rose 1
Susanna 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 12
William 9
George 7
Edward 4
James 4
Thomas 4
Henry 3
Lewis 3
Francis 2
Saml. 2
Samuel 2
Ambrose 1
Arthur 1
Charles 1
Daniel 1
Earnest 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Geo.James 1
Harry 1
Joseph 1
Michael 1
Robert 1
Sampson 1
Spencer 1
Thos.Wm. 1
Walter 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Copestick surname: questions and answers

How common was the Copestick surname in 1881?

In 1881, 139 people were recorded with the Copestick surname. That placed it at #16,228 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Copestick surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 245 in 2016. That gives Copestick a modern rank of #17,049.

What does the Copestick surname mean?

A topographic surname derived from an Old English term referring to a boundary post or marker.

What does the Copestick map show?

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