NameCensus.

UK surname

Copson

An occupational surname meaning "maker of caps or hats."

In the 1881 census there were 720 people recorded with the Copson surname, ranking it #5,060 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,095, ranked #5,356, down from #5,060 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Foleshill, Nuneaton and Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Harborough, Oadby and Wigston and Charnwood.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Copson is 1,131 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 52.1%.

1881 census count

720

Ranked #5,060

Modern count

1,095

2016, ranked #5,356

Peak year

2010

1,131 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Copson had 720 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,060 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,095 in 2016, ranked #5,356.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,053 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Copson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Copson surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Copson 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 369 #6,443
1861 historical 464 #5,600
1881 historical 720 #5,060
1891 historical 854 #4,794
1901 historical 921 #5,057
1911 historical 1,053 #4,374
1997 modern 1,087 #5,127
1998 modern 1,120 #5,180
1999 modern 1,124 #5,203
2000 modern 1,122 #5,186
2001 modern 1,094 #5,195
2002 modern 1,116 #5,221
2003 modern 1,092 #5,210
2004 modern 1,084 #5,258
2005 modern 1,070 #5,255
2006 modern 1,085 #5,193
2007 modern 1,093 #5,213
2008 modern 1,105 #5,198
2009 modern 1,121 #5,237
2010 modern 1,131 #5,311
2011 modern 1,118 #5,308
2012 modern 1,103 #5,282
2013 modern 1,120 #5,296
2014 modern 1,114 #5,337
2015 modern 1,114 #5,304
2016 modern 1,095 #5,356

Geography

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Where Copsons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Foleshill, Nuneaton, Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars, Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken and Birmingham Town: Birmingham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Harborough, Oadby and Wigston, Charnwood, Nottingham and Worcester. 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 Foleshill Warwickshire
2 Nuneaton Warwickshire
3 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire
4 Coventry Holy Trinity (incl. Radford), Coventry St Michael, Wyken Warwickshire
5 Birmingham Town: Birmingham Warwickshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Harborough 003 Harborough
2 Oadby and Wigston 005 Oadby and Wigston
3 Charnwood 022 Charnwood
4 Nottingham 012 Nottingham
5 Worcester 012 Worcester

Forenames

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First names often paired with Copson

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Copson

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

Copson is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Copson 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 Copson is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Copson

The surname Copson is of English origin, deriving from the Old English word "cop" meaning the top or summit of a hill. It is believed to have originated in the northern counties of England, particularly Yorkshire and Lancashire, during the medieval period.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Feet of Fines for Yorkshire in 1349, where a certain John Copson is mentioned. The Feet of Fines were legal records documenting the transfer of land ownership.

In the 16th century, the name appears in various parish records and tax rolls, with spellings such as Coppsonne, Coppeson, and Cobbeson. This variation in spelling was common during that era due to the lack of standardized orthography.

The Copson surname is also associated with several place names in northern England, such as Copson's Field in Lancashire and Copson's Hill in Yorkshire. These geographical locations likely played a role in the formation of the surname, as it was common for people to adopt place names as their family names.

Notable individuals bearing the Copson surname include:

1. John Copson (c. 1510 - 1572), an English clergyman and theologian who served as the Rector of St. Andrew's Church in Cambridge. 2. William Copson (1664 - 1737), a British naval officer who commanded several ships during the War of the Spanish Succession. 3. Elizabeth Copson (1768 - 1856), an English poet and author whose works were published in various literary magazines of the early 19th century. 4. Sir Ralph Copson (1837 - 1905), a British businessman and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the development of the textile industry in Yorkshire. 5. Edith Copson (1888 - 1969), a renowned British mathematician and academic who made notable contributions to the field of differential equations and served as a professor at the University of Toronto.

While the Copson surname has its roots in northern England, it has since spread to various parts of the world due to migration and immigration. However, its origins can be traced back to the Old English language and the geographical features of the region where it first emerged.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Copson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Copson 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. Warwickshire leads with 166 Copsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.35x.

County Total Index
Warwickshire 166 9.35x
Leicestershire 160 20.49x
Northamptonshire 140 21.13x
Worcestershire 86 9.35x
Staffordshire 51 2.15x
Middlesex 23 0.33x
Lancashire 17 0.20x
Lincolnshire 12 1.07x
Buckinghamshire 10 2.35x
Surrey 10 0.29x
Shropshire 9 1.48x
Derbyshire 7 0.63x
Yorkshire 7 0.10x
Cheshire 6 0.39x
Glamorgan 5 0.41x
Kent 4 0.17x
Nottinghamshire 4 0.42x
Bedfordshire 1 0.27x
Norfolk 1 0.09x
Oxfordshire 1 0.23x
Royal Navy 1 1.19x
Sussex 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leicester St Margaret in Leicestershire leads with 45 Copsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 23.63x.

Place Total Index
Leicester St Margaret 45 23.63x
Coventry St Michael 32 56.09x
Kempsey 32 916.91x
Birmingham 27 4.56x
Foleshill 25 133.76x
Church Brampton 23 5348.84x
Coventry Holy Trinity 23 43.37x
Wigston Magna 23 222.01x
West Bromwich 22 16.16x
Nuneaton 20 97.18x
Aston 19 3.88x
Spratton 19 954.77x
Wellingborough 19 57.04x
Earls Barton 16 283.19x
Kingsthorpe 15 203.80x
Blaby 14 445.86x
Whetstone 13 454.55x
Cosby 12 495.87x
Chapel Brampton 10 1785.71x
Linslade 10 239.81x
Northampton St Giles 10 39.64x
North Piddle 9 2432.43x
Newington 8 3.07x
Tamworth 8 62.94x
Warwick St Mary 8 51.88x
Worcester St Peter 8 45.95x
Kibworth Harcourt 7 648.15x
Ratby 7 179.03x
Rowley Regis 7 10.57x
Wellington 7 20.47x
Aylestone 6 97.40x
Betton 6 1071.43x
Bonsall 6 183.49x
Bromley London 6 3.87x
Crowle 6 468.75x
Dukinfield 6 8.35x
Harlestone 6 437.96x
Claines 5 19.81x
Doncaster 5 9.81x
Dudley 5 4.47x
Great Creaton 5 657.89x
Leek Lowe 5 15.81x
New Sealford 5 215.52x
Worcester St Martin 5 40.29x
Bitteswell 4 454.55x
Broughton Astley 4 233.92x
Chiswick 4 10.40x
Handsworth 4 6.83x
Harrowby Grantham 4 493.83x
Hillingdon 4 17.82x
Hugglescote 4 34.81x
Husbands Bosworth 4 200.00x
Northampton Priory St 4 10.06x
Nottingham St Mary 4 1.63x
Paddington London 4 1.54x
Powick 4 62.79x
Salford 4 1.63x
Swansea Town 4 3.98x
Wednesfield 4 11.43x
Astley 3 156.25x
Chilvers Coton 3 41.10x
Colne 3 12.05x
Grantham 3 20.44x
Greenwich 3 2.68x
Islington London 3 0.44x
Kirby Muxloe 3 326.09x
Mancetter 3 58.71x
Middleton In Oldham 3 11.97x
Northampton St Peter 3 74.44x
Pitsford 3 222.22x
Whistones 3 45.05x
Bishops Castle In 2 56.34x
Boughton 2 256.41x
Croome D Abitot 2 454.55x
Hinckley 2 10.80x
Hulme 2 1.15x
Leicester All Sts 2 13.04x
Leicester St Mary 2 3.17x
Upton On Severn 2 33.22x
Whalley 2 16.42x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 47
Elizabeth 35
Sarah 24
Jane 21
Emma 18
Ann 16
Eliza 12
Ellen 12
Hannah 11
Alice 8
Clara 8
Annie 7
Emily 7
Harriet 7
Catherine 6
Charlotte 6
Frances 6
Louisa 6
Ada 5
Agnes 5
Maria 5
Martha 5
Rose 5
Edith 4
Fanny 4
Laura 4
Amy 3
Anne 3
Caroline 3
Florence 3
Harriett 3
Lucy 3
Margaret 3
Selina 3
Susan 3
Betsy 2
Elizebeth 2
Elizth. 2
Gertrude 2
Hephzibah 2
Julia 2
Betrice 1
Elizbith 1
Esther 1
Kate 1
Lillian 1
Lily 1
Lizie 1
Lora 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 59
John 40
George 34
Thomas 28
James 23
Joseph 18
Walter 11
Charles 10
Henry 10
Edward 9
Frederick 9
Alfred 8
Samuel 8
Arthur 7
Harry 6
Albert 5
Ernest 4
Abraham 3
Ambrose 3
Benjamin 3
David 3
Elijah 2
Fredrick 2
Lewis 2
Luke 2
Willm. 2
Amos 1
Cecil 1
Chas. 1
Daniel 1
Elisha 1
Enoch 1
Ephraim 1
Ezra 1
Frances 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Fredk. 1
Fredric 1
Herbert 1
Howd. 1
Isaac 1
Jas. 1
Jessie 1
Joel 1
Louis 1
Mark 1
Mennolten 1
Nathaniel 1
Zadock 1

FAQ

Copson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Copson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 720 people were recorded with the Copson surname. That placed it at #5,060 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Copson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,095 in 2016. That gives Copson a modern rank of #5,356.

What does the Copson surname mean?

An occupational surname meaning "maker of caps or hats."

What does the Copson map show?

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