NameCensus.

UK surname

Cordery

An occupational surname referring to one who made or sold cords.

In the 1881 census there were 713 people recorded with the Cordery surname, ranking it #5,104 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 889, ranked #6,358, down from #5,104 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Swallowfield, London parishes and Richmond. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Thurrock, Malvern Hills and South Bucks.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cordery is 989 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 24.7%.

1881 census count

713

Ranked #5,104

Modern count

889

2016, ranked #6,358

Peak year

1999

989 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cordery had 713 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,104 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 889 in 2016, ranked #6,358.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 878 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Cordery surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cordery surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cordery 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 495 #5,049
1861 historical 422 #6,086
1881 historical 713 #5,104
1891 historical 720 #5,479
1901 historical 810 #5,571
1911 historical 878 #5,072
1997 modern 889 #6,021
1998 modern 959 #5,861
1999 modern 989 #5,763
2000 modern 966 #5,854
2001 modern 933 #5,899
2002 modern 961 #5,864
2003 modern 916 #5,998
2004 modern 914 #6,014
2005 modern 882 #6,110
2006 modern 898 #6,056
2007 modern 884 #6,169
2008 modern 883 #6,225
2009 modern 899 #6,274
2010 modern 927 #6,237
2011 modern 900 #6,322
2012 modern 883 #6,331
2013 modern 900 #6,343
2014 modern 906 #6,343
2015 modern 910 #6,282
2016 modern 889 #6,358

Geography

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Where Corderys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Swallowfield, London parishes, Richmond and Heckfield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Thurrock, Malvern Hills, South Bucks and Northumberland. 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 Swallowfield Berkshire
2 London parishes London 1
3 Richmond Surrey
4 Heckfield Hampshire
5 London parishes London 3

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Thurrock 007 Thurrock
2 Thurrock 006 Thurrock
3 Malvern Hills 011 Malvern Hills
4 South Bucks 007 South Bucks
5 Northumberland 001 Northumberland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cordery

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cordery

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Cordery surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Cordery household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Cordery is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Cordery is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Cordery 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 Cordery 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 Cordery, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Cordery

The surname Cordery is believed to have originated in England, specifically in the counties of Oxfordshire and Berkshire, during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "cord" and "hyrde," which translates to "cord-maker" or "rope-maker," suggesting that the earliest bearers of this surname were likely involved in the trade of making ropes or cords.

One of the earliest known references to the surname Cordery can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of Oxfordshire, a collection of records dating back to 1273. This document mentions a John Cordery, who was a resident of the village of Chinnor in Oxfordshire. Additionally, the Subsidy Rolls of Berkshire from 1332 list a Robert Cordery, indicating the presence of the surname in that region as well.

In the 16th century, the surname Cordery appeared in various records, including the Parish Registers of Burghfield in Berkshire, where a John Cordery was listed in 1544. The Subsidy Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1592 also mention a Richard Cordery, further solidifying the surname's connection to the area.

Notably, the surname Cordery has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One such person was William Cordery (1627-1691), an English minister and religious writer who served as the Rector of Cheshunt in Hertfordshire. Another was John Cordery (1737-1825), a renowned English engraver and painter who was elected a member of the Royal Academy in 1815.

Other individuals bearing the surname Cordery include Richard Cordery (1603-1681), an English landowner and benefactor who donated funds for the construction of a school in the village of Wythall, Worcestershire. Additionally, there was John Cordery (1816-1894), an English architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Blackheath Conservatoire and St. John's Church in Wapping.

It is worth mentioning that the surname Cordery has also been found with various spellings over time, such as Cordrey, Corderey, and Cordry, reflecting the evolution of language and regional variations in pronunciation and spelling.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cordery families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cordery 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. Middlesex leads with 151 Corderys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.16x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 151 2.16x
Hampshire 118 8.22x
Berkshire 112 21.30x
Surrey 93 2.73x
Buckinghamshire 49 11.57x
Essex 49 3.54x
Oxfordshire 41 9.48x
Hertfordshire 30 6.21x
Kent 30 1.26x
Sussex 9 0.76x
Lancashire 7 0.08x
Worcestershire 6 0.66x
Channel Islands 3 1.45x
Glamorgan 3 0.25x
Cheshire 2 0.13x
Northamptonshire 2 0.30x
Suffolk 2 0.23x
Warwickshire 2 0.11x
Wiltshire 2 0.32x
Fife 1 0.24x
Lanarkshire 1 0.04x
Midlothian 1 0.11x
Norfolk 1 0.09x
Royal Navy 1 1.20x
Shropshire 1 0.17x
Yorkshire 1 0.01x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. West Ham in Essex leads with 38 Corderys recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.45x.

Place Total Index
West Ham 38 12.45x
Heckfield 26 1940.30x
West Swallowfield 26 1044.18x
Richmond 25 52.28x
Iffley 17 465.75x
Watford 17 45.42x
Camberwell 14 3.13x
Hampstead London 14 12.83x
St Marylebone London 13 3.48x
Sunninghill 13 178.33x
Bramshaw 12 659.34x
Kensington London 12 3.08x
Lambeth 12 1.96x
Westminster St Margaret 12 35.51x
Wokingham 12 100.00x
Bromley London 11 7.14x
Hartley Wintney 11 254.63x
Reading St Giles 11 21.33x
Upton Cum Chalvey 11 65.20x
Cookham 10 61.01x
Ealing 9 14.38x
Hackney London 9 2.29x
Minster In Thanet 9 181.09x
Petersfield 9 227.85x
Shipton Bellinger 9 1304.35x
St George Hanover Square 9 7.29x
Stoke Poges 9 174.42x
Horley 8 139.86x
Northchurch 8 155.34x
Rotherfield Greys 8 174.67x
Aylesbury 7 37.31x
Bermondsey 7 3.36x
Chesham 7 44.84x
Great Stanmore 7 222.22x
Yateley 7 257.35x
East Ham 6 23.38x
Finchampstead 6 377.36x
Fulham London 6 5.91x
Islington London 6 0.88x
Maidstone 6 8.43x
St Mary Kalendar 6 200.67x
Twickenham 6 19.98x
Andover 5 36.87x
Battersea 5 1.94x
Chelsea London 5 2.37x
Hove 5 9.65x
Littlemore 5 416.67x
Mortlake 5 32.87x
Reigate Borough 5 63.53x
Sonning 5 86.21x
Stratfield Turgis 5 1063.83x
Warfield 5 104.82x
Welland 5 238.10x
Bethnal Green London 4 1.31x
Everton 4 1.51x
Newington 4 1.55x
Poplar London 4 3.03x
Rotherwick 4 363.64x
St Mary Cray 4 87.53x
Taplow 4 156.86x
Tottenham 4 3.59x
Wasing 4 2105.26x
Wexham 4 952.38x
Wield 4 677.97x
Freefolk Manor 3 882.35x
Hemel Hempstead 3 13.79x
Hurst 3 43.60x
Ipsden 3 176.47x
St Helier 3 4.44x
Willesborough 3 46.66x
Aston Clinton 2 55.71x
Basing 2 74.63x
Cardiff St Mary 2 2.98x
Downton 2 24.66x
Hammersmith London 2 1.16x
Hillingdon 2 8.96x
Ifield 2 40.65x
New Windsor 2 11.32x
St Faith Winchester 2 29.90x
St Thomas Winchester 2 19.72x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 43
Sarah 21
Annie 19
Elizabeth 19
Ellen 19
Alice 16
Jane 16
Eliza 15
Emma 13
Emily 12
Ann 10
Fanny 8
Kate 7
Anne 6
Caroline 6
Harriet 6
Maria 6
Ada 5
Edith 5
Florence 5
Louisa 5
Frances 4
Harriett 4
Jessie 4
Minnie 4
Sophia 4
Susan 4
Agnes 3
Bertha 3
Hannah 3
Isabella 3
Rose 3
Amy 2
Charlotte 2
Clara 2
Elizth. 2
Ethel 2
Eva 2
Evelyn 2
Grace 2
Julia 2
Louise 2
Lucy 2
Margaret 2
Martha 2
Rebecca 2
Rhoda 2
Rosina 2
Catherine 1
Sylvah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 44
Charles 31
George 31
James 28
Henry 24
John 21
Arthur 17
Thomas 14
Edward 12
Joseph 12
Robert 10
Richard 9
Alfred 8
Frederick 8
Frank 7
Albert 6
Edwin 5
Walter 5
Daniel 3
Francis 3
Harry 3
Benjamin 2
Clement 2
David 2
Ernest 2
Evan 2
Samuel 2
Thos. 2
Arimoce 1
Edwd. 1
Emma 1
Faris 1
Frances 1
Frederic 1
Fredk.Chas. 1
Fredrick 1
Geo. 1
Geo.Edwd. 1
Horace 1
Hugh 1
Hy. 1
Jno. 1
Jonathan 1
Jonathon 1
Lionel 1
Louis 1
Ruben 1
Sam 1
Saml. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Cordery surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cordery surname in 1881?

In 1881, 713 people were recorded with the Cordery surname. That placed it at #5,104 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cordery surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 889 in 2016. That gives Cordery a modern rank of #6,358.

What does the Cordery surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to one who made or sold cords.

What does the Cordery map show?

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