NameCensus.

UK surname

Cordingley

A surname derived from a place name, possibly referring to someone from the English village of Cordingley.

In the 1881 census there were 1,039 people recorded with the Cordingley surname, ranking it #3,777 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 939, ranked #6,102, down from #3,777 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Calverley, Halifax and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Hillingdon, Maidstone and Bradford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cordingley is 1,255 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 9.6%.

1881 census count

1,039

Ranked #3,777

Modern count

939

2016, ranked #6,102

Peak year

1911

1,255 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cordingley had 1,039 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,777 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 939 in 2016, ranked #6,102.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,255 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Cordingley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cordingley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cordingley 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 583 #4,380
1861 historical 663 #4,039
1881 historical 1,039 #3,777
1891 historical 1,083 #3,895
1901 historical 1,179 #4,152
1911 historical 1,255 #3,789
1997 modern 1,012 #5,443
1998 modern 1,005 #5,653
1999 modern 1,025 #5,603
2000 modern 1,012 #5,629
2001 modern 992 #5,608
2002 modern 1,001 #5,680
2003 modern 966 #5,752
2004 modern 983 #5,675
2005 modern 962 #5,726
2006 modern 965 #5,717
2007 modern 966 #5,774
2008 modern 966 #5,804
2009 modern 981 #5,852
2010 modern 1,006 #5,852
2011 modern 997 #5,842
2012 modern 954 #5,952
2013 modern 959 #6,024
2014 modern 961 #6,073
2015 modern 929 #6,185
2016 modern 939 #6,102

Geography

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Where Cordingleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Calverley, Halifax, London parishes, Birstall and Bradford. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Hillingdon, Maidstone, Bradford and Manchester. 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 Calverley Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding
3 London parishes London 3
4 Birstall Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Hillingdon 003 Hillingdon
2 Maidstone 013 Maidstone
3 Bradford 051 Bradford
4 Manchester 021 Manchester
5 Bradford 021 Bradford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cordingley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cordingley

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Cordingley, 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 Cordingley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Cordingley 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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Cordingley is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

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

Cordingley 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

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

Meaning and origin of Cordingley

The surname Cordingley is believed to have originated in England, specifically in the Yorkshire region, during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "cord" and "ing," which together translate to "the dweller at the cord or rope maker's place." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name were likely engaged in the trade of rope-making or resided in an area associated with that occupation.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Cordingley name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire, which date back to the 13th century. These rolls were administrative records kept by the English Exchequer, and they mentioned individuals with variations of the name, such as "de Cordinglay" and "Cordyngley."

In the late 14th century, the name appeared in the form "Cordyngley" in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379, indicating its presence and usage during that time period. Additionally, the Cordingley surname was found in various parish records and manorial rolls throughout Yorkshire in the 15th and 16th centuries, further solidifying its regional origins.

While the Cordingley name does not appear in the renowned Domesday Book of 1086, its absence from this comprehensive survey of landowners and properties in England is not surprising, as many surnames were not yet established during that period.

Some notable individuals who bore the Cordingley surname throughout history include:

1. John Cordingley (c. 1530-1595), an English landowner and farmer from Yorkshire. 2. Thomas Cordingley (1678-1744), a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of Leeds. 3. Elizabeth Cordingley (1721-1793), a philanthropist and benefactor from Yorkshire, known for her charitable contributions to local communities. 4. William Cordingley (1802-1875), a textile manufacturer and industrialist from Bradford, Yorkshire. 5. Robert Cordingley (1859-1932), a British artist and painter known for his landscape and genre paintings.

While the Cordingley name originated in Yorkshire, it gradually spread to other parts of England and beyond, carried by families and individuals who migrated or established themselves in new regions over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cordingley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cordingley 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. Yorkshire leads with 709 Cordingleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.09x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 709 7.09x
Lancashire 164 1.37x
Cheshire 53 2.38x
Surrey 26 0.53x
Middlesex 20 0.20x
Kent 18 0.52x
Warwickshire 13 0.51x
Durham 12 0.40x
Suffolk 5 0.41x
Wiltshire 4 0.45x
Berkshire 2 0.26x
Derbyshire 1 0.06x
Hampshire 1 0.05x
Lincolnshire 1 0.06x
Midlothian 1 0.07x
Royal Navy 1 0.83x
Somerset 1 0.06x
Staffordshire 1 0.03x
Sussex 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. Idle in Yorkshire leads with 107 Cordingleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 230.90x.

Place Total Index
Idle 107 230.90x
Horton In Bradford 43 27.55x
Bradford 40 16.53x
Batley 37 38.95x
Calverley Cum Farsley 33 116.28x
Sale 33 120.83x
Leeds 32 5.67x
North Bierley 32 59.30x
Eccleshill 29 119.24x
Liversedge 29 65.18x
Northowram 27 38.53x
Bowling 25 25.25x
Heckmondwike 25 77.76x
Manningham 23 18.68x
Mirfield 21 38.27x
Halifax 19 12.95x
Oldham 19 4.92x
Shipley 18 34.70x
Ashton Under Lyne 17 6.50x
Cleckheaton 15 40.74x
Haslingden 14 28.25x
Lambeth 14 1.59x
Bramley In Bramley 13 33.98x
Little Bolton 13 8.45x
Failsworth 12 43.83x
Bermondsey 11 3.66x
Great Lever 11 86.61x
Wakefield 11 14.34x
Hammersmith London 10 4.02x
Manchester 10 1.86x
Ardwick 9 8.34x
Hunslet 9 5.77x
Stockport 8 6.98x
Stockton On Tees 8 5.53x
Wyke In Bradford 8 44.77x
Kildwick 7 76.92x
Openshaw 7 12.49x
Saddleworth 7 9.08x
Ilkley 6 36.74x
Longwood 6 37.24x
Sandal Magna 6 40.60x
Stayley 6 23.58x
Stratford On Avon 6 42.52x
Warley 6 20.77x
Bury 5 3.66x
Chatham 5 5.28x
Chorlton Cum Hardy 5 62.97x
Hipperholme Cum 5 11.38x
Hollingbourn 5 125.94x
Horsforth 5 22.82x
Little Heaton 5 174.83x
Lower Booths 5 23.32x
Monk Bretton 5 49.41x
Southowram 5 16.39x
Sowerby In Halifax 5 15.30x
Atherstone 4 30.79x
Dukinfield 4 3.89x
Guiseley 4 31.25x
Melksham 4 25.82x
Pollington 4 298.51x
Tadcaster West 4 50.57x
Tonge 4 15.93x
Westminster St Margaret 4 8.22x
Wortley In Bramley 4 5.05x
Yeadon 4 17.72x
Aston 3 0.43x
Bingley 3 4.71x
Charterhouse London 3 63.03x
Didsbury 3 18.88x
Horbury 3 17.16x
Ipswich St Clement 3 9.61x
Newton 3 3.25x
Rastrick 3 10.81x
Scotforth 3 38.56x
Staple 3 166.67x
Toxteth Park 3 0.74x
Herne 2 13.12x
Salford 2 0.57x
Sunderland 2 3.77x
Thornton In Bradford 2 6.01x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 72
Sarah 59
Elizabeth 26
Martha 24
Hannah 23
Alice 22
Emma 21
Annie 19
Jane 17
Ann 16
Eliza 16
Edith 11
Clara 10
Emily 9
Ada 8
Margaret 8
Ellen 7
Harriet 7
Grace 6
Louisa 6
Betty 5
Fanny 5
Maria 5
Selina 5
Susannah 5
Agnes 4
Charlotte 4
Gertrude 4
Julia 4
Laura 4
Nancy 4
Elizth. 3
Esther 3
Ethel 3
Frances 3
Lizzie 3
Rachel 3
Susan 3
Amelia 2
Amy 2
Anne 2
Catherine 2
Eva 2
Lavinia 2
Lillian 2
M.A. 2
Minnie 2
Priscilla 2
Rhoda 2
Ruth 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 69
William 49
Thomas 36
James 35
Joseph 33
Charles 18
Samuel 17
George 13
Albert 10
Alfred 10
Arthur 10
Fred 10
Harry 10
David 9
Walter 8
Henry 7
Benjamin 6
Joshua 6
Edward 5
Edwin 5
Tom 5
Abraham 4
Frederick 4
Herbert 4
Richard 4
Thos. 4
Ben 3
Francis 3
Joe 3
Mary 3
Sam 3
Solomon 3
Amos 2
Christopher 2
Dick 2
Edmund 2
Enoch 2
Fred. 2
Fredrick 2
Harold 2
Holmes 2
Isaac 2
Jas. 2
Levi 2
Nathan 2
Nimrod 2
Robert 2
Sidney 2
Wm. 2
Wright 1

FAQ

Cordingley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cordingley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,039 people were recorded with the Cordingley surname. That placed it at #3,777 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cordingley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 939 in 2016. That gives Cordingley a modern rank of #6,102.

What does the Cordingley surname mean?

A surname derived from a place name, possibly referring to someone from the English village of Cordingley.

What does the Cordingley map show?

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