NameCensus.

UK surname

Cordon

A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a rope-like boundary or on a narrow, elongated hill.

In the 1881 census there were 371 people recorded with the Cordon surname, ranking it #8,417 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 531, ranked #9,559, down from #8,417 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Toxteth Park and Nottingham St Mary. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Doncaster, Broxtowe and Erewash.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cordon is 569 in 2011. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 43.1%.

1881 census count

371

Ranked #8,417

Modern count

531

2016, ranked #9,559

Peak year

2011

569 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cordon had 371 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,417 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 531 in 2016, ranked #9,559.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 514 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Cordon surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cordon surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cordon 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 183 #11,166
1861 historical 280 #8,953
1881 historical 371 #8,417
1891 historical 471 #7,788
1901 historical 505 #7,988
1911 historical 514 #7,669
1997 modern 550 #8,660
1998 modern 560 #8,793
1999 modern 565 #8,787
2000 modern 558 #8,841
2001 modern 531 #9,039
2002 modern 562 #8,835
2003 modern 548 #8,860
2004 modern 544 #8,933
2005 modern 540 #8,914
2006 modern 530 #9,074
2007 modern 539 #9,025
2008 modern 534 #9,168
2009 modern 542 #9,269
2010 modern 565 #9,167
2011 modern 569 #9,030
2012 modern 533 #9,407
2013 modern 533 #9,574
2014 modern 545 #9,461
2015 modern 536 #9,517
2016 modern 531 #9,559

Geography

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Where Cordons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Toxteth Park, Nottingham St Mary, Ilkeston and Wisbech St Mary. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Doncaster, Broxtowe, Erewash and Sheffield. 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 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
2 Toxteth Park Lancashire
3 Nottingham St Mary Nottinghamshire
4 Ilkeston Nottinghamshire
5 Wisbech St Mary Cambridgeshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Doncaster 013 Doncaster
2 Broxtowe 014 Broxtowe
3 Doncaster 005 Doncaster
4 Erewash 008 Erewash
5 Sheffield 008 Sheffield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cordon

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cordon

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Cordon is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, 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 predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

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

Cordon 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

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

Meaning and origin of Cordon

The surname Cordon is believed to have originated in France, possibly during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "cordon," meaning a cord or string. This was likely an occupational name given to someone who made or worked with cords or strings.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Cordon can be found in the Domesday Book, a manuscript record of landholders in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. It lists a landowner named Radulfus Cordon in Oxfordshire.

In the 13th century, records show a Jean Cordon living in Normandy, France. During the same period, the name appeared in various forms such as Cordun, Cordoun, and Cordonne in different regions of France.

The Cordon surname has also been linked to certain place names in France, such as the village of Cordon in the Calvados department of Normandy. It's possible that the name originated as a locative surname for someone who came from or lived near this village.

Notable individuals with the surname Cordon throughout history include:

1. Matthieu Cordon (1530-1598), a French architect and engineer who designed the Grand Châtelet in Paris.

2. Marie-Fortunée Cordon (1778-1846), a French painter and miniaturist known for her portraits of notable figures during the Napoleonic era.

3. Félix Cordon (1808-1876), a French politician and journalist who served as a deputy in the National Assembly.

4. Émile Cordon (1834-1902), a French writer and journalist known for his works on the history of Paris.

5. Georges Cordon (1901-1987), a French architect and urban planner who contributed to the reconstruction of cities in France after World War II.

The Cordon surname has been present in various parts of Europe over the centuries, with notable concentrations in France, England, and other areas influenced by French culture and migration.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cordon families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cordon 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. Nottinghamshire leads with 76 Cordons recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.46x.

County Total Index
Nottinghamshire 76 15.46x
Lancashire 58 1.34x
Derbyshire 53 9.28x
Staffordshire 52 4.22x
Yorkshire 39 1.08x
Middlesex 29 0.79x
Cambridgeshire 17 7.36x
Cheshire 12 1.49x
Northamptonshire 7 2.04x
Northumberland 5 0.92x
Sussex 4 0.65x
Gloucestershire 3 0.42x
Leicestershire 3 0.74x
Lincolnshire 3 0.51x
Warwickshire 3 0.33x
Midlothian 2 0.41x
Norfolk 2 0.36x
Channel Islands 1 0.93x
Durham 1 0.09x
Huntingdonshire 1 1.38x
Royal Navy 1 2.30x
Somerset 1 0.17x
Surrey 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. Nottingham St Mary in Nottinghamshire leads with 38 Cordons recorded in 1881 and an index of 29.88x.

Place Total Index
Nottingham St Mary 38 29.88x
Toxteth Park 34 23.19x
Ilkeston 29 181.14x
Stoke Upon Trent 28 21.44x
Caverswall 12 187.50x
Wisbech St Mary 12 452.83x
Sheffield 11 9.56x
Long Eaton 10 132.63x
Penistone 10 354.61x
Leek Lowe 9 54.95x
Whittington 9 113.92x
Bow London 8 17.23x
Nottingham St Nicholas 8 119.40x
Beeston 7 123.89x
Peterborough 7 28.18x
St Pancras London 7 2.38x
Shoreditch London 6 3.79x
West Kirby 6 428.57x
Bulwell 5 46.77x
Heeley 5 45.50x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 5 15.42x
Nottingham St Peter 5 91.24x
Rawmarsh 5 39.15x
Brighton 4 3.22x
Fairfield 4 104.71x
Ince In Makerfield 4 19.86x
Islington London 4 1.13x
Rotherham 4 19.63x
Royton 4 30.21x
Stapleford 4 100.25x
Wisbech St Peter 4 34.51x
Birmingham 3 0.98x
Bristol St Paul In 3 15.74x
Leicester St Margaret 3 3.04x
Liscard 3 20.68x
Liverpool 3 1.14x
Mansfield 3 17.63x
Openshaw 3 14.80x
Preston 3 2.59x
Wilford 3 217.39x
Alkrington 2 425.53x
Basford 2 8.83x
East Ravendale 2 1538.46x
Manningham 2 4.49x
Poplar London 2 2.90x
Walsoken 2 59.35x
Albury 1 61.73x
Blyton 1 113.64x
Burnage 1 94.34x
Burton Upon Trent 1 3.47x
Chester St Oswald 1 6.86x
Dalkeith 1 10.37x
Derby St Werburgh 1 3.03x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 1 0.51x
Elvet 1 12.77x
Ely Holy Trinity St Mary 1 9.92x
Frome 1 7.12x
Gate Fulford 1 11.85x
Great Crosby 1 8.47x
Halifax 1 1.88x
Lenton 1 8.64x
Manchester 1 0.51x
Monks Coppenhall 1 3.29x
Royal Navy 1 2.69x
Sedgley 1 2.19x
St Clement 1 60.98x
St George In East London 1 2.91x
St Ives 1 26.60x
St Marylebone London 1 0.51x
Stretford 1 4.20x
Tranmere 1 3.38x
Withington 1 7.17x
Wolstanton Oldcott 1 22.42x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 22
John 18
George 17
Henry 11
James 11
Samuel 8
Thomas 8
Alfred 7
Joseph 6
Charles 5
Walter 5
Albert 4
Arthur 4
Edward 4
Robert 4
Harry 3
Isaac 3
Samson 3
Timothy 3
Alex 2
Alexander 2
Benjamin 2
Ernest 2
Frederick 2
Jacob 2
Philip 2
Stephen 2
Christopher 1
David 1
Edmund 1
Edwin 1
Everet 1
Fred. 1
Geo 1
Geo. 1
Geo.F. 1
Gilbert 1
Herbert 1
Israel 1
Jeremiah 1
Lawrence 1
Peter 1
Richard 1
Robt. 1
Stanley 1
Thos.G. 1
Tom 1
Willm. 1
Willm.R. 1
Willm.T. 1

FAQ

Cordon surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cordon surname in 1881?

In 1881, 371 people were recorded with the Cordon surname. That placed it at #8,417 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cordon surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 531 in 2016. That gives Cordon a modern rank of #9,559.

What does the Cordon surname mean?

A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a rope-like boundary or on a narrow, elongated hill.

What does the Cordon map show?

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