NameCensus.

UK surname

Corn

An English occupational surname for a grower, seller, or distributor of corn or grain.

In the 1881 census there were 222 people recorded with the Corn surname, ranking it #12,022 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 224, ranked #18,164, down from #12,022 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Burslem, Ryton and Toseland. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bury, Cheshire East and East Lindsey.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Corn is 365 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 0.9%.

1881 census count

222

Ranked #12,022

Modern count

224

2016, ranked #18,164

Peak year

1861

365 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Corn had 222 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,022 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 224 in 2016, ranked #18,164.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 365 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Corn surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Corn surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Corn 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 235 #9,206
1861 historical 365 #7,009
1881 historical 222 #12,022
1891 historical 328 #10,348
1901 historical 338 #10,709
1911 historical 343 #10,416
1997 modern 221 #16,565
1998 modern 230 #16,607
1999 modern 236 #16,404
2000 modern 233 #16,524
2001 modern 233 #16,260
2002 modern 242 #16,186
2003 modern 246 #15,769
2004 modern 230 #16,643
2005 modern 217 #17,217
2006 modern 211 #17,662
2007 modern 207 #18,080
2008 modern 208 #18,171
2009 modern 222 #17,797
2010 modern 233 #17,606
2011 modern 230 #17,578
2012 modern 221 #17,979
2013 modern 215 #18,598
2014 modern 220 #18,471
2015 modern 222 #18,225
2016 modern 224 #18,164

Geography

Back to top

Where Corns are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Burslem, Ryton, Toseland, Manchester and Alconbury. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bury, Cheshire East, East Lindsey, Stoke-on-Trent and Wyre Forest. 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 Burslem Staffordshire
2 Ryton Durham
3 Toseland Huntingdonshire
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Alconbury Huntingdonshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bury 026 Bury
2 Cheshire East 051 Cheshire East
3 East Lindsey 002 East Lindsey
4 Stoke-on-Trent 023 Stoke-on-Trent
5 Wyre Forest 001 Wyre Forest

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Corn

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Corn

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

European Enclaves

Within London, Corn is most associated with areas classed as European Enclaves, 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

Many residents of these accessible neighbourhoods have wide-ranging non-UK European origins. Typically residing in privately rented flats, many residents live alone and are beyond normal retirement age. There are more students than elsewhere in the Supergroup, some of which live in communal establishments. Household residents are often drawn from different ethnic groups.

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

Corn is most concentrated in decile 6 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Corn falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Corn 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 Corn, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Corn

The surname CORN is of English origin and is derived from an occupational name for a dealer in corn or grain. The name can be traced back to the late 12th century, with early recordings such as Robert le Corn in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire in 1221.

The name is likely derived from the Old English word "corn," which meant "grain" or "seed." It was a common occupational surname given to those who dealt in the trade of grain or worked as millers or bakers. The surname was particularly prevalent in regions where agriculture and grain production were important industries.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire in 1273, where a Robert Corn is mentioned. The Hundred Rolls were a series of administrative records compiled during the reign of King Edward I, providing valuable insights into medieval society and the distribution of surnames.

In the 14th century, the surname CORN appears in various records, including the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire in 1379, where a John Corne is listed. This document was a tax assessment roll that recorded names and occupations of individuals, making it a valuable source for genealogical research.

Notably, the surname CORN is associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One such figure is John Corn, a 16th-century English clergyman and author born around 1520. He was known for his works on grammar and rhetoric, including "The Accidence of English Vulgars" published in 1557.

Another prominent bearer of the surname was William Corn, a 17th-century English politician and landowner. He served as a Member of Parliament for Herefordshire in the early 1600s and was involved in local governance and affairs.

In the 18th century, Joseph Corn (1716-1796) was a British naval officer and explorer. He is remembered for his contributions to cartography and his role in exploring and mapping the coastlines of North America and the Caribbean during his naval career.

The 19th century saw the rise of Thomas Corn (1826-1903), a prominent American educator and author. He was a professor at Dickinson College in Pennsylvania and wrote several influential works on education, including "The Philosophy of Instruction" published in 1860.

Lastly, mention should be made of Richard Corn (1892-1974), a British artist and illustrator known for his depictions of rural life and landscapes. His works were widely exhibited and celebrated during his lifetime, and he is remembered as an important figure in the British art world of the early 20th century.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Corn families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Corn 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. Huntingdonshire leads with 46 Corns recorded in 1881 and an index of 107.00x.

County Total Index
Huntingdonshire 46 107.00x
Middlesex 32 1.48x
Cambridgeshire 27 19.69x
Staffordshire 24 3.28x
Cheshire 22 4.60x
Lanarkshire 12 1.71x
Durham 11 1.71x
Lancashire 9 0.35x
Northumberland 8 2.48x
Northamptonshire 7 3.44x
Midlothian 4 1.38x
Kent 3 0.41x
Renfrewshire 3 1.79x
Surrey 3 0.28x
Devon 2 0.44x
Essex 2 0.47x
Bedfordshire 1 0.89x
Berkshire 1 0.62x
Derbyshire 1 0.30x
Monmouthshire 1 0.64x
Norfolk 1 0.30x
Royal Navy 1 3.88x
Warwickshire 1 0.18x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Burslem in Staffordshire leads with 18 Corns recorded in 1881 and an index of 85.96x.

Place Total Index
Burslem 18 85.96x
Toseland 17 13076.92x
Graveley 13 8666.67x
Wybunbury 13 2954.55x
Stapeley 9 2000.00x
Alconbury 8 1568.63x
Barony 8 4.51x
Buckworth 8 4705.88x
Hedley 8 5714.29x
Winlaton 8 129.45x
Eynesbury 7 700.00x
Trumpington 7 1000.00x
Hackney London 6 4.94x
Chelsea London 5 7.66x
Twickenham 5 53.88x
Waterbeach 5 446.43x
Edinburgh St Andrews 4 166.67x
Little Stukeley 4 1818.18x
Liverpool 4 2.56x
Mile End Old Town London 4 8.68x
Old Monkland 4 14.39x
Beckenham 3 31.06x
Bilston 3 21.17x
Chorlton 3 1071.43x
Slipton 3 3750.00x
Stoke Newington London 3 17.78x
Aldwinkle All Sts 2 800.00x
St Andrew Holborn London 2 21.34x
St George Hanover Square 2 5.24x
West Greenock 2 6.64x
Battersea 1 1.26x
Bethnal Green London 1 1.06x
Brooke 1 192.31x
Combe Fields 1 769.23x
Cookham 1 19.72x
Cronton 1 285.71x
Eaton Socon 1 56.82x
Graffham 1 400.00x
Great Aycliffe 1 161.29x
Great Crosby 1 14.27x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 1 3.58x
Kensington London 1 0.83x
Landbeach 1 263.16x
Leyton 1 13.59x
Lidford 1 49.51x
Neilston 1 11.88x
Paddington London 1 1.26x
Royal Navy 1 4.53x
Shere 1 78.74x
Spitalfields London 1 6.14x
St Andrewthe Less 1 6.38x
St Marylebone London 1 0.87x
St Neots 1 42.74x
St Woollos 1 5.72x
Stapenhill 1 19.80x
Stockton On Tees 1 3.22x
Streatham 1 6.22x
Tormoham 1 5.24x
Weekley 1 555.56x
Wellingborough 1 9.77x
West Ham 1 1.06x
Widnes 1 5.40x
Windle 1 6.92x
Withington 1 12.08x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 14
Sarah 9
Elizabeth 8
Emma 7
Ellen 5
Eliza 4
Hannah 4
Ann 3
Annie 3
Charlotte 3
Maria 3
Susan 3
Ada 2
Betsy 2
Edith 2
Florence 2
Harriet 2
Jane 2
Janet 2
Lucy 2
A.L. 1
Alice 1
Anne 1
C. 1
Catalina 1
Catherine 1
Clara 1
Dnv. 1
Dorothy 1
Ettice 1
Florin 1
Harry 1
Isabella 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
Louisa 1
Lousia 1
Margaret 1
Martha 1
Maud 1
Posthuma 1
Rose 1
Sophia 1
Zilpah 1
Zilphah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 15
John 13
George 6
Charles 5
Thomas 5
Alfred 4
Edward 4
Abraham 3
Francis 3
Fredrick 3
Henry 3
Harry 2
Herbert 2
Jacob 2
Joseph 2
Stephen 2
Abram 1
Albert 1
Antony 1
Arthur 1
David 1
Ebenezer 1
Edgar 1
Edmund 1
Elijah 1
Frank 1
H.A. 1
J. 1
James 1
Jas. 1
Jas.J. 1
Malta 1
Michael 1
Patrick 1
Reginald 1
Robert 1
Samuel 1

FAQ

Corn surname: questions and answers

How common was the Corn surname in 1881?

In 1881, 222 people were recorded with the Corn surname. That placed it at #12,022 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Corn surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 224 in 2016. That gives Corn a modern rank of #18,164.

What does the Corn surname mean?

An English occupational surname for a grower, seller, or distributor of corn or grain.

What does the Corn map show?

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