NameCensus.

UK surname

Cornelius

A Roman family name derived from the Latin word "cornu," meaning "horn," likely referring to a horn-shaped feature.

In the 1881 census there were 855 people recorded with the Cornelius surname, ranking it #4,423 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,664, ranked #3,751, up from #4,423 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Chard and Redruth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Somerset, Hastings and Cornwall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cornelius is 1,750 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 94.6%.

1881 census count

855

Ranked #4,423

Modern count

1,664

2016, ranked #3,751

Peak year

1998

1,750 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cornelius had 855 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,423 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,664 in 2016, ranked #3,751.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,315 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Cornelius surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cornelius surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cornelius 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 493 #5,073
1861 historical 590 #4,480
1881 historical 855 #4,423
1891 historical 1,022 #4,077
1901 historical 1,204 #4,091
1911 historical 1,315 #3,626
1997 modern 1,711 #3,483
1998 modern 1,750 #3,548
1999 modern 1,750 #3,569
2000 modern 1,715 #3,614
2001 modern 1,678 #3,616
2002 modern 1,708 #3,638
2003 modern 1,694 #3,590
2004 modern 1,713 #3,558
2005 modern 1,688 #3,562
2006 modern 1,693 #3,559
2007 modern 1,679 #3,614
2008 modern 1,686 #3,626
2009 modern 1,703 #3,660
2010 modern 1,721 #3,709
2011 modern 1,703 #3,696
2012 modern 1,658 #3,725
2013 modern 1,700 #3,707
2014 modern 1,714 #3,692
2015 modern 1,681 #3,723
2016 modern 1,664 #3,751

Geography

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Where Cornelius' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Chard, Redruth and Kenton, Alphington, Dawlish. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Somerset, Hastings and Cornwall. 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 London parishes London 1
2 Chard Somerset
3 Redruth Cornwall
4 London parishes London 3
5 Kenton, Alphington, Dawlish Devon

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Somerset 009 South Somerset
2 South Somerset 010 South Somerset
3 Hastings 004 Hastings
4 Cornwall 011 Cornwall
5 Hastings 002 Hastings

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cornelius

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cornelius

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

Cornelius is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Cornelius falls in decile 4 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Cornelius 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 - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Cornelius

The surname Cornelius has its origins in ancient Rome, deriving from the Roman gens or clan name 'Cornelii'. The name is believed to have been derived from the Latin word 'cornu', meaning 'horn', possibly indicating a connection to a family that was involved in the horn trade or had some association with horns.

In the early days of Rome, the Cornelii were a prominent patrician family, and several members held important positions in the Roman Republic and Empire. One of the most notable figures was Cornelius Sulla, a Roman dictator who ruled from 82 to 79 BC.

As the Roman Empire expanded, the name Cornelius spread throughout Europe, often appearing in various spelling variations such as Corneli, Cornelii, and Cornelius. The name can be found in various medieval records, including the Domesday Book of 1086, which recorded landholdings in England following the Norman Conquest.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Cornelius is in the 12th century, when a Flemish knight named Arnout Cornelius participated in the Third Crusade (1189-1192). In the 13th century, a Cornelius de Bredene is mentioned in the records of the County of Flanders.

During the Renaissance period, several notable individuals bore the surname Cornelius. These include the Dutch Renaissance humanist Cornelius Agrippa (1486-1535), known for his work 'De Occulta Philosophia', and the Dutch painter Cornelius van Haarlem (1562-1638), known for his innovative use of light and shadow.

In the 17th century, the Dutch philosopher and mathematician Cornelius Drebbel (1572-1633) made significant contributions to the development of the microscope and the study of optics. Around the same time, the English playwright Thomas Cornelius (1592-1672) was known for his works such as 'The Tragedy of Marc Antony'.

In the 19th century, the American businessman and philanthropist Cornelius Vanderbilt (1794-1877) established the Vanderbilt family's wealth through shipping and railroad empires. Another notable figure was the German-American artist Cornelius Gurlitt (1820-1901), known for his historical paintings and portraits.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cornelius families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cornelius 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. Devon leads with 133 Cornelius' recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.54x.

County Total Index
Devon 133 7.54x
Kent 99 3.42x
Cornwall 97 10.11x
Glamorgan 96 6.50x
Somerset 90 6.60x
Middlesex 89 1.05x
Surrey 72 1.74x
Hampshire 34 1.96x
Lancashire 26 0.26x
Sussex 19 1.33x
Ayrshire 16 2.52x
Essex 13 0.78x
Midlothian 10 0.88x
Gloucestershire 9 0.54x
Warwickshire 9 0.42x
Channel Islands 8 3.18x
Dorset 8 1.44x
Norfolk 7 0.54x
Royal Navy 6 5.94x
Wiltshire 6 0.80x
Shropshire 3 0.41x
Suffolk 3 0.29x
Berkshire 2 0.31x
Hertfordshire 2 0.34x
Renfrewshire 2 0.30x
West Lothian 2 1.57x
Yorkshire 2 0.02x
Bedfordshire 1 0.23x
Inverness-shire 1 0.40x
Monmouthshire 1 0.16x
Northamptonshire 1 0.13x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.09x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.37x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Chard in Somerset leads with 38 Cornelius' recorded in 1881 and an index of 229.89x.

Place Total Index
Chard 38 229.89x
Shepton Beauchamp 33 1774.19x
Swansea Town 31 25.62x
Dawlish 22 167.17x
Faversham 21 76.14x
Islington London 21 2.56x
Bermondsey 20 7.92x
Stoke Damerel 18 14.57x
Battersea 16 5.13x
Neath Upper 15 388.60x
Paddington London 15 4.81x
Redruth 14 51.57x
Plymouth St Andrew 12 8.83x
Woolwich 12 11.23x
Roche 11 225.87x
Seasalter 11 301.37x
Stoke Climsland 11 179.45x
Bethnal Green London 10 2.72x
St Pancras London 10 1.47x
Weston Super Mare 10 29.03x
Andover 9 54.84x
Calstock 9 47.82x
Hammersmith London 9 4.31x
Hastings St Leonards 9 42.84x
Kingsteignton 9 183.30x
Southampton St Mary 9 8.24x
St Blazey 9 106.76x
Exeter Holy Trinity 8 115.77x
Kensington London 8 1.70x
Wandsworth 8 9.80x
West Mersea 8 249.22x
East Teignmouth 7 96.95x
Lambeth 7 0.95x
Llansamlet Lower 7 52.40x
Portsea 7 2.06x
Preston Next Faversham 7 102.94x
St Endellion 7 210.21x
St Quivox 7 32.63x
Stokeinteignhead 7 368.42x
Swansea Higher 7 45.54x
West Teignmouth 7 51.85x
Woodnesborough 7 264.15x
Camberwell 6 1.11x
Clase 6 10.93x
Devizes St John 6 106.57x
Great Crosby 6 21.88x
Great Yarmouth 6 5.56x
Ilminster 6 62.96x
Liskeard 6 37.36x
Little Bolton 6 4.64x
Margate St John Baptist 6 11.33x
Newton Abbot St Mary 6 40.54x
Penge 6 11.08x
Pyle 6 220.59x
South Leith 6 4.70x
St Breock 6 115.61x
Beaford 5 292.40x
Charlton Next Woolwich 5 16.58x
Chelsea London 5 1.96x
Croydon 5 2.18x
Gillingham 5 8.39x
Hackney London 5 1.05x
Hastings St Mary 5 14.06x
Merthyr Mawr 5 1724.14x
Millbrook 5 11.43x
Pilton 5 85.91x
Plumstead 5 5.19x
Rochester St Nicholas 5 55.56x
Royal Navy 5 5.79x
Rugby 5 17.29x
Birmingham 4 0.56x
Hulme 4 1.90x
Kilwinning 4 19.52x
St Austell 4 12.20x
St Martin 4 25.99x
Tormoham 4 5.36x
Toxteth Park 4 1.17x
Tythegston Higher 4 89.29x
West Ham 4 1.08x
West Stafford 4 689.66x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 74
John 42
Thomas 27
Charles 24
Richard 23
Henry 19
George 17
James 17
Joseph 14
Alfred 12
Albert 10
Francis 9
Frederick 9
Arthur 7
Philip 7
Walter 6
David 5
Edward 5
Robert 5
Wm. 5
Edwin 4
Benjamin 3
Ernest 3
Frank 3
Fred 3
Harry 3
Morgan 3
Robt. 3
Samuel 3
Stephen 3
Cornelius 2
Fredrick 2
Geo. 2
Mark 2
Sydney 2
Tom 2
Alf. 1
Chas. 1
Chas.F. 1
Frederic 1
Frederk. 1
Geo.W. 1
Gwilym 1
Jeremiah 1
Jessie 1
Joshua 1
Lydia 1
Martin 1
Minnie 1
Wm.John 1

FAQ

Cornelius surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cornelius surname in 1881?

In 1881, 855 people were recorded with the Cornelius surname. That placed it at #4,423 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cornelius surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,664 in 2016. That gives Cornelius a modern rank of #3,751.

What does the Cornelius surname mean?

A Roman family name derived from the Latin word "cornu," meaning "horn," likely referring to a horn-shaped feature.

What does the Cornelius map show?

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