NameCensus.

UK surname

Cornes

A surname derived from the Old French word "corne", meaning "horn".

In the 1881 census there were 657 people recorded with the Cornes surname, ranking it #5,456 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,416, ranked #4,306, up from #5,456 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolstanton, London parishes and Smarden. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cheshire East and Shropshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cornes is 1,562 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 115.5%.

1881 census count

657

Ranked #5,456

Modern count

1,416

2016, ranked #4,306

Peak year

1999

1,562 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cornes had 657 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,456 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,416 in 2016, ranked #4,306.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,327 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Cornes surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cornes surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cornes 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 341 #6,892
1861 historical 367 #6,963
1881 historical 657 #5,456
1891 historical 777 #5,166
1901 historical 1,159 #4,211
1911 historical 1,327 #3,602
1997 modern 1,329 #4,324
1998 modern 1,536 #3,971
1999 modern 1,562 #3,943
2000 modern 1,543 #3,967
2001 modern 1,523 #3,936
2002 modern 1,529 #4,003
2003 modern 1,481 #4,042
2004 modern 1,489 #4,031
2005 modern 1,462 #4,046
2006 modern 1,431 #4,125
2007 modern 1,447 #4,120
2008 modern 1,433 #4,179
2009 modern 1,447 #4,231
2010 modern 1,466 #4,259
2011 modern 1,435 #4,287
2012 modern 1,397 #4,314
2013 modern 1,437 #4,285
2014 modern 1,440 #4,303
2015 modern 1,418 #4,315
2016 modern 1,416 #4,306

Geography

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Where Cornes' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolstanton, London parishes, Smarden, Coppenhall and Audley. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cheshire East and Shropshire. 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 Wolstanton Staffordshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Smarden Kent
4 Coppenhall Cheshire
5 Audley Staffordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cheshire East 037 Cheshire East
2 Cheshire East 035 Cheshire East
3 Cheshire East 036 Cheshire East
4 Cheshire East 050 Cheshire East
5 Shropshire 024 Shropshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cornes

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cornes

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Cornes is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, 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

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

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

Cornes is most concentrated in decile 3 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Cornes

The surname Cornes is of English origin, with the earliest records of the name dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be a locational surname, derived from the Old English word "corn," meaning a small hill or mound. This suggests that the name originated from a place where the first bearers lived near such a geographical feature.

The Cornes surname first appeared in the historical records of Staffordshire, Derbyshire, and Warwickshire, indicating these counties as the likely areas of origin. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name was found in the Hundred Rolls of Staffordshire in 1273, where it was spelled as "de Corne."

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a survey of landowners commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are several references to places with names similar to Cornes, such as Cornhill in Bedfordshire and Cornwood in Devon. However, the Cornes surname itself is not explicitly mentioned in this historical document.

The earliest known individual bearing the Cornes surname was William de Corne, who was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire in 1198. Another early record is that of John de Corne, who was mentioned in the Feet of Fines for Warwickshire in 1296.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the Cornes surname. One of the most prominent was John Cornes (1592-1677), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Master of Emmanuel College, Cambridge, from 1632 to 1635.

Another noteworthy figure was James Cornes (1641-1706), an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Gatton in Surrey from 1685 to 1687.

In the 18th century, there was Thomas Cornes (1725-1795), an English writer and translator who is best known for his translations of works by French philosopher René Descartes.

The 19th century saw the birth of John Cornes (1835-1903), a British architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Strand Palace Hotel and the Wesleyan Hall in Wandsworth.

A more recent figure was Eric Cornes (1912-2007), a British artist and illustrator known for his paintings of rural landscapes and his work for publications such as The Illustrated London News and Punch magazine.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cornes families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cornes 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. Cheshire leads with 276 Cornes' recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.54x.

County Total Index
Cheshire 276 19.54x
Staffordshire 136 6.30x
Kent 73 3.34x
Lancashire 53 0.70x
Shropshire 26 4.70x
Lanarkshire 24 1.16x
Middlesex 19 0.30x
Surrey 11 0.35x
Yorkshire 11 0.17x
Derbyshire 10 1.00x
Gloucestershire 7 0.56x
Pembrokeshire 3 1.48x
Carmarthenshire 2 0.74x
Somerset 2 0.19x
Berwickshire 1 1.29x
Flintshire 1 0.58x
Sussex 1 0.09x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Monks Coppenhall in Cheshire leads with 63 Cornes' recorded in 1881 and an index of 118.20x.

Place Total Index
Monks Coppenhall 63 118.20x
Burslem 32 51.72x
Nantwich 32 195.00x
Wolstanton 23 35.06x
Smarden 19 763.05x
Wolstanton Knutton 17 128.89x
Burland 16 1111.11x
Church Coppenhall 14 221.87x
Haslington 13 327.46x
Stoke Upon Trent 13 5.68x
Whitmore 13 2280.70x
Worleston 13 1756.76x
Hamilton 12 20.79x
Sound 12 2000.00x
Willesborough 12 204.43x
Audley 11 51.47x
Ditton 11 354.84x
Drayton In Hales 11 96.49x
Barony 10 1.91x
Canterbury St Andrew 10 1086.96x
Cholmondeston 10 2439.02x
Stapenhill 10 67.07x
Bunbury 9 463.92x
Cholmondeley 8 1290.32x
Manchester 8 2.34x
Willaston In Nantwich 8 183.49x
Bobbington 7 786.52x
Chelsea London 7 3.63x
Faddiley 7 1372.55x
Hulme 7 4.42x
Lewisham 7 6.01x
Pluckley 7 346.53x
Stapleton 7 29.40x
Witton Cum Twambrooks 7 55.69x
Holy Trinity 6 3.93x
Macclesfield 6 9.56x
Pontesbury 6 89.29x
Baddiley 5 806.45x
Newington 5 2.12x
Runcorn 5 15.35x
Scotforth 5 101.42x
Wath On Dearne 5 39.53x
Wigan 5 4.71x
Woodnesborough 5 250.00x
Ash Next Sandwich 4 82.82x
Blacon Cum Crabwall 4 769.23x
Clerkenwell London 4 2.65x
Cotton 4 279.72x
Dymchurch 4 330.58x
Moreton Say 4 281.69x
Newhall In Nantwich 4 256.41x
Toxteth Park 4 1.56x
Warrington 4 4.44x
Alton 3 128.76x
Alvaston 3 2500.00x
Audlem 3 90.09x
Burton Upon Trent 3 5.94x
Calveley 3 491.80x
Congleton 3 12.29x
Haverfordwest St Martin 3 79.58x
Minshull Vernon 3 416.67x
Rushton 3 405.41x
Spurstow 3 303.03x
St Marylebone London 3 0.88x
Tipton 3 4.54x
Weston In Nantwich 3 263.16x
Bickerton 2 277.78x
Bradford 2 5.63x
Camberwell 2 0.49x
Caterham 2 14.51x
Fulham London 2 2.16x
Govan 2 0.39x
Liverpool 2 0.43x
Llandingat 2 32.63x
Ludlow St Lawrence 2 18.18x
Newcastle Under Lyme 2 5.23x
Portishead 2 26.11x
Sutton Maddock 2 235.29x
Withington 2 8.18x
Wolstanton Thursfield 2 76.34x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 54
Sarah 27
Elizabeth 20
Jane 14
Ann 13
Annie 12
Emma 11
Alice 10
Eliza 9
Ellen 9
Emily 9
Martha 6
Ada 5
Esther 5
Harriet 5
Amy 4
Fanny 4
Rose 4
Agnes 3
Charlotte 3
Edith 3
Laura 3
Lizzie 3
Louisa 3
Maria 3
Rebecca 3
Anne 2
Beatrice 2
E. 2
Florence 2
Hannah 2
Lousia 2
Margaret 2
Olive 2
Rhoda 2
Rosa 2
Susanna 2
Bertha 1
Caroline 1
Cassie 1
Catharine 1
Elizah. 1
Elizebeth 1
Emm 1
Eva 1
Julia 1
Lavinia 1
Lillie 1
Lilly 1
Victoria 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 51
John 45
Thomas 37
George 28
James 21
Joseph 20
Charles 10
Samuel 8
Walter 6
Albert 5
Arthur 5
Frederick 5
Henry 5
Peter 5
Edward 4
Ralph 4
Robert 4
Alfred 3
Daniel 2
Edgar 2
Francis 2
Fredrick 2
Harry 2
Hugh 2
Josiah 2
Lawrance 2
Leonard 2
Phillip 2
Saml. 2
David 1
Dudley 1
E. 1
E.W. 1
Earnest 1
Edwin 1
Egbert 1
Elijah 1
Ernest 1
Evelyn 1
F.G. 1
Frank 1
Freddie 1
Fredk. 1
Jas. 1
Jesse 1
Laurance 1
Norton 1
Philip 1
Richard 1
Wm.Henry 1

FAQ

Cornes surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cornes surname in 1881?

In 1881, 657 people were recorded with the Cornes surname. That placed it at #5,456 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cornes surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,416 in 2016. That gives Cornes a modern rank of #4,306.

What does the Cornes surname mean?

A surname derived from the Old French word "corne", meaning "horn".

What does the Cornes map show?

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