NameCensus.

UK surname

Cornett

A surname of French origin referring to someone who played the cornet or lived near a horn-shaped geographical feature.

In the 1881 census there were 86 people recorded with the Cornett surname, ranking it #21,449 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 118, ranked #27,873, down from #21,449 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to West Ham,Wanstead, Liverpool and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Brentwood, Selby and Milton East.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cornett is 120 in 2015. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 37.2%.

1881 census count

86

Ranked #21,449

Modern count

118

2016, ranked #27,873

Peak year

2015

120 bearers

Map years

3

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cornett had 86 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #21,449 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 118 in 2016, ranked #27,873.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 101 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Cornett surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cornett surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cornett 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 69 #21,148
1861 historical 96 #21,648
1881 historical 86 #21,449
1891 historical 101 #23,870
1901 historical 79 #25,363
1911 historical 72 #25,642
1997 modern 109 #25,650
1998 modern 107 #26,555
1999 modern 114 #25,766
2000 modern 116 #25,452
2001 modern 104 #26,765
2002 modern 106 #26,985
2003 modern 106 #26,775
2004 modern 108 #26,741
2005 modern 91 #29,406
2006 modern 91 #29,725
2007 modern 88 #30,515
2008 modern 85 #31,247
2009 modern 100 #29,597
2010 modern 110 #28,666
2011 modern 111 #28,294
2012 modern 110 #28,514
2013 modern 113 #28,502
2014 modern 118 #27,961
2015 modern 120 #27,561
2016 modern 118 #27,873

Geography

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Where Cornetts are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around West Ham,Wanstead, Liverpool, London parishes, Birmingham Town: Birmingham and Bolton-le-Moors. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Brentwood, Selby, Milton East, Basingstoke and Deane and Possil Park. 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 West Ham,Wanstead Essex
2 Liverpool Lancashire
3 London parishes London 2
4 Birmingham Town: Birmingham Warwickshire
5 Bolton-le-Moors Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Brentwood 003 Brentwood
2 Selby 004 Selby
3 Milton East Glasgow City
4 Basingstoke and Deane 020 Basingstoke and Deane
5 Possil Park Glasgow City

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cornett

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cornett

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Cornett, 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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Cornett surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Cornett household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Cornett 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

Cornett is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Cornett falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Cornett

The surname Cornett originates from France and can be traced back to the early 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "corn," meaning a horn or trumpet, and was likely an occupational name for a horn player or trumpeter.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Cornet." This suggests that the name was already in use in England during the Norman Conquest.

In the 13th century, the name was documented in various forms, including "Cornet," "Cornette," and "Cornett," in various regions of France, such as Normandy and Brittany.

Records from the 14th century indicate that the name was also present in England, with references to individuals like John Cornet, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1379.

During the 16th century, the name gained prominence in France, with notable individuals bearing the surname. One such person was Balthasar Cornet, a French Catholic priest and theologian born in 1592, who played a significant role in the Jansenist controversy.

Another notable figure was Thomas Cornette, a French painter and engraver born in 1575, who was known for his religious works and portraits.

In the 17th century, the name spread to other parts of Europe, including the Netherlands and Germany. One notable bearer was Adriaen Cornet, a Dutch Golden Age painter born in 1618, who specialized in genre scenes and portraits.

The 18th century saw the emergence of Jacques-François Cornette, a French historian and writer born in 1737, who authored several works on the history of France and Europe.

As the name continued to spread globally, notable individuals in the 19th and early 20th centuries included Thomas Cornett, an American Civil War soldier and Medal of Honor recipient, born in 1835, and Adolphe Cornette, a French politician and lawyer born in 1853.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cornett families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cornett 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. Lancashire leads with 30 Cornetts recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.98x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 30 2.98x
Devon 26 14.72x
Midlothian 7 6.16x
Cheshire 5 2.67x
Durham 4 1.58x
Middlesex 3 0.35x
Surrey 3 0.73x
Warwickshire 2 0.93x
Cornwall 1 1.04x
Isle of Man 1 6.35x
Lanarkshire 1 0.36x
Monmouthshire 1 1.63x
Northumberland 1 0.79x
Wiltshire 1 1.33x
Yorkshire 1 0.12x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Everton in Lancashire leads with 16 Cornetts recorded in 1881 and an index of 49.84x.

Place Total Index
Everton 16 49.84x
Newton Abbot St Mary 14 945.95x
Little Bolton 8 61.78x
Woodbury 8 1538.46x
South Leith 6 46.91x
Delamere 5 2941.18x
Liverpool 5 8.18x
Tormoham 4 53.55x
Ford 3 394.74x
Penge 3 55.35x
Birmingham 2 2.80x
Bishopwearmouth 1 4.61x
Edinburgh Buccleuch 1 37.17x
Glasgow 1 2.05x
Hammersmith London 1 4.78x
Huddersfield 1 8.16x
Islington London 1 1.22x
Malew 1 72.46x
Newcastle On Tyne St John 1 60.24x
Salisbury St Martin 1 128.21x
Spitalfields London 1 15.67x
St Mewan 1 333.33x
St Woollos 1 14.60x
Walton On Hill 1 18.32x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 6
Emily 4
Sarah 4
Elizabeth 3
Hannah 2
Jessie 2
Ada 1
Ann 1
Anne 1
Annie 1
Beatrice 1
Catherine 1
Edith 1
Elizth. 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Harriett 1
Lottie 1
Lucy 1
Margaret 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Cornett surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cornett surname in 1881?

In 1881, 86 people were recorded with the Cornett surname. That placed it at #21,449 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cornett surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 118 in 2016. That gives Cornett a modern rank of #27,873.

What does the Cornett surname mean?

A surname of French origin referring to someone who played the cornet or lived near a horn-shaped geographical feature.

What does the Cornett map show?

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