NameCensus.

UK surname

Cornthwaite

A locational surname derived from a place name in Cumbria, England, meaning "corner valley."

In the 1881 census there were 512 people recorded with the Cornthwaite surname, ranking it #6,654 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 546, ranked #9,334, down from #6,654 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lancaster Borough, Lancaster and Dean. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wyre, Ribble Valley and Hyndburn.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cornthwaite is 649 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 6.6%.

1881 census count

512

Ranked #6,654

Modern count

546

2016, ranked #9,334

Peak year

1911

649 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cornthwaite had 512 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,654 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 546 in 2016, ranked #9,334.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 649 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Cornthwaite surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cornthwaite surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cornthwaite 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 330 #7,062
1861 historical 299 #8,460
1881 historical 512 #6,654
1891 historical 551 #6,868
1901 historical 624 #6,856
1911 historical 649 #6,449
1997 modern 569 #8,454
1998 modern 600 #8,397
1999 modern 611 #8,345
2000 modern 634 #8,086
2001 modern 616 #8,128
2002 modern 639 #8,064
2003 modern 613 #8,191
2004 modern 603 #8,322
2005 modern 592 #8,349
2006 modern 597 #8,314
2007 modern 587 #8,505
2008 modern 576 #8,675
2009 modern 588 #8,722
2010 modern 601 #8,774
2011 modern 574 #8,976
2012 modern 551 #9,153
2013 modern 569 #9,066
2014 modern 568 #9,147
2015 modern 548 #9,338
2016 modern 546 #9,334

Geography

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Where Cornthwaites are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lancaster Borough, Lancaster, Dean, Preston and Dalton-in-Furness. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wyre, Ribble Valley, Hyndburn, Lancaster and Craven. 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 Lancaster Borough Lancashire
2 Lancaster Lancashire
3 Dean Lancashire
4 Preston Lancashire
5 Dalton-in-Furness Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wyre 007 Wyre
2 Ribble Valley 001 Ribble Valley
3 Hyndburn 008 Hyndburn
4 Lancaster 018 Lancaster
5 Craven 001 Craven

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cornthwaite

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cornthwaite

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Cornthwaite, 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 Cornthwaite surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Cornthwaite 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, Cornthwaite 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

Cornthwaite is most concentrated in decile 1 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Cornthwaite falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Cornthwaite

The surname Cornthwaite originates from the northern English counties of Cumberland and Westmorland, now part of modern-day Cumbria. It is an ancient locational name derived from the Old English words "cyrn" meaning a corn or grain plantation, and "thwait" meaning a clearing or meadow, suggesting it referred to a cornfield clearing.

The name can be traced back to the 13th century, with early recordings including John de Cornthuayt in the Assize Court Rolls of Lancashire in 1285. Similar spellings from this period include Cornthuayt, Curnthwait, and Cornthwhait. It likely referred to one of the many places named Cornthwaite found across northern England.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Thomas de Cornthwaite, recorded in the Feet of Fines for Yorkshire in 1347. The Cornthwaite family held lands in the village of Millom, Cumberland, from at least the 14th century, with records showing Richard de Cornthwaite held property there in 1379.

The name appears in the famous Domesday Book of 1086, although the spelling is slightly different as "Cornuueit". This entry refers to a place name rather than a personal surname, but it demonstrates the name's long history in the region.

Notable individuals with the Cornthwaite surname include William Cornthwaite (c.1512-1591), an English Roman Catholic priest and martyr executed during the reign of Elizabeth I. Henry Cornthwaite (1608-1676) was an English Puritan clergyman and author. Doris Cornthwaite (1903-1958) was a British artist known for her landscape paintings.

George Cornthwaite (1847-1924) was a British trade unionist and socialist activist, serving as the first General Secretary of the National Union of Gasworkers and General Labourers. Lastly, Philip Cornthwaite (1905-1988) was an English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Lancashire and Oxford University in the 1920s.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cornthwaite families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cornthwaite 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 282 Cornthwaites recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.74x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 282 4.74x
Yorkshire 117 2.35x
Westmorland 60 54.45x
Cumberland 28 6.49x
Cheshire 9 0.81x
Devon 7 0.67x
Kent 4 0.23x
Middlesex 4 0.08x
Worcestershire 2 0.31x
Durham 1 0.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lancaster in Lancashire leads with 63 Cornthwaites recorded in 1881 and an index of 177.97x.

Place Total Index
Lancaster 63 177.97x
Caton 20 1075.27x
Barrow In Furness 18 22.24x
Ecclesall Bierlow 18 17.81x
Blackburn 14 8.84x
Brightside Bierlow 14 14.37x
Parton 14 549.02x
Holme 12 895.52x
Preston 12 7.54x
Aldingham 11 552.76x
Heversham With Milnthorpe 11 415.09x
Manchester 11 4.11x
Skipton 11 70.33x
Bowling 10 20.32x
Dalton In Furness 10 43.54x
Ellel 10 325.73x
Bilsborrow 9 2571.43x
Doncaster 9 24.79x
Huncoat 9 562.50x
Skerton 9 184.43x
Farnworth 8 22.44x
Preston Patrick 8 860.22x
Southcoates 8 29.01x
Underbarrow Bradley 8 1000.00x
Heeley 7 46.36x
Bolton Le Sands 6 444.44x
Everton 6 3.16x
Halton 6 476.19x
Hatherton 6 1090.91x
Broadhempston 5 515.46x
Farleton 5 3846.15x
Lower Holker 5 438.60x
Millom 5 37.79x
Nether Hallam 5 7.44x
Nether Kellet 5 1041.67x
Osmotherley 5 617.28x
Oswaldtwistle 5 23.79x
Ottringham 5 510.20x
Sedbergh 5 273.22x
Sheffield 5 3.16x
Workington 5 20.23x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 4 8.64x
Greenwich 4 5.01x
Kirkby Stephen 4 139.86x
Lower Upper Holker 4 493.83x
Otley 4 33.17x
Pendleton In Salford 4 5.64x
Pennington In Ulverston 4 135.14x
Sedburgh 4 193.24x
Barton Upon Irwell 3 6.70x
Clapham Cum Newby 3 258.62x
St Pancras London 3 0.74x
Strickland Roger 3 405.41x
Ulverston 3 17.31x
Whitehaven 3 13.04x
Blackley 2 19.18x
Bradford 2 1.66x
Broughton In Salford 2 3.68x
Burton 2 172.41x
East Broughton 2 118.34x
Kirkby Ireleth 2 67.34x
Leigh 2 25.16x
Newton Ferrers 2 165.29x
Stockport 2 3.51x
Ashton Under Lyne 1 0.77x
Carnforth 1 30.58x
Cartmel Fell 1 196.08x
Corney 1 250.00x
Easington In Clitheroe 1 196.08x
Gressingham 1 384.62x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 1 1.55x
Helsington 1 166.67x
Heysham 1 92.59x
Kendal 1 4.96x
Kirkby Lonsdale 1 33.56x
Meathop Ulpha 1 400.00x
North Meols 1 1.72x
Old Hutton Holmescales 1 151.52x
Quernmore 1 100.00x
Yealand Redmayne 1 277.78x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 46
Elizabeth 23
Jane 19
Ann 15
Sarah 15
Margaret 14
Annie 9
Hannah 7
Ellen 6
Isabella 6
Agnes 5
Alice 5
Eleanor 5
Emma 5
Dorothy 4
Martha 4
Ruth 4
Emily 3
Frances 3
Beatrice 2
Bessie 2
Betty 2
Caroline 2
Catherine 2
Edith 2
Elenor 2
Eliza 2
Elizbth. 2
Grace 2
Janet 2
Lizzie 2
M. 2
Margt. 2
Matilda 2
Repentance 2
Susannah 2
Agness 1
Christiana 1
Clara 1
Elizth. 1
Elizth.Alice 1
Elizth.E. 1
Elizth.Oliver 1
Esther 1
Isabel 1
Kate 1
Lousia 1
Lydia 1
Marey 1
Thomasina 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 37
Thomas 33
William 32
James 22
Robert 22
Richard 12
Edward 9
George 8
Henry 7
Joseph 4
Peter 4
Benjamin 3
Christopher 3
Miles 3
Robt. 3
Charles 2
Edwin 2
Frederick 2
Jos.F. 2
Michael 2
Simon 2
Thos. 2
Wm. 2
Arthur 1
Bryan 1
C. 1
Cecil 1
Chls. 1
Daniel 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Geo. 1
Gradwell 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Hesketh 1
Hiram 1
Isaac 1
Jas. 1
Jno.Jas. 1
Phillip 1
Reuben 1
Sam. 1
Septs. 1
Stanley 1
Thos.M. 1
Tom 1
W.H. 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Cornthwaite surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cornthwaite surname in 1881?

In 1881, 512 people were recorded with the Cornthwaite surname. That placed it at #6,654 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cornthwaite surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 546 in 2016. That gives Cornthwaite a modern rank of #9,334.

What does the Cornthwaite surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place name in Cumbria, England, meaning "corner valley."

What does the Cornthwaite map show?

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