NameCensus.

UK surname

Cornwall

A locational surname referring to someone from the county of Cornwall in southwest England.

In the 1881 census there were 1,278 people recorded with the Cornwall surname, ranking it #3,196 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,896, ranked #3,354, down from #3,196 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew, London parishes and Lambeth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Herefordshire, Gorebridge and Middleton and Breckland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cornwall is 1,942 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 48.4%.

1881 census count

1,278

Ranked #3,196

Modern count

1,896

2016, ranked #3,354

Peak year

2014

1,942 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cornwall had 1,278 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,196 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,896 in 2016, ranked #3,354.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,657 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Cornwall surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cornwall surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cornwall 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 713 #3,665
1861 historical 982 #2,834
1881 historical 1,278 #3,196
1891 historical 1,423 #3,065
1901 historical 1,657 #3,109
1911 historical 1,249 #3,802
1997 modern 1,742 #3,428
1998 modern 1,841 #3,389
1999 modern 1,869 #3,371
2000 modern 1,853 #3,375
2001 modern 1,829 #3,348
2002 modern 1,868 #3,353
2003 modern 1,871 #3,277
2004 modern 1,860 #3,301
2005 modern 1,857 #3,272
2006 modern 1,865 #3,286
2007 modern 1,870 #3,297
2008 modern 1,881 #3,303
2009 modern 1,906 #3,334
2010 modern 1,914 #3,397
2011 modern 1,899 #3,382
2012 modern 1,860 #3,392
2013 modern 1,904 #3,376
2014 modern 1,942 #3,336
2015 modern 1,910 #3,349
2016 modern 1,896 #3,354

Geography

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Where Cornwalls are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew, London parishes, Lambeth and St Marylebone. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Herefordshire, Gorebridge and Middleton, Breckland and Lewes. 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 Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew Sussex
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 St Marylebone London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Herefordshire 023 Herefordshire, County of
2 Gorebridge and Middleton Midlothian
3 Breckland 017 Breckland
4 Breckland 013 Breckland
5 Lewes 001 Lewes

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cornwall

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cornwall

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Cornwall surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Cornwall household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Cornwall is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Cornwall is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Cornwall falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Cornwall

The surname Cornwall has its origins in the county of Cornwall in the South West of England. It is an English locational surname derived from the Old English words "corn" meaning grain and "walh" meaning foreigner or stranger, likely referring to the Britons who lived in that region before the Anglo-Saxon invasion and settlement.

The earliest recorded reference to the name Cornwall can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Cornualia" and "Cornugallia." This suggests that the name has been in use since at least the late 11th century.

In the 12th century, the name is recorded as "de Cornubia" and "de Cornualle" in various medieval records, reflecting the Norman French influence on English surnames at the time.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname was Richard de Cornwall, who was the Earl of Cornwall and the second son of King John of England. He was born in 1209 and died in 1272.

Another notable figure with the surname Cornwall was John Cornwall, a 14th-century English philosopher and theologian who was born around 1320 and died in 1389.

In the 15th century, the name is found in its modern spelling "Cornwall" in various records, such as those of William Cornwall, a member of Parliament for Somerset in 1449.

During the Tudor period, Sir John Cornwall was a notable figure who served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1561.

In the 17th century, Sir William Cornwall was a prominent English merchant and Member of Parliament who lived from 1589 to 1677.

The surname Cornwall has also been associated with several place names in England, such as Cornwall Park in London and Cornwall Terrace in Bayswater, reflecting the historical connections between the name and the county.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cornwall families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cornwall 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. Middlesex leads with 216 Cornwalls recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.74x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 216 1.74x
Lancashire 146 0.99x
Sussex 139 6.62x
Surrey 107 1.76x
Midlothian 70 4.20x
Gloucestershire 59 2.42x
Yorkshire 56 0.45x
Kent 52 1.22x
Essex 42 1.71x
Staffordshire 41 0.98x
Warwickshire 37 1.18x
Hampshire 30 1.18x
Herefordshire 30 5.88x
Norfolk 28 1.46x
Glamorgan 24 1.11x
Aberdeenshire 15 1.30x
Devon 12 0.46x
Durham 12 0.32x
Hertfordshire 12 1.40x
Northamptonshire 12 1.03x
Cambridgeshire 11 1.40x
Worcestershire 11 0.68x
East Lothian 10 6.07x
Monmouthshire 10 1.11x
Cheshire 9 0.33x
Lincolnshire 9 0.45x
Bedfordshire 7 1.09x
Fife 7 0.95x
Somerset 7 0.35x
Derbyshire 6 0.31x
Huntingdonshire 6 2.43x
Angus 5 0.43x
Berkshire 5 0.54x
Cornwall 5 0.35x
Flintshire 5 1.49x
Selkirkshire 5 4.44x
Leicestershire 4 0.29x
Lanarkshire 3 0.07x
Northumberland 3 0.16x
Suffolk 3 0.20x
Ayrshire 1 0.11x
Cardiganshire 1 0.33x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.06x
Royal Navy 1 0.67x
Wiltshire 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. Mayfield in Sussex leads with 31 Cornwalls recorded in 1881 and an index of 249.80x.

Place Total Index
Mayfield 31 249.80x
Linton In Newent 26 658.23x
St Marylebone London 24 3.61x
Preston 23 5.82x
Southwark St George Martyr 20 7.99x
Islington London 19 1.57x
Lambeth 19 1.75x
Stoke Upon Trent 19 4.26x
Cheltenham 18 9.56x
Liverpool 18 2.01x
Newington 18 3.91x
Bethnal Green London 16 2.96x
Birmingham 15 1.43x
St Pancras London 14 1.40x
Kensington London 13 1.88x
Kirkdale 13 5.23x
Oldham 13 2.73x
Temple 13 196.08x
Clerkenwell London 12 4.08x
Hackney London 12 1.72x
Portsea 12 2.40x
Camberwell 11 1.38x
Clapham 11 7.07x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 11 1.64x
Edmonton 11 10.97x
Gloucester Barton St Mary 11 24.63x
Redcar 11 112.36x
Buxted 10 121.80x
Everton 10 2.12x
Oswaldtwistle 10 19.16x
Aston 9 1.04x
Chorley 9 10.86x
Croydon 9 2.67x
Little Wakering 9 656.93x
Mile End Old Town London 9 3.40x
Newbattle 9 63.16x
Oldbury 9 11.25x
Peterborough 9 10.62x
Shoreditch London 9 1.67x
Aberdeen Old Machar 8 3.32x
Cocking 8 325.20x
Dalkeith 8 24.32x
Deeping St James 8 113.80x
Heathfield 8 94.12x
Inveresk 8 17.72x
Kelvedon 8 122.14x
Newent 8 64.46x
Spitalfields London 8 8.55x
St Helens 8 43.13x
Street 8 1025.64x
Ticehurst 8 62.31x
Tipton 8 6.22x
Tonbridge 8 5.22x
Warbleton 8 128.00x
Woolwich 8 5.10x
Burntisland 7 33.98x
Cardiff St Mary 7 5.86x
Chatham 7 5.99x
Chertsey 7 17.86x
Glandford Cum Bayfield 7 1555.56x
Hastings St Mary In The 7 15.64x
Holy Trinity 7 2.36x
Inverurie 7 53.68x
Lewisham 7 3.09x
Monmouth 7 29.34x
Penarth 7 33.05x
Whitchurch 7 59.73x
Brandon Byshottles 6 12.93x
Cheshunt 6 20.01x
Coventry Holy Trinity 6 6.40x
East Hoathly 6 164.38x
Eastbourne 6 6.21x
Manchester 6 0.90x
Middlesbrough 6 3.74x
Paddington London 6 1.31x
St George Martyr London 6 23.80x
Toxteth Park 6 1.20x
Tranent 6 26.94x
Willesden 6 5.11x
Syderstone 5 227.27x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 75
John 67
George 45
Thomas 42
James 36
Charles 25
Edward 23
Henry 19
Alfred 16
Robert 15
Joseph 14
Frederick 8
Richard 8
Arthur 7
Samuel 7
Albert 6
Harry 6
Walter 5
Wm. 5
Benjamin 4
David 4
Edwin 4
Francis 4
Frank 4
Fred 4
Geo. 3
Isaac 3
Leonard 3
Chas. 2
Daniel 2
Elijah 2
Ernest 2
Frederic 2
Fredk. 2
Harold 2
Herbert 2
Hubert 2
Mark 2
Matthew 2
Solomon 2
Stephen 2
Thos. 2
Willie 2
Willm. 2
Durell 1
Fredk.Charles 1
Freeman 1
Jane 1
Jas. 1
Zachariah 1

FAQ

Cornwall surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cornwall surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,278 people were recorded with the Cornwall surname. That placed it at #3,196 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cornwall surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,896 in 2016. That gives Cornwall a modern rank of #3,354.

What does the Cornwall surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone from the county of Cornwall in southwest England.

What does the Cornwall map show?

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