NameCensus.

UK surname

Cosson

A surname derived from the Old French word "cosson," meaning a hazelnut or nut tree.

In the 1881 census there were 73 people recorded with the Cosson surname, ranking it #23,220 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 123, ranked #27,115, down from #23,220 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Chertsey, London parishes and St Leonard Bromley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Hastings, Surrey Heath and Havering.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cosson is 165 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 68.5%.

1881 census count

73

Ranked #23,220

Modern count

123

2016, ranked #27,115

Peak year

1911

165 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cosson had 73 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #23,220 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 123 in 2016, ranked #27,115.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 165 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Cosson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cosson surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Cosson 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 77 #19,998
1861 historical 79 #23,702
1881 historical 73 #23,220
1891 historical 129 #20,285
1901 historical 128 #19,822
1911 historical 165 #16,808
1997 modern 153 #20,868
1998 modern 155 #21,227
1999 modern 157 #21,201
2000 modern 151 #21,684
2001 modern 153 #21,197
2002 modern 151 #21,809
2003 modern 137 #22,939
2004 modern 138 #22,997
2005 modern 133 #23,502
2006 modern 129 #24,165
2007 modern 130 #24,389
2008 modern 136 #24,004
2009 modern 140 #24,033
2010 modern 136 #25,009
2011 modern 135 #24,922
2012 modern 130 #25,559
2013 modern 129 #26,211
2014 modern 130 #26,216
2015 modern 123 #27,088
2016 modern 123 #27,115

Geography

Back to top

Where Cossons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Chertsey, London parishes, St Leonard Bromley, Barnes and Woolwich. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Hastings, Surrey Heath, Havering and Redcar and Cleveland. 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 Chertsey Surrey
2 London parishes London 3
3 St Leonard Bromley London (East Districts)
4 Barnes Surrey
5 Woolwich London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Hastings 002 Hastings
2 Surrey Heath 008 Surrey Heath
3 Hastings 004 Hastings
4 Havering 027 Havering
5 Redcar and Cleveland 007 Redcar and Cleveland

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Cosson

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Cosson

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Cosson surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Cosson household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Cosson is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Cosson is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Cosson 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 Cosson is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Cosson

The surname COSSON has its origins in France, where it emerged as a locational name during the medieval period. It is derived from the French word "cosson," which refers to a type of grass or weed, suggesting that the name may have originated as a nickname or place name associated with a location overgrown with such vegetation.

Records from the 13th century mention individuals with the surname COSSON residing in the northern regions of France, particularly in the areas of Normandy and Picardy. The earliest known written reference to the name appears in the Livre des Bourgeois de Rouen, a register of burgesses in the city of Rouen, dating back to the year 1292.

During the Middle Ages, the COSSON name was also found in various charters and legal documents across northern France. For instance, a certain Jehan COSSON was recorded as a landowner in the village of Varennes near Amiens in 1364.

As the name spread, it underwent minor spelling variations, such as COSSON, COSSONE, and COSSUN. These variations were likely influenced by local dialects and the individual preferences of scribes and record-keepers.

One notable figure bearing the COSSON name was Jacques COSSON (1515-1582), a French Protestant theologian and scholar who served as a professor at the University of Geneva during the Protestant Reformation. Another individual of historical significance was Marie COSSON (1680-1755), a French midwife who published influential works on obstetrics and gynecology in the early 18th century.

In the realm of literature, the French novelist and playwright François COSSON (1717-1786) gained recognition for his satirical works and plays, which often criticized societal norms and conventions of his time.

During the 19th century, the COSSON name gained prominence through the achievements of Jules COSSON (1834-1899), a renowned French botanist and explorer who made significant contributions to the study of plant life in North Africa.

Additionally, the French sculptor and artist Émile COSSON (1857-1923) is remembered for his intricate works in bronze, many of which adorned public spaces and monuments across France.

While the surname COSSON originated in France, it has since spread to other regions through migration and diaspora, with descendants bearing the name found in various parts of Europe, North America, and other parts of the world.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Cosson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cosson 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. Surrey leads with 28 Cossons recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.07x.

County Total Index
Surrey 28 8.07x
Middlesex 22 3.09x
Kent 13 5.35x
Hampshire 7 4.80x
Durham 1 0.47x
Gloucestershire 1 0.72x
Oxfordshire 1 2.27x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barnes in Surrey leads with 13 Cossons recorded in 1881 and an index of 884.35x.

Place Total Index
Barnes 13 884.35x
Chertsey 10 446.43x
Portsea 7 24.48x
St Luke London 6 52.54x
Bromley London 5 31.93x
Woolwich 5 55.74x
Aylesford 4 597.01x
Dartford 4 161.29x
St George Hanover Square 4 31.90x
Limehouse London 3 38.36x
Weybridge 3 405.41x
Westminster St James 2 27.32x
Bristol St James St Paul 1 21.46x
Chiswick 1 25.71x
Clapham 1 11.24x
Hackney London 1 2.51x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 1 10.91x
Kingston On Thames 1 12.00x
Oxford St Giles 1 47.62x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 8
Annie 3
Elizabeth 3
Alice 2
Amy 2
Isabella 2
Ada 1
Agnes 1
Ann 1
August 1
Carl. 1
Clara 1
Edith 1
Eliza 1
Emma 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Harriett 1
Helen 1
Lilian 1
Margrete 1
Maud 1
Minnie 1
Rose 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 6
William 6
Henry 4
John 4
George 2
Richard 2
Thomas 2
Albert 1
Arthur 1
Charles 1
Clifford 1
Frederick 1
Fredk. 1
Harry 1
Samuel 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Cosson households.

FAQ

Cosson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cosson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 73 people were recorded with the Cosson surname. That placed it at #23,220 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cosson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 123 in 2016. That gives Cosson a modern rank of #27,115.

What does the Cosson surname mean?

A surname derived from the Old French word "cosson," meaning a hazelnut or nut tree.

What does the Cosson map show?

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