UK surname
An English surname derived from the Old English word 'cot' referring to a small cottage or dwelling.
In the 1881 census there were 172 people recorded with the Cotes surname, ranking it #14,163 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 84, ranked #32,726, down from #14,163 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to Matlock, London parishes and Sawley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cotes is 233 in 1891. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 51.2%.
1881 census count
172
Ranked #14,163
Modern count
84
2016, ranked #32,726
Peak year
1891
233 bearers
Map years
6
1851 to 1911
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Cotes surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Cotes surname density by area, 1881 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe 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 | 209 | #10,066 |
| 1861 | historical | 221 | #11,031 |
| 1881 | historical | 172 | #14,163 |
| 1891 | historical | 233 | #13,392 |
| 1901 | historical | 183 | #15,996 |
| 1911 | historical | 150 | #17,866 |
| 1997 | modern | 70 | #30,618 |
| 1998 | modern | 73 | #30,681 |
| 1999 | modern | 73 | #30,856 |
| 2000 | modern | 88 | #29,284 |
| 2001 | modern | 81 | #29,828 |
| 2002 | modern | 83 | #30,070 |
| 2003 | modern | 73 | #31,186 |
| 2004 | modern | 61 | #32,581 |
| 2005 | modern | 65 | #32,387 |
| 2006 | modern | 69 | #32,343 |
| 2007 | modern | 70 | #32,580 |
| 2008 | modern | 69 | #32,962 |
| 2009 | modern | 74 | #32,835 |
| 2010 | modern | 78 | #32,848 |
| 2011 | modern | 71 | #33,392 |
| 2012 | modern | 77 | #33,124 |
| 2013 | modern | 83 | #32,813 |
| 2014 | modern | 87 | #32,585 |
| 2015 | modern | 82 | #32,911 |
| 2016 | modern | 84 | #32,726 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around Matlock, London parishes, Sawley, St Werburgh and Tettenhall. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Matlock | Derbyshire |
| 2 | London parishes | London 1 |
| 3 | Sawley | Derbyshire |
| 4 | St Werburgh | Derbyshire |
| 5 | Tettenhall | Staffordshire |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Cotes surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Cotes, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Cotes surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Cotes household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Cotes is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Cotes is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Cotes, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname COTES has its origins in medieval England, emerging in the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "cot," which referred to a small dwelling or cottage. This suggests that the name likely originated as a descriptive surname for someone who lived in a modest cottage or as a locational name for someone who resided near such a dwelling.
In the early records, the name appeared with various spellings, such as Cote, Cotes, Coates, and Coats, reflecting the inconsistencies in language and spelling during that period. One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, dated 1273, where a certain William de Cotes is mentioned.
The name COTES also has associations with several place names in England, such as Cotes near Loughborough in Leicestershire, Cotes in Staffordshire, and Cotes in Gloucestershire. These place names likely contributed to the surname's origin and widespread use.
One notable historical figure bearing the name COTES was Robert Cotes (1682-1716), an English mathematician and philosopher who served as the Plumian Professor of Astronomy and Experimental Philosophy at the University of Cambridge. He made significant contributions to the study of mechanics and played a crucial role in editing and publishing the second edition of Sir Isaac Newton's Principia Mathematica.
Another prominent individual with the surname COTES was Roger Cotes (1682-1716), a contemporary of Robert Cotes and also an English mathematician. He is best known for his work on the method of calculating logarithms and his contributions to the theory of infinite series.
In the 16th century, the name COTES appeared in the records of the Hertfordshire Visitation, where a certain John Cotes (born around 1550) was listed as a notable member of the gentry in that county.
During the 17th century, a family bearing the COTES surname held significant landholdings in Staffordshire, with Richard Cotes (1602-1675) being recorded as the owner of the manor of Woodcote in that county.
The COTES surname also has connections to the United States, with early immigrants bearing the name arriving in the 17th and 18th centuries. One such individual was John Cotes, who settled in Virginia in 1635, while another, Joseph Cotes, made his home in Philadelphia in 1686.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cotes surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 18 Cotes' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.07x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Middlesex | 18 | 1.07x |
| Staffordshire | 18 | 3.18x |
| Leicestershire | 13 | 6.99x |
| Nottinghamshire | 13 | 5.75x |
| Wiltshire | 13 | 8.76x |
| Worcestershire | 13 | 5.93x |
| Derbyshire | 12 | 4.57x |
| Durham | 7 | 1.40x |
| Essex | 7 | 2.11x |
| Gloucestershire | 7 | 2.13x |
| Oxfordshire | 7 | 6.76x |
| Denbighshire | 5 | 7.89x |
| Hampshire | 5 | 1.45x |
| Surrey | 5 | 0.61x |
| Lancashire | 4 | 0.20x |
| Yorkshire | 4 | 0.24x |
| Dorset | 3 | 2.72x |
| Kent | 3 | 0.52x |
| Shropshire | 3 | 2.07x |
| Sussex | 3 | 1.06x |
| Lanarkshire | 2 | 0.37x |
| Somerset | 2 | 0.74x |
| Cambridgeshire | 1 | 0.94x |
| Channel Islands | 1 | 2.01x |
| Cheshire | 1 | 0.27x |
| Glamorgan | 1 | 0.34x |
| Midlothian | 1 | 0.44x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Burslem in Staffordshire leads with 8 Cotes' recorded in 1881 and an index of 49.32x.
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Cotes surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
| Name | Count |
|---|---|
| Mary | 11 |
| Elizabeth | 9 |
| Ellen | 5 |
| Emma | 5 |
| Sarah | 5 |
| Alice | 4 |
| Edith | 4 |
| Hannah | 4 |
| Ada | 2 |
| Ann | 2 |
| Annie | 2 |
| Bertha | 2 |
| Caroline | 2 |
| Eliza | 2 |
| Emily | 2 |
| Lucy | 2 |
| Sophia | 2 |
| Amy | 1 |
| Angelina | 1 |
| Augusta | 1 |
| Beatrice | 1 |
| Charlotte | 1 |
| Dorcas | 1 |
| Dorothy | 1 |
| Elizth. | 1 |
| Ella | 1 |
| Ersula | 1 |
| Ethel | 1 |
| Florence | 1 |
| Frances | 1 |
| Georgie | 1 |
| Gertrude | 1 |
| Harriet | 1 |
| Isabella | 1 |
| Jane | 1 |
| Louisa | 1 |
| Maggis | 1 |
| Marguerite | 1 |
| Maria | 1 |
| Marianner | 1 |
| May | 1 |
| Millicent | 1 |
| Roda | 1 |
| Rose | 1 |
| Selina | 1 |
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Cotes surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
| Name | Count |
|---|---|
| John | 8 |
| William | 8 |
| George | 7 |
| Arthur | 5 |
| Joseph | 5 |
| Thomas | 5 |
| Henry | 4 |
| Charles | 3 |
| Frank | 2 |
| Frederick | 2 |
| Herbert | 2 |
| Abraham | 1 |
| Albert | 1 |
| Alfred | 1 |
| C. | 1 |
| Cableb | 1 |
| Cecil | 1 |
| Daniel | 1 |
| Dylry | 1 |
| Edward | 1 |
| Ernest | 1 |
| Harry | 1 |
| Hubert | 1 |
| Jonathan | 1 |
| Kenelm | 1 |
| Merton | 1 |
| Osmond | 1 |
| Robert | 1 |
| Sam | 1 |
| Samuel | 1 |
| Septimus | 1 |
| Shirley | 1 |
| Tom | 1 |
| Violet | 1 |
| Walter | 1 |
| Wm. | 1 |
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 Cotes households.
FAQ
In 1881, 172 people were recorded with the Cotes surname. That placed it at #14,163 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 84 in 2016. That gives Cotes a modern rank of #32,726.
An English surname derived from the Old English word 'cot' referring to a small cottage or dwelling.
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Cotes bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.