NameCensus.

UK surname

Cotham

An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "cottage homestead."

In the 1881 census there were 95 people recorded with the Cotham surname, ranking it #20,349 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 106, ranked #29,927, down from #20,349 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Stockport, London parishes and Liverpool. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include St. Helens and Shropshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cotham is 161 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 11.6%.

1881 census count

95

Ranked #20,349

Modern count

106

2016, ranked #29,927

Peak year

1861

161 bearers

Map years

5

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cotham had 95 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #20,349 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 106 in 2016, ranked #29,927.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 161 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Cotham surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cotham surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cotham 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 46 #24,985
1861 historical 161 #14,392
1881 historical 95 #20,349
1891 historical 148 #18,506
1901 historical 88 #24,270
1911 historical 118 #20,649
1997 modern 95 #27,638
1998 modern 101 #27,479
1999 modern 106 #26,885
2000 modern 104 #27,150
2001 modern 100 #27,402
2002 modern 107 #26,849
2003 modern 95 #28,536
2004 modern 98 #28,297
2005 modern 97 #28,485
2006 modern 95 #29,113
2007 modern 87 #30,666
2008 modern 95 #29,822
2009 modern 99 #29,754
2010 modern 101 #30,078
2011 modern 104 #29,424
2012 modern 97 #30,798
2013 modern 99 #30,934
2014 modern 100 #31,033
2015 modern 104 #30,269
2016 modern 106 #29,927

Geography

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Where Cothams are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Stockport, London parishes, Liverpool, Preston and Blackburn. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to St. Helens and Shropshire. 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 Stockport Cheshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Liverpool Lancashire
4 Preston Lancashire
5 Blackburn Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 St. Helens 007 St. Helens
2 St. Helens 012 St. Helens
3 St. Helens 016 St. Helens
4 St. Helens 014 St. Helens
5 Shropshire 034 Shropshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cotham

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cotham

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Cotham surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Cotham household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Cotham is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Cotham is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Cotham falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Cotham is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Cotham

The surname Cotham originated in England and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "cot" meaning a small humble dwelling and "ham" meaning a homestead or village, suggesting that the name referred to someone who lived in a small hamlet or village.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Cotham appears in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire from 1190, where a Robert de Coteham is mentioned. This suggests that the name may have originated in the Worcestershire area, possibly referring to a place called Cotham or a similar spelling.

In the 13th century, the name is found in various records across different counties in England, such as the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, which mentions a Thomas de Coteham, and the Subsidy Rolls of Warwickshire from 1275, which lists a William de Cotham.

One notable historical figure with the surname Cotham was Sir John Cotham (c. 1480 - 1545), an English judge and Member of Parliament during the reign of King Henry VIII. He served as a Justice of the Common Pleas from 1536 until his death.

Another notable individual was Thomas Cotham (c. 1520 - 1594), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Master of Christ's College, Cambridge from 1570 until his death.

In the 16th century, the name appears to have been particularly concentrated in the counties of Shropshire and Gloucestershire, with records showing variations in spelling such as Cottham, Cotteham, and Cotam.

A prominent figure from this period was John Cottam (c. 1549 - 1582), an English Roman Catholic priest and martyr who was executed during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I for his involvement in the Jesuit mission to England.

Moving into the 17th century, the name Cotham can be found in parish records across various regions of England, including instances in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, and Wiltshire.

One notable bearer of the name from this period was Thomas Cotham (c. 1600 - 1671), an English merchant and landowner who served as the Mayor of Bristol in 1664.

While the surname Cotham has retained its roots in England, it has also spread to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia, through migration and immigration over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cotham families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cotham 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 26 Cothams recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.36x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 26 2.36x
Yorkshire 21 2.29x
Surrey 12 2.66x
Lincolnshire 8 5.40x
Cheshire 7 3.42x
Nottinghamshire 6 4.80x
Middlesex 4 0.43x
Staffordshire 4 1.28x
Westmorland 3 14.73x
Essex 2 1.09x
Somerset 1 0.67x
Wiltshire 1 1.22x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Aismunderby Cum in Yorkshire leads with 9 Cothams recorded in 1881 and an index of 3461.54x.

Place Total Index
Aismunderby Cum 9 3461.54x
Birkenhead 7 42.92x
Horley 7 921.05x
Windle 7 113.09x
Swinefleet 5 1250.00x
West Derby 5 15.54x
Batley 4 45.82x
Codsall 4 909.09x
Radford 4 62.99x
Aighton Bailey 3 566.04x
Clee With Weelsby 3 92.59x
Everton 3 8.56x
Parr 3 76.34x
Witherslack 3 1764.71x
Aughton 2 183.49x
Newington 2 5.84x
Shoreditch London 2 4.98x
Southwark St George Martyr 2 10.72x
West Ham 2 4.95x
Wyberton 2 1000.00x
Acton 1 18.42x
Bicker 1 434.78x
Bilham 1 10000.00x
Caistor 1 169.49x
Cheetham 1 12.20x
Farnsfield 1 303.03x
Holbeach 1 60.61x
Liverpool 1 1.50x
Lytham 1 59.52x
Seamer In Scarborough 1 333.33x
Sowerby In Halifax 1 33.33x
St Martin In Fields 1 18.02x
Stourton 1 555.56x
Streatham 1 14.53x
Sutton Bonnington 1 312.50x
Weston Super Mare 1 26.53x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 9
Elizabeth 5
Alice 4
Annie 4
Ellen 3
Harriet 2
Louisa 2
Rose 2
Ann 1
Catherine 1
Edith 1
Eleanor 1
Elenor 1
Emily 1
Emma 1
Esther 1
Frances 1
Hannah 1
Jane 1
Maria 1
Rachiel 1
Sophia 1
Susan 1
Thirza 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 9
James 4
John 4
George 3
Robert 3
Thomas 3
Henry 2
Herbert 2
Joseph 2
Ralph 2
Adam 1
Arthur 1
Charles 1
Edwin 1
Francis 1
Harry 1
Hy. 1
Leonard 1
Peter 1
Richard 1

FAQ

Cotham surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cotham surname in 1881?

In 1881, 95 people were recorded with the Cotham surname. That placed it at #20,349 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cotham surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 106 in 2016. That gives Cotham a modern rank of #29,927.

What does the Cotham surname mean?

An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "cottage homestead."

What does the Cotham map show?

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