NameCensus.

UK surname

Coulson

An English occupational surname derived from the Old Norse word "kaupa-maðr," meaning a merchant or trader.

In the 1881 census there were 5,367 people recorded with the Coulson surname, ranking it #831 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 7,764, ranked #848, down from #831 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, London parishes and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include County Durham, Northumberland and Fenland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Coulson is 8,041 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 44.7%.

1881 census count

5,367

Ranked #831

Modern count

7,764

2016, ranked #848

Peak year

1999

8,041 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Coulson had 5,367 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #831 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 7,764 in 2016, ranked #848.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 7,435 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Coulson surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Coulson surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Coulson 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 3,354 #858
1861 historical 3,373 #845
1881 historical 5,367 #831
1891 historical 5,613 #838
1901 historical 6,628 #837
1911 historical 7,435 #698
1997 modern 7,767 #835
1998 modern 7,998 #836
1999 modern 8,041 #840
2000 modern 7,993 #839
2001 modern 7,845 #836
2002 modern 7,941 #846
2003 modern 7,723 #849
2004 modern 7,762 #839
2005 modern 7,633 #847
2006 modern 7,608 #846
2007 modern 7,670 #850
2008 modern 7,727 #845
2009 modern 7,875 #852
2010 modern 8,037 #854
2011 modern 8,000 #841
2012 modern 7,840 #838
2013 modern 7,874 #850
2014 modern 7,945 #846
2015 modern 7,836 #846
2016 modern 7,764 #848

Geography

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Where Coulsons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, London parishes, Gateshead, Hartlepool and Bradford. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to County Durham, Northumberland, Fenland and North Lincolnshire. 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 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 London parishes London 3
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Hartlepool Durham
5 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 County Durham 008 County Durham
2 Northumberland 038 Northumberland
3 County Durham 043 County Durham
4 Fenland 011 Fenland
5 North Lincolnshire 022 North Lincolnshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Coulson

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Coulson

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

Rural Amenity

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Coulson 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

Coulson is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Coulson 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 Coulson 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 Coulson, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Coulson

The surname Coulson originated in England, deriving from the Old English words "col" meaning coal and "sunu" meaning son. It was an occupational name given to those whose trade involved working with coal, such as coal miners or charcoal burners.

The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 13th century, with mentions in medieval records such as the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, where a person named Adam Colsone is listed. The surname also appears in the Calendarium Genealogicum, a manuscript from the late 13th century, which includes the entry "Coulson de Hepworth" from Yorkshire.

In the 14th century, the name can be found in various manorial records and court rolls, such as the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire, which list a John Colson in 1348. The Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from 1379 also contain the name William Colson.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was William Coulson, a merchant from York who lived in the late 14th century. Another notable figure was John Coulson, a clergyman and author who was born in Yorkshire in 1592 and wrote several religious texts.

In the 17th century, the surname appears in the parish records of various English counties, including Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Northumberland. A prominent individual from this period was Thomas Coulson, a member of the Society of Friends (Quakers) who was born in Yorkshire in 1631 and was persecuted for his religious beliefs.

During the 18th century, the Coulson family established themselves in various parts of England, with branches in counties such as Northumberland, Durham, and Lancashire. One notable figure was Nathaniel Coulson, a botanist and writer from Yorkshire who lived from 1735 to 1805.

In the 19th century, the surname continued to be found across England, with concentrations in northern counties like Yorkshire and Durham. Some individuals of note from this period include William Coulson, a surgeon and medical author from Durham who lived from 1804 to 1877, and John Coulson, a mathematician and professor at the University of Cambridge who was born in 1816.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Coulson families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Coulson 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. Durham leads with 1,140 Coulsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.31x.

County Total Index
Durham 1,140 7.31x
Yorkshire 983 1.89x
Northumberland 636 8.16x
Middlesex 401 0.77x
Lincolnshire 389 4.64x
Cambridgeshire 258 7.77x
Surrey 225 0.88x
Leicestershire 181 3.12x
Lancashire 165 0.27x
Northamptonshire 144 2.92x
Derbyshire 119 1.45x
Warwickshire 93 0.70x
Kent 82 0.46x
Essex 57 0.55x
Huntingdonshire 53 5.09x
Norfolk 45 0.56x
Nottinghamshire 45 0.64x
Cumberland 42 0.93x
Suffolk 39 0.61x
Staffordshire 37 0.21x
Lanarkshire 34 0.20x
Devon 31 0.28x
Hampshire 21 0.20x
Cornwall 16 0.27x
Sussex 16 0.18x
Cheshire 14 0.12x
Rutland 14 3.64x
Shropshire 11 0.24x
Angus 10 0.21x
Herefordshire 9 0.42x
Hertfordshire 9 0.25x
Inverness-shire 8 0.51x
Worcestershire 8 0.12x
Midlothian 6 0.09x
Anglesey 4 0.43x
Bedfordshire 4 0.15x
Gloucestershire 4 0.04x
Somerset 4 0.05x
Berwickshire 3 0.47x
Berkshire 2 0.05x
Wiltshire 2 0.04x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.03x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.05x
Dorset 1 0.03x
Monmouthshire 1 0.03x
Roxburghshire 1 0.11x
Royal Navy 1 0.16x
Westmorland 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. Gateshead in Durham leads with 94 Coulsons recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.05x.

Place Total Index
Gateshead 94 8.05x
Bishopwearmouth 91 6.80x
Westoe 69 7.81x
Leicester St Margaret 63 4.45x
Hartlepool 58 26.18x
Lambeth 51 1.12x
Bramley In Bramley 50 25.15x
Darlington 49 8.14x
Milton 48 484.85x
Mile End Old Town London 45 4.03x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 43 6.37x
Islington London 43 0.85x
Stranton 41 7.81x
Stockton On Tees 40 5.32x
Westgate 37 7.66x
Allendale 36 49.80x
Brandon Byshottles 34 17.41x
Holy Trinity 34 2.72x
Tynemouth 34 8.14x
York St Mary 34 15.81x
Elswick 33 5.30x
Hexham 33 27.35x
Whetstone 33 155.15x
Sheffield 32 1.94x
Coventry St Michael 31 7.30x
Scarborough 31 6.57x
Kettering 30 15.05x
Leeds 30 1.02x
Aston 28 0.77x
Derby St Werburgh 28 5.91x
Kensington London 27 0.93x
West Ham 26 1.14x
Battersea 25 1.30x
Castor 25 119.22x
Haltwhistle 25 66.09x
Manningham 25 3.91x
Bridlington 24 20.19x
Kirkleatham 24 34.23x
Medomsley 24 33.00x
Richmond 24 6.71x
Shoreditch London 24 1.06x
St Ives 24 44.48x
Byker 23 5.97x
Deptford St Paul 23 1.67x
Hessle In Sculcoates 23 50.16x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 23 4.94x
Slingsby 23 214.75x
St Pancras London 23 0.55x
Sunderland 23 8.35x
Wisbech St Peter 23 13.82x
Wolsingham 23 16.19x
Bethnal Green London 22 0.97x
Camberwell 22 0.66x
Croydon 22 1.55x
Hackney London 22 0.75x
Prudhoe 22 40.56x
Pudsey 22 7.93x
Heworth 21 6.84x
Pittington 21 47.90x
Chesterton 20 19.54x
St Andrewthe Less 20 5.27x
Stapenhill 20 16.38x
Wallsend 20 8.09x
West Derby 20 1.10x
Whittlesey St Mary St 20 17.25x
Chollerton 19 86.76x
Liverpool 19 0.50x
Monkwearmouth 19 12.73x
Shotley Low Quarter 19 191.15x
Freston 18 366.60x
Penshaw 18 38.43x
Swavesey 18 84.63x
Whickham 18 12.55x
Amble 17 47.91x
Bromley London 17 1.47x
Middlesbrough 17 2.51x
Northampton St Sepulchre 17 6.78x
Ovingham Whittle Spital 17 143.58x
Southwark St George Martyr 17 1.61x
Troutsdale 17 1559.63x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 430
Elizabeth 237
Sarah 175
Jane 154
Ann 119
Margaret 117
Annie 84
Hannah 79
Eliza 67
Ellen 67
Emma 67
Isabella 66
Alice 49
Emily 43
Ada 37
Charlotte 32
Louisa 31
Harriet 30
Frances 29
Martha 28
Catherine 26
Florence 24
Fanny 23
Anne 22
Caroline 20
Kate 20
Maria 20
Clara 19
Edith 18
Lucy 18
Susannah 16
Susan 15
Dorothy 12
Eleanor 12
Elizth. 12
Rebecca 12
Esther 11
Jessie 11
Minnie 11
Barbara 10
Rose 10
Grace 9
Matilda 9
Ruth 9
Agnes 8
Amy 8
Anna 8
Betsy 7
Amelia 6
Gertrude 6

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 384
William 334
Thomas 248
George 193
James 129
Joseph 114
Robert 99
Charles 82
Henry 76
Edward 65
Alfred 52
Arthur 48
Samuel 37
Richard 34
Walter 34
Frederick 31
David 26
Harry 25
Matthew 24
Fred 19
Herbert 19
Francis 17
Wm. 17
Thos. 16
Albert 15
Jacob 14
Ralph 13
Ernest 12
Mathew 12
Tom 12
Frank 10
Benjamin 9
Robt. 9
Christopher 8
Isaac 8
Stephen 8
Michael 7
Andrew 6
Edwin 6
Peter 6
Sam 6
Willm. 6
Cuthbert 5
Fredk. 5
Fredrick 5
Horace 5
Hugh 5
Jonathan 5
Nicholas 4
Sidney 4

FAQ

Coulson surname: questions and answers

How common was the Coulson surname in 1881?

In 1881, 5,367 people were recorded with the Coulson surname. That placed it at #831 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Coulson surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 7,764 in 2016. That gives Coulson a modern rank of #848.

What does the Coulson surname mean?

An English occupational surname derived from the Old Norse word "kaupa-maðr," meaning a merchant or trader.

What does the Coulson map show?

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