NameCensus.

UK surname

Coult

A variant English spelling of the French surname Coulter, referring to a maker or seller of coulters (blades for ploughs).

In the 1881 census there were 161 people recorded with the Coult surname, ranking it #14,801 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 338, ranked #13,533, up from #14,801 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Luddington, Adlingfleet and Brantingham. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include County Durham, North Lincolnshire and East Riding of Yorkshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Coult is 348 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 109.9%.

1881 census count

161

Ranked #14,801

Modern count

338

2016, ranked #13,533

Peak year

2002

348 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Coult had 161 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,801 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 338 in 2016, ranked #13,533.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 289 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Coult surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Coult surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Coult 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 93 #17,946
1861 historical 139 #16,263
1881 historical 161 #14,801
1891 historical 190 #15,486
1901 historical 237 #13,574
1911 historical 289 #11,738
1997 modern 322 #12,914
1998 modern 331 #13,018
1999 modern 334 #13,022
2000 modern 342 #12,771
2001 modern 325 #13,030
2002 modern 348 #12,674
2003 modern 337 #12,759
2004 modern 334 #12,897
2005 modern 346 #12,464
2006 modern 340 #12,722
2007 modern 336 #12,975
2008 modern 335 #13,115
2009 modern 342 #13,193
2010 modern 341 #13,477
2011 modern 346 #13,192
2012 modern 338 #13,304
2013 modern 340 #13,449
2014 modern 344 #13,426
2015 modern 343 #13,365
2016 modern 338 #13,533

Geography

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Where Coults are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Luddington, Adlingfleet, Brantingham, Snaith and Whitgift. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to County Durham, North Lincolnshire and East Riding of Yorkshire. 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 Luddington Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Adlingfleet Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Brantingham Yorkshire, East Riding
4 Snaith Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Whitgift Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 County Durham 024 County Durham
2 North Lincolnshire 020 North Lincolnshire
3 North Lincolnshire 012 North Lincolnshire
4 East Riding of Yorkshire 037 East Riding of Yorkshire
5 East Riding of Yorkshire 040 East Riding of Yorkshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Coult

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Coult

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Coult, 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 Coult surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Coult 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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Coult is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Coult 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

Coult 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 Coult is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Coult

The surname COULT is believed to have originated in England, with roots dating back to the 12th century. It is thought to be a variant of the Old French word "colt," which means "neck" or "nape of the neck." This name was likely given as a descriptive surname to someone with a prominent or distinctive neck.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name COULT appears in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1195, where a person named Willelmus Coult is mentioned. The name also appears in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire in 1273, with a listing for a Richard Coult.

In the 14th century, the surname COULT can be found in various historical records, such as the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire, where a John Coult is mentioned in 1317. The Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327 also list a Richard Coult.

During the 16th century, the spelling of the name began to solidify, with instances such as Robert Coult, who was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Leicestershire in 1524. Another early record is of John Coult, who was born in Hartlebury, Worcestershire, in 1567.

Notable individuals with the surname COULT include:

1. Sir John Coult (1553-1622), an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Southwark. 2. Edward Coult (1603-1676), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Provost of Eton College from 1658 to 1676. 3. Samuel Coult (1670-1749), an English clergyman and author who wrote a treatise on the Book of Revelation. 4. Thomas Coult (1765-1837), a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars. 5. William Coult (1804-1880), a Scottish architect who designed several notable buildings in Glasgow, including the Pollok House and the St. Andrew's Church.

The surname COULT has also been associated with various place names, such as Coult's Green in Worcestershire and Coult's Hill in Gloucestershire, both of which may have derived their names from early bearers of the COULT surname.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Coult families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Coult 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. Yorkshire leads with 83 Coults recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.37x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 83 5.37x
Lincolnshire 37 14.83x
Essex 25 8.12x
Durham 4 0.86x
Nottinghamshire 3 1.43x
Middlesex 2 0.13x
Surrey 2 0.26x
Kent 1 0.19x
Lancashire 1 0.05x
Leicestershire 1 0.58x
Renfrewshire 1 0.83x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Swinefleet in Yorkshire leads with 29 Coults recorded in 1881 and an index of 4328.36x.

Place Total Index
Swinefleet 29 4328.36x
Hook 11 323.53x
Garthorpe 9 3000.00x
North Hyckeham 7 2916.67x
Rotherham 7 80.28x
Eastoft 6 1875.00x
Inworth 6 1764.71x
Amcotts 5 2380.95x
Keelby 5 1250.00x
Naburn 5 1666.67x
Scunthorpe 5 446.43x
Welton Melton 5 1111.11x
Ellerker 4 2500.00x
Faulkbourn 4 4000.00x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 4 19.89x
Maldon St Peter 4 254.78x
Pudsey 4 48.37x
Bridlington 3 84.75x
Heybridge 3 333.33x
Hunslet 3 12.44x
Aldbrough In Skirlaugh 2 689.66x
Broomfleet 2 1538.46x
Bulwell 2 43.76x
Goole 2 77.22x
Mile End Old Town London 2 6.02x
Sible Hedingham 2 194.17x
Tollesbury 2 259.74x
Balderton 1 172.41x
Battersea 1 1.74x
Bexley 1 21.23x
Cathcart 1 15.29x
Chipping Ongar 1 188.68x
Great Totham 1 250.00x
Holme On Spalding Moor 1 99.01x
Holy Trinity 1 2.69x
Loughborough 1 12.74x
Maldon All Sts 1 163.93x
Messing 1 263.16x
Moss Side 1 10.27x
North Skirlaugh 1 666.67x
Penge 1 10.03x
Sculcoates 1 4.08x
Whitgift 1 500.00x
York St Saviour 1 67.57x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 13
George 11
John 11
Thomas 8
Arthur 5
Frederick 5
Joseph 4
Fred 3
Alfred 2
James 2
Robert 2
Samuel 2
Simpson 2
Walter 2
Bertram 1
Charles 1
Daniel 1
Earnest 1
Edward 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Fred. 1
Fred.Percy 1
Geo.Alphra 1
Hary 1
Henry 1
Jno.Thomas 1
Mark 1

FAQ

Coult surname: questions and answers

How common was the Coult surname in 1881?

In 1881, 161 people were recorded with the Coult surname. That placed it at #14,801 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Coult surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 338 in 2016. That gives Coult a modern rank of #13,533.

What does the Coult surname mean?

A variant English spelling of the French surname Coulter, referring to a maker or seller of coulters (blades for ploughs).

What does the Coult map show?

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