NameCensus.

UK surname

Course

A locational surname derived from the French word for a watercourse or stream.

In the 1881 census there were 470 people recorded with the Course surname, ranking it #7,098 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 342, ranked #13,398, down from #7,098 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Eversden, Little, Biggleswade and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sedgemoor, Kettering and Teignbridge.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Course is 570 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 27.2%.

1881 census count

470

Ranked #7,098

Modern count

342

2016, ranked #13,398

Peak year

1911

570 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Course had 470 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,098 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 342 in 2016, ranked #13,398.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 570 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Course surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Course surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Course 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 270 #8,275
1861 historical 238 #10,321
1881 historical 470 #7,098
1891 historical 487 #7,590
1901 historical 545 #7,575
1911 historical 570 #7,107
1997 modern 373 #11,600
1998 modern 383 #11,748
1999 modern 388 #11,696
2000 modern 387 #11,692
2001 modern 375 #11,774
2002 modern 390 #11,646
2003 modern 364 #12,068
2004 modern 385 #11,607
2005 modern 363 #12,037
2006 modern 362 #12,151
2007 modern 346 #12,689
2008 modern 345 #12,839
2009 modern 357 #12,766
2010 modern 356 #13,071
2011 modern 357 #12,915
2012 modern 341 #13,217
2013 modern 348 #13,239
2014 modern 339 #13,581
2015 modern 342 #13,396
2016 modern 342 #13,398

Geography

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Where Courses are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Eversden, Little, Biggleswade, London parishes, St Ives and Cambridge: St Andrew the Less, St Andrew the Great, Holy Trinity, St Benedict. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Sedgemoor, Kettering, Teignbridge, Barnsley and Milton Keynes. 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 Eversden, Little Cambridgeshire
2 Biggleswade Bedfordshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Ives Huntingdonshire
5 Cambridge: St Andrew the Less, St Andrew the Great, Holy Trinity, St Benedict Cambridgeshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sedgemoor 004 Sedgemoor
2 Kettering 011 Kettering
3 Teignbridge 006 Teignbridge
4 Barnsley 004 Barnsley
5 Milton Keynes 002 Milton Keynes

Forenames

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First names often paired with Course

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Course

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Course, 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 Course surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Course 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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Course 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

Course is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Course falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Course 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 Course, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Course

The surname COURSE is of French origin and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old French word "cours," which means "running" or "flowing," referring to a stream or river. This surname was likely given to someone who lived near a watercourse or a fast-flowing stream.

The earliest recorded instances of the COURSE surname can be found in various medieval records across France. One notable example is a mention in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire, England, from 1204, which refers to a person named "Robertus de Cors."

During the Middle Ages, the COURSE surname appeared to be concentrated in the northern regions of France, particularly in Normandy and Brittany. It is believed that some COURSE families may have migrated to England during the Norman Conquest in the 11th century.

In the 14th century, the COURSE surname can be found in various English records, such as the Hundredorum Rolls of Norfolk from 1273, which mentions a "Willelmus de Cors." This indicates that the name had established itself in England by that time.

One notable bearer of the COURSE surname was Robert Courcy (c. 1170-1219), an Anglo-Norman nobleman who played a significant role in the conquest of Ireland. He was granted extensive lands in Ulster and became the first Lord of Courcy.

Another prominent figure was Thomas Courtenay (c. 1345-1419), an English nobleman and Archbishop of Canterbury from 1381 to 1396. He was a powerful figure during the reigns of Richard II and Henry IV.

In the 16th century, the COURSE surname can be found in the parish records of St. Dunstan's in East London, where a John Course was recorded in 1564.

The COURSE surname also has variants and spellings, such as Cours, Coursier, and Coursey, which can be found in various historical records across Europe.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, several COURSE families emigrated to the American colonies, including John Course, who settled in Virginia in 1635, and William Course, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1682.

Overall, the COURSE surname has a rich history spanning various regions of Europe and can be traced back to the medieval period, with its origins rooted in the Old French language and associated with proximity to watercourses or streams.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Course families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Course 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. Cambridgeshire leads with 85 Courses recorded in 1881 and an index of 29.15x.

County Total Index
Cambridgeshire 85 29.15x
Bedfordshire 72 30.20x
Middlesex 45 0.98x
Northamptonshire 42 9.70x
Buckinghamshire 35 12.57x
Hertfordshire 31 9.77x
Kent 25 1.59x
Derbyshire 22 3.05x
Huntingdonshire 21 22.97x
Hampshire 15 1.59x
Essex 13 1.43x
Surrey 13 0.58x
Staffordshire 12 0.77x
Oxfordshire 9 3.17x
Yorkshire 7 0.15x
Lincolnshire 6 0.82x
Warwickshire 5 0.43x
Sussex 3 0.39x
Cornwall 2 0.38x
Cheshire 1 0.10x
Gloucestershire 1 0.11x
Lancashire 1 0.02x
Leicestershire 1 0.20x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.68x
Radnorshire 1 2.69x
Royal Navy 1 1.82x
Shropshire 1 0.25x
Suffolk 1 0.18x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Biggleswade in Bedfordshire leads with 37 Courses recorded in 1881 and an index of 473.75x.

Place Total Index
Biggleswade 37 473.75x
Northill 21 941.70x
Northampton St Giles 18 109.09x
St Ives 17 358.65x
St Andrewthe Less 15 45.02x
Little Eversden 13 3939.39x
Portsea 13 7.03x
Bedford St Paul 11 67.28x
Ilkestonderbypart 11 521.33x
Little Horwood 11 2244.90x
Stoke Newington London 11 30.67x
St Marylebone London 10 4.07x
Brackley St Peter 9 303.03x
Thriplow 9 1232.88x
Woolwich 9 15.51x
Ravenstone 8 1379.31x
Watford 8 32.52x
West Ham 8 3.99x
Deddington 7 226.54x
Meldreth 7 619.47x
Royston 7 259.26x
Bozeat 6 319.15x
Chatham 6 13.88x
Chatteris 6 80.65x
Hemel Hempstead 6 41.96x
Hornsey 6 10.31x
Ilkeston 6 29.69x
Sulgrave 6 833.33x
Trentham 6 45.39x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 5 11.76x
Chaddesden 5 520.83x
Fen Ditton 5 476.19x
Foulmire 5 581.40x
Islington London 5 1.12x
Shepreth 5 877.19x
Washingborough 5 434.78x
Bassingbourn 4 93.24x
Birmingham 4 1.03x
Carshalton 4 46.62x
Chislehurst 4 47.51x
Godmanchester 4 115.61x
Kingswinford 4 7.09x
Olney 4 103.90x
Sherington 4 421.05x
Whaddon 4 727.27x
Battersea 3 1.77x
Erith 3 19.38x
Haversham 3 810.81x
Histon 3 196.08x
Hitchin 3 20.95x
Ickleton 3 288.46x
Kensington London 3 1.17x
Leighton Buzzard 3 29.24x
Newington 3 1.76x
St Albans 3 46.15x
Tottenham 3 4.09x
Wanstead 3 18.84x
Clerkenwell London 2 1.84x
Emberton 2 196.08x
Leyton Low 2 10.83x
Menheniot 2 92.59x
Slapton 2 769.23x
Stoke Upon Trent 2 1.21x
Turweston 2 416.67x
Brightside Bierlow 1 1.12x
Brinkley 1 212.77x
Cheltenham 1 1.44x
Faldingworth 1 227.27x
Hastings St Leonards 1 8.76x
Hatfield 1 15.55x
Huddersfield 1 1.50x
Milton In Gravesend 1 4.24x
Montford 1 126.58x
Pinner 1 24.81x
Royal Navy 1 2.13x
St Andrewthe Great 1 26.53x
St Michael Cambridge 1 117.65x
Stevenage 1 20.33x
Upton Cum Chalvey 1 9.02x
Wisbech St Mary 1 29.85x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 26
Sarah 22
Eliza 14
Elizabeth 14
Ann 12
Emma 11
Jane 9
Emily 7
Anne 6
Annie 6
Alice 5
Ellen 5
Harriett 5
Louisa 5
Agnes 4
Caroline 4
Clara 4
Edith 4
Kate 4
Maria 4
Rebecca 4
Ada 3
Florence 3
Harriet 3
Matilda 3
Amelia 2
Charlotte 2
Hannah 2
Jessie 2
Julia 2
Lilly 2
Lizzie 2
Martha 2
Naomi 2
Sophia 2
Amy 1
Cath 1
Catherine 1
Cecilia 1
Elizth. 1
Ernest 1
Ester 1
Esther 1
Ida 1
Isabella 1
Jeannette 1
L.D. 1
Lily 1
Lizze 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 36
George 26
John 17
Alfred 12
Charles 10
Henry 10
James 10
Thomas 9
Joseph 8
Walter 8
Albert 6
Arthur 6
Frank 6
Frederick 6
Harry 6
Humphrey 4
Ernest 3
Richard 3
David 2
Francis 2
Jonathan 2
Josiah 2
Simeon 2
Albt. 1
Alfd.D. 1
Ambrose 1
Amos 1
Chas. 1
Christian 1
Edgar 1
Edmund 1
Edward 1
Eli 1
Elijah 1
Eustace 1
Fred 1
Fredk. 1
Fredk.W. 1
Fredrick 1
Herbert 1
J.W. 1
Jacob 1
Joel 1
Jonathom 1
Laurence 1
Nathan 1
Philip 1
Reuben 1
Stephen 1
Thos. 1

FAQ

Course surname: questions and answers

How common was the Course surname in 1881?

In 1881, 470 people were recorded with the Course surname. That placed it at #7,098 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Course surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 342 in 2016. That gives Course a modern rank of #13,398.

What does the Course surname mean?

A locational surname derived from the French word for a watercourse or stream.

What does the Course map show?

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