NameCensus.

UK surname

Cousin

An occupational surname for a relative, especially the child of one's aunt or uncle.

In the 1881 census there were 584 people recorded with the Cousin surname, ranking it #5,979 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 469, ranked #10,491, down from #5,979 in 1881.

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

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cousin is 626 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 19.7%.

1881 census count

584

Ranked #5,979

Modern count

469

2016, ranked #10,491

Peak year

1911

626 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cousin had 584 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,979 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 469 in 2016, ranked #10,491.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 626 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Cousin surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cousin surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Cousin 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 451 #5,469
1861 historical 562 #4,687
1881 historical 584 #5,979
1891 historical 548 #6,901
1901 historical 558 #7,458
1911 historical 626 #6,620
1997 modern 516 #9,095
1998 modern 504 #9,531
1999 modern 475 #10,042
2000 modern 471 #10,073
2001 modern 452 #10,192
2002 modern 467 #10,136
2003 modern 440 #10,475
2004 modern 446 #10,391
2005 modern 420 #10,781
2006 modern 403 #11,187
2007 modern 411 #11,144
2008 modern 423 #10,975
2009 modern 441 #10,875
2010 modern 463 #10,660
2011 modern 463 #10,551
2012 modern 434 #10,977
2013 modern 455 #10,743
2014 modern 461 #10,694
2015 modern 453 #10,769
2016 modern 469 #10,491

Geography

Back to top

Where Cousins are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Alloa, Edinburgh, Alston and Middleton-in-Teesdale. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Northumberland, Bassetlaw, County Durham and Tillicoultry. 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 Alloa Clackmannan
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Alston Cumberland
5 Middleton-in-Teesdale Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Northumberland 035 Northumberland
2 Northumberland 040 Northumberland
3 Bassetlaw 002 Bassetlaw
4 County Durham 010 County Durham
5 Tillicoultry Clackmannanshire

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Cousin

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Cousin

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

Ageing Communities

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Cousin is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Cousin is most concentrated in decile 1 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Cousin falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Cousin

The surname COUSIN finds its origins in France, tracing back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French word "cosin," meaning a relative or kinsman. The name likely originated as a descriptive surname, given to someone who had many cousins or close relatives in their family or community.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the COUSIN surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. This suggests that the name had already gained recognition and spread beyond French borders by the late 11th century.

During the 12th century, the name appears in various records and manuscripts in Normandy, France, including the Cartulaire de Louviers and the Livre des Vassaux du Comté de Clermont-en-Beauvaisis. These early mentions indicate that the COUSIN surname was prevalent among the Norman nobility and landowners.

In the 13th century, a notable figure bearing the COUSIN name was Jean Cousin, a French painter, sculptor, and author who lived from around 1500 to 1590. He is renowned for his works in the French Renaissance style, including the stained glass windows in the Sens Cathedral and the Louvre Museum.

Another prominent individual was Victor Cousin, a French philosopher and statesman who lived from 1792 to 1867. He played a significant role in introducing German idealism to French philosophy and served as the Minister of Public Instruction under the July Monarchy.

In England, the COUSIN surname can be traced back to the 14th century, with records indicating its presence in various counties, including Yorkshire and Oxfordshire. One notable bearer of the name was John Cousin, an English Protestant minister and scholar who lived from 1592 to 1668 and served as the Master of Peterhouse, Cambridge.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the COUSIN surname spread further across Europe, with records showing its presence in areas such as the Netherlands, Germany, and Spain. In the Netherlands, a notable figure was Pieter Cousijn, a Dutch jurist and politician who lived from 1540 to 1615 and served as a member of the Council of State.

The COUSIN surname has also been associated with several notable figures in the arts and sciences throughout history, including the French painter Jean Cousin the Younger (1522-1595), the Dutch painter Jean Cousin (1642-1701), and the French mathematician Jacques Cousin (1677-1760).

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Cousin families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cousin 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. Cumberland leads with 56 Cousins recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.36x.

County Total Index
Cumberland 56 11.36x
Yorkshire 52 0.92x
Fife 48 14.16x
Durham 44 2.58x
Lanarkshire 43 2.32x
Lancashire 39 0.57x
Northumberland 33 3.87x
Clackmannanshire 30 63.44x
Middlesex 29 0.51x
Midlothian 24 3.13x
Lincolnshire 22 2.40x
Surrey 21 0.75x
Derbyshire 15 1.67x
Hampshire 9 0.77x
Angus 8 1.51x
Berkshire 8 1.86x
Perthshire 8 3.11x
Ayrshire 7 1.63x
Bedfordshire 7 2.36x
Cheshire 7 0.55x
Sussex 7 0.73x
Shropshire 6 1.21x
Suffolk 6 0.86x
Essex 5 0.44x
Kent 5 0.26x
Glamorgan 4 0.40x
Pembrokeshire 4 2.20x
Stirlingshire 4 1.89x
Buteshire 3 8.65x
Channel Islands 3 1.77x
Kinross-shire 3 20.73x
Nottinghamshire 3 0.39x
Argyllshire 2 1.25x
Buckinghamshire 2 0.58x
Dorset 2 0.53x
Gloucestershire 2 0.18x
Leicestershire 2 0.32x
Northamptonshire 2 0.37x
Renfrewshire 2 0.45x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.19x
Berwickshire 1 1.44x
Devon 1 0.08x
Hertfordshire 1 0.25x
Inverness-shire 1 0.58x
Kincardineshire 1 1.43x
Morayshire 1 1.12x
Norfolk 1 0.11x
Warwickshire 1 0.07x
Worcestershire 1 0.13x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Alston in Cumberland leads with 49 Cousins recorded in 1881 and an index of 539.65x.

Place Total Index
Alston 49 539.65x
Dunfermline 25 47.97x
Little Hulton 18 160.00x
Barony 16 3.41x
Clackmannan 15 167.79x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 15 4.86x
Bolsover 14 311.80x
Alloa 13 56.69x
Saline 12 638.30x
Cadder 11 80.41x
Forest Frith 11 738.26x
Waddingham 11 785.71x
Dundee 8 4.04x
Idle 8 30.41x
Kintbury 8 240.96x
Arlecdon 7 53.39x
Eaton Socon 7 150.54x
Godalming 7 39.86x
Keighley 7 11.57x
Medomsley 7 88.05x
St Sepulchre London 7 83.53x
Warden 7 402.30x
Albrighton 6 251.05x
Beith 6 46.91x
Bethnal Green London 6 2.41x
Glasgow 6 1.82x
Holy Trinity 6 4.40x
Lambley 6 425.53x
Leeds 6 1.87x
Manningham 6 8.58x
North Bedburn 6 126.05x
Spittlegate 6 47.39x
Beath 5 46.69x
Bishop Auckland 5 21.88x
Corbridge 5 160.26x
Crook Billy Row 5 22.93x
Govan 5 1.09x
Toxteth Park 5 2.17x
Amroth 4 277.78x
Clifton 4 78.43x
Lemmington 4 2000.00x
Leyton Low 4 17.41x
Liverpool 4 0.97x
Maryhill 4 11.03x
Middleton In Teesdale 4 88.89x
Muckhart 4 336.13x
Sheffield 4 2.21x
South Leith 4 4.63x
Southampton St Mary 4 5.42x
St Mary Extra 4 42.33x
St Marylebone London 4 1.31x
Stirling 4 15.02x
Streatham 4 9.42x
Withington 4 18.27x
Battersea 3 1.42x
Benwell 3 32.22x
Camberwell 3 0.82x
Carnock 3 144.93x
Dunblane 3 48.78x
Fossoway 3 120.48x
Haydon 3 64.38x
Holbeck 3 7.98x
Hunslet 3 3.39x
Ipswich St Clement 3 16.92x
Kingarth 3 120.48x
Kingston On Thames 3 4.48x
St Helier 3 5.43x
Stayley 3 20.76x
Swansea Town 3 3.67x
Tranmere 3 6.46x
Westminster St James 3 5.10x
Assington 2 136.99x
Auchtermuchty 2 43.96x
Dunoon Kilmun 2 16.09x
Edinburgh St Georges 2 12.56x
Haworth 2 14.83x
Knaresdale 2 194.17x
Newton Cap 2 75.76x
Walkeringham 2 143.88x
Wimborne 2 43.96x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 25
Elizabeth 18
Ann 15
Jane 14
Sarah 13
Margaret 11
Martha 8
Hannah 6
Alice 5
Caroline 5
Edith 5
Emily 5
Rebecca 5
Eliza 4
Emma 4
Louisa 4
Ada 3
Agnes 3
Annie 3
Charlotte 3
Harriet 3
Ellen 2
Isabella 2
Kate 2
Lily 2
Minnie 2
Ruth 2
Anne 1
Bertha 1
Betsy 1
Dorothy 1
Elizth. 1
Fanny 1
Gertrude 1
Grace 1
Harriett 1
Helen 1
J. 1
Janet 1
Janett 1
Jessie 1
Josephine 1
Leonara 1
Lilian 1
Lillie 1
Margret 1
Maria 1
Matilda 1
May 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 29
William 26
Thomas 17
Joseph 16
George 15
James 10
Matthew 6
Robert 6
Henry 4
Isaac 4
Richard 4
Alfred 3
Charles 3
Edward 3
Frederick 3
Harry 3
Basil 2
Edwin 2
Frank 2
Fred 2
Jacob 2
Jonathan 2
Louis 2
Peter 2
Anthoine 1
Arthur 1
C. 1
Chas. 1
Daniel 1
Davias 1
David 1
Edgar 1
Foster 1
Fredrick 1
Geo. 1
Harold 1
Heaton 1
Joselph 1
Joshua 1
Michael 1
Nathaniel 1
Ridley 1
Robt.J. 1
Rowland 1
Simeon 1
Thom. 1
Tom 1
Victor 1
W.Dick 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Cousin surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cousin surname in 1881?

In 1881, 584 people were recorded with the Cousin surname. That placed it at #5,979 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cousin surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 469 in 2016. That gives Cousin a modern rank of #10,491.

What does the Cousin surname mean?

An occupational surname for a relative, especially the child of one's aunt or uncle.

What does the Cousin map show?

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