NameCensus.

UK surname

Cousins

A surname derived from the French term "cousin," indicating a relative or descendant of an uncle.

In the 1881 census there were 5,369 people recorded with the Cousins surname, ranking it #830 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 7,859, ranked #837, down from #830 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), London parishes and Lambeth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include King's Lynn and West Norfolk, South Somerset and Babergh.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cousins is 8,415 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 46.4%.

1881 census count

5,369

Ranked #830

Modern count

7,859

2016, ranked #837

Peak year

1999

8,415 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cousins had 5,369 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #830 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 7,859 in 2016, ranked #837.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 7,364 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Cousins surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cousins surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Cousins 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 3,111 #929
1861 historical 3,318 #859
1881 historical 5,369 #830
1891 historical 5,919 #796
1901 historical 7,043 #784
1911 historical 7,364 #704
1997 modern 8,018 #794
1998 modern 8,344 #792
1999 modern 8,415 #795
2000 modern 8,361 #795
2001 modern 8,165 #798
2002 modern 8,343 #795
2003 modern 8,146 #798
2004 modern 8,092 #801
2005 modern 7,939 #805
2006 modern 7,901 #808
2007 modern 8,006 #809
2008 modern 8,081 #806
2009 modern 8,263 #805
2010 modern 8,398 #806
2011 modern 8,219 #812
2012 modern 7,992 #819
2013 modern 8,098 #820
2014 modern 8,117 #825
2015 modern 7,949 #833
2016 modern 7,859 #837

Geography

Back to top

Where Cousins' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), London parishes, Lambeth and Sheffield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to King's Lynn and West Norfolk, South Somerset, Babergh and Fenland. 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 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 015 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
2 South Somerset 014 South Somerset
3 Babergh 011 Babergh
4 Babergh 010 Babergh
5 Fenland 003 Fenland

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Cousins

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Cousins

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

Cousins 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

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

Meaning and origin of Cousins

The surname Cousins is of English origin, derived from the Old French word "cosin," meaning a blood relative or kinsman. It emerged as a descriptive surname in the Middle Ages, referring to someone who was a cousin or relative of an individual or family of higher social standing.

The earliest known record of the surname Cousins dates back to the late 12th century, appearing in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1195. During this period, the name was also found in various forms, such as Cosin, Cosyn, and Cossyn.

One of the earliest documented bearers of the name was Richard Cosyn, who was mentioned in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1259. The Feet of Fines were legal documents recording the transfer of land or property ownership.

The Cousins surname has roots in various regions across England, including Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Essex. It was particularly prevalent in the parish of Fiskerton, Lincolnshire, where the name is thought to have originated from a local family of prominence.

In the 14th century, the Cousins name appeared in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire, which recorded taxpayers. This indicates that the family had established itself in the region by that time.

One notable bearer of the Cousins surname was John Cousins (c. 1430-1504), a prominent English merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Drapers in London. He served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1486-1487.

Another historical figure was Samuel Cousins (1801-1887), a renowned English engraver and member of the Royal Academy. He was particularly celebrated for his mezzotint engravings and portraits of notable figures, including Sir Thomas Lawrence's famous portrait of Charles William Lambton.

In the 16th century, the Cousins name was also found in the parish records of Chesterton, Cambridgeshire, where the surname was sometimes spelled as "Cussens" or "Cussins."

During the English Civil War, Captain John Cousins (c. 1610-1687) was a prominent Parliamentarian soldier who fought alongside Oliver Cromwell's forces. He later became a member of the Honourable Artillery Company and served as its Lieutenant-Colonel.

Another notable figure was William Cousins (1628-1683), an English clergyman and writer who served as the Rector of Raydon in Suffolk. He authored several religious works, including "The Doctrine of Eternal Life" and "The Christian's Manual."

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Cousins families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cousins 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. Middlesex leads with 635 Cousins' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.21x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 635 1.21x
Yorkshire 504 0.97x
Surrey 397 1.55x
Hampshire 382 3.55x
Kent 262 1.46x
Devon 231 2.11x
Essex 227 2.19x
Lancashire 213 0.34x
Somerset 202 2.39x
Suffolk 201 3.14x
Norfolk 178 2.20x
Glamorgan 149 1.63x
Gloucestershire 149 1.45x
Lincolnshire 131 1.56x
Sussex 121 1.37x
Dorset 110 3.19x
Berkshire 108 2.74x
Hertfordshire 108 2.98x
Cambridgeshire 103 3.09x
Durham 86 0.55x
Northamptonshire 84 1.70x
Nottinghamshire 78 1.10x
Pembrokeshire 70 4.19x
Leicestershire 59 1.01x
Wiltshire 52 1.12x
Derbyshire 48 0.58x
Oxfordshire 46 1.42x
Bedfordshire 36 1.32x
Monmouthshire 36 0.95x
Warwickshire 36 0.27x
Staffordshire 34 0.19x
Lanarkshire 33 0.19x
Northumberland 27 0.35x
Cheshire 24 0.21x
Huntingdonshire 24 2.30x
Clackmannanshire 18 4.15x
Cornwall 18 0.30x
Rutland 18 4.66x
Cumberland 16 0.35x
Channel Islands 15 0.96x
Buckinghamshire 13 0.41x
Midlothian 12 0.17x
Worcestershire 11 0.16x
Argyllshire 10 0.68x
Herefordshire 9 0.42x
Westmorland 9 0.78x
Aberdeenshire 8 0.16x
Cardiganshire 7 0.55x
Royal Navy 7 1.12x
Dunbartonshire 6 0.42x
Isle of Man 6 0.61x
Shropshire 5 0.11x
Carmarthenshire 4 0.18x
Ayrshire 3 0.08x
Perthshire 3 0.13x
Angus 2 0.04x
Wigtownshire 2 0.29x
Anglesey 1 0.11x
Flintshire 1 0.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Portsea in Hampshire leads with 82 Cousins' recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.88x.

Place Total Index
Portsea 82 3.88x
Lambeth 77 1.68x
Hitchin 65 39.75x
Islington London 60 1.18x
Newington 60 3.09x
Mile End Old Town London 51 4.56x
Stoke By Nayland 47 227.16x
Kensington London 45 1.54x
West Ham 45 1.96x
Sheffield 44 2.65x
Brightside Bierlow 40 3.92x
Hackney London 40 1.36x
Camberwell 38 1.13x
Leeds 37 1.26x
St Pancras London 36 0.85x
Bethnal Green London 33 1.45x
Shoreditch London 33 1.45x
Kings Sutton 32 145.65x
Alverstoke 29 7.44x
Greenwich 29 3.47x
Hammersmith London 29 2.24x
Otterbourne 29 188.31x
Battersea 28 1.45x
Paddington London 28 1.45x
St George Hanover Square 27 2.92x
Wisbech St Mary 27 70.66x
Fareham 26 20.08x
Ystradyfodwg 26 3.24x
Bishop Auckland 24 11.44x
Great Melton 24 424.78x
Kirkdale 24 2.29x
West Derby 24 1.32x
Glasgow 23 0.76x
Reading St Mary 23 7.28x
Eastbourne 22 5.40x
Orpington 22 40.07x
Plumstead 22 3.68x
Titchfield 22 27.10x
Clapham 21 3.20x
Plymouth St Andrew 21 2.49x
Stoke Damerel 21 2.74x
Bristol St George 20 4.20x
Nottingham St Mary 20 1.09x
St Marylebone London 19 0.68x
Bermondsey 18 1.15x
Brighton 18 1.01x
Croydon 18 1.27x
St George Bloomsbury 18 5.97x
Bromley London 17 1.47x
Chelmsford 17 9.55x
Middlesbrough 17 2.51x
South Creake 17 92.64x
Street 17 37.14x
Swansea Town 17 2.27x
Abingdon St Helen 16 13.87x
Harston 16 538.72x
Lambourne 16 103.76x
Messing 16 123.55x
Corsham 15 22.11x
Deptford St Paul 15 1.08x
Harthill Cum Woodall 15 75.19x
Lee 15 5.76x
Newark Upon Trent 15 5.89x
St Issells 15 42.47x
Thetford St Mary 15 68.18x
Aberdare 14 2.23x
Belgrave 14 10.64x
Colebrooke 14 109.72x
Godalming 14 8.68x
Handsworth 14 10.17x
Ipswich St Mary At Tower 14 98.59x
Kilsby 14 129.87x
Llantwit Vairdre 14 13.61x
Minchinhampton 14 17.05x
Nether Hallam 14 1.99x
Southampton St Mary 14 2.07x
St Helier 14 2.76x
St Peterat Gowts Lincoln 14 11.84x
Walsall Borough 14 10.17x
Walton On Thames 14 11.91x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 325
Elizabeth 207
Sarah 183
Eliza 100
Jane 92
Emma 89
Ann 83
Emily 82
Annie 80
Ellen 77
Alice 72
Charlotte 48
Louisa 44
Martha 44
Florence 43
Hannah 41
Edith 40
Maria 34
Margaret 33
Clara 31
Susan 31
Caroline 30
Harriet 30
Ada 27
Fanny 27
Kate 26
Frances 24
Lucy 24
Anne 23
Catherine 22
Rebecca 22
Amelia 20
Harriett 20
Agnes 17
Matilda 17
Elizth. 16
Rose 16
Minnie 15
Anna 14
Esther 14
Sophia 13
Beatrice 12
Jessie 12
Bessie 11
Isabella 11
Selina 11
Amy 10
Gertrude 10
Julia 10
Lizzie 10

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 350
John 264
George 217
Charles 177
Thomas 161
James 135
Henry 102
Joseph 77
Arthur 76
Robert 63
Frederick 62
Alfred 60
Edward 54
Walter 53
Albert 46
Samuel 39
Richard 31
Herbert 27
Frank 26
Harry 24
Ernest 20
Wm. 19
David 14
Edwin 13
Francis 13
Fred 13
Benjamin 12
Geo. 11
Sidney 11
Stephen 11
Fredrick 10
Thos. 10
Abraham 8
Alexander 8
Daniel 8
Fredk. 8
Isaac 7
Edmund 6
Eli 6
Mark 6
Tom 6
Edwd. 5
Matthew 5
Philip 5
Sydney 5
Willm. 5
Luke 4
Peter 4
Ralph 4
Jabez 3

FAQ

Cousins surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cousins surname in 1881?

In 1881, 5,369 people were recorded with the Cousins surname. That placed it at #830 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cousins surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 7,859 in 2016. That gives Cousins a modern rank of #837.

What does the Cousins surname mean?

A surname derived from the French term "cousin," indicating a relative or descendant of an uncle.

What does the Cousins map show?

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