NameCensus.

UK surname

Cowap

In the 1881 census there were 211 people recorded with the Cowap surname, ranking it #12,407 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 407, ranked #11,735, up from #12,407 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bunbury, Tarporley and Chester St Oswald, Little St John, Cathedral Church, St Peter, St Bridget, St Martin, Holy Trinity. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cheshire East, Isle of Anglesey and Cheshire West and Chester.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cowap is 447 in 2011. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 92.9%.

1881 census count

211

Ranked #12,407

Modern count

407

2016, ranked #11,735

Peak year

2011

447 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cowap had 211 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,407 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 407 in 2016, ranked #11,735.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 335 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Cowap surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cowap surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cowap 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 155 #12,604
1861 historical 188 #12,628
1881 historical 211 #12,407
1891 historical 271 #11,992
1901 historical 327 #10,966
1911 historical 335 #10,584
1997 modern 408 #10,844
1998 modern 417 #11,026
1999 modern 425 #10,954
2000 modern 442 #10,597
2001 modern 430 #10,619
2002 modern 434 #10,751
2003 modern 431 #10,653
2004 modern 421 #10,866
2005 modern 411 #10,956
2006 modern 414 #10,946
2007 modern 431 #10,703
2008 modern 442 #10,573
2009 modern 437 #10,947
2010 modern 445 #11,002
2011 modern 447 #10,847
2012 modern 422 #11,223
2013 modern 429 #11,280
2014 modern 425 #11,432
2015 modern 413 #11,622
2016 modern 407 #11,735

Geography

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Where Cowaps are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bunbury, Tarporley, Chester St Oswald, Little St John, Cathedral Church, St Peter, St Bridget, St Martin, Holy Trinity, Manchester and Great Budworth (Witton with Twambrook), Davenham (Leftwich). These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cheshire East, Isle of Anglesey, Cheshire West and Chester and Wigan. 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 Bunbury Cheshire
2 Tarporley Cheshire
3 Chester St Oswald, Little St John, Cathedral Church, St Peter, St Bridget, St Martin, Holy Trinity Cheshire
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 Great Budworth (Witton with Twambrook), Davenham (Leftwich) Cheshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cheshire East 051 Cheshire East
2 Cheshire East 041 Cheshire East
3 Isle of Anglesey 004 Isle of Anglesey
4 Cheshire West and Chester 045 Cheshire West and Chester
5 Wigan 008 Wigan

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cowap

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cowap

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

Cowap is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Cowap falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Cowap families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cowap 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. Cheshire leads with 163 Cowaps recorded in 1881 and an index of 35.88x.

County Total Index
Cheshire 163 35.88x
Lancashire 38 1.56x
Warwickshire 3 0.58x
Sussex 2 0.58x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.52x
Cornwall 1 0.43x
Durham 1 0.16x
Hampshire 1 0.24x
Yorkshire 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Monks Coppenhall in Cheshire leads with 23 Cowaps recorded in 1881 and an index of 134.19x.

Place Total Index
Monks Coppenhall 23 134.19x
Tarporley 11 1157.89x
Weston In Runcorn 11 932.20x
Kingswood 10 5882.35x
Little Leigh 10 3125.00x
Church Minshull 9 3333.33x
Wigan 9 26.37x
Chester Holy Trinity 7 328.64x
Preston On Hill 7 1750.00x
Little Budworth 6 1578.95x
Little Stanney 6 5454.55x
Salford 6 8.35x
Tiverton 6 1621.62x
Antrobus 4 1290.32x
Dunham On The Hill 4 2105.26x
High Leigh 4 666.67x
Newton 4 21.25x
Tranmere 4 23.95x
Ashton 3 1111.11x
Bunbury 3 483.87x
Cheetham 3 16.47x
Elton In Congleton 3 769.23x
Handley 3 1578.95x
Levenshulme 3 119.52x
Mancetter 3 201.34x
Over 3 64.94x
Spurstow 3 937.50x
Walton On Hill 3 22.68x
Chester St Oswald 2 24.30x
Elton In Chester 2 1428.57x
Great Little Saughall 2 400.00x
Helsby 2 350.88x
Hurleston 2 2222.22x
Leftwich 2 99.01x
Liverpool 2 1.35x
Midhurst 2 175.44x
Pendleton In Salford 2 6.87x
Toxteth Park 2 2.42x
West Derby 2 2.80x
Aldersey 1 1250.00x
Blakenhall 1 714.29x
Dutton 1 312.50x
Falmouth 1 12.12x
Great Crosby 1 15.02x
Halton 1 99.01x
Hatton In Waverton 1 1000.00x
Kelsall 1 222.22x
Lea 1 2000.00x
Malpas 1 149.25x
Manley 1 454.55x
Newton By Frodsham 1 1250.00x
Peterhead 1 9.92x
Portsmouth 1 10.30x
Poulton Cum Spital 1 357.14x
Tadcaster West 1 62.11x
Warrington 1 3.45x
Winlaton 1 17.04x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 17
Sarah 9
Elizabeth 8
Emma 6
Ellen 5
Hannah 5
Martha 5
Ann 4
Annie 4
Emily 3
Margaret 3
Alice 2
Gertrude 2
Harriet 2
Jane 2
Maria 2
Ada 1
Amy 1
Annita 1
Beatrice 1
Betsy 1
Catherine 1
Edith 1
Eliza. 1
Elizth. 1
Fanny 1
Frances 1
Harriett 1
Isabella 1
Lizzie 1
Louisa 1
Mabel 1
Polly 1
Rosa 1
Sabina 1
Selina 1
Susannah 1
Violet 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 24
William 18
James 8
Thomas 8
George 7
Samuel 7
Charles 4
Henry 4
Harry 3
Joseph 3
David 2
Edmund 2
Edward 2
Thos. 2
Arthur 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Frank 1
Fred. 1
Frederick 1
Fredk. 1
Henery 1
Herbert 1
Hugh 1
Percy 1
Richard 1
Robert 1
Stephen 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Cowap surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cowap surname in 1881?

In 1881, 211 people were recorded with the Cowap surname. That placed it at #12,407 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cowap surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 407 in 2016. That gives Cowap a modern rank of #11,735.

What does the Cowap map show?

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