NameCensus.

UK surname

Cowcher

In the 1881 census there were 40 people recorded with the Cowcher surname, ranking it #28,011 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 154, ranked #23,293, up from #28,011 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Isle of Wight, Bexley and Ceredigion.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cowcher is 157 in 2015. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 285.0%.

1881 census count

40

Ranked #28,011

Modern count

154

2016, ranked #23,293

Peak year

2015

157 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cowcher had 40 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #28,011 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 154 in 2016, ranked #23,293.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 56 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Cowcher surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cowcher surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cowcher 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 32 #27,570
1861 historical 26 #30,677
1881 historical 40 #28,011
1891 historical 49 #30,349
1901 historical 52 #28,377
1911 historical 56 #27,216
1997 modern 118 #24,423
1998 modern 112 #25,856
1999 modern 106 #26,885
2000 modern 109 #26,381
2001 modern 110 #25,900
2002 modern 120 #25,110
2003 modern 113 #25,797
2004 modern 132 #23,625
2005 modern 129 #23,963
2006 modern 133 #23,711
2007 modern 137 #23,590
2008 modern 140 #23,511
2009 modern 149 #23,031
2010 modern 153 #23,175
2011 modern 149 #23,408
2012 modern 153 #22,963
2013 modern 156 #23,004
2014 modern 156 #23,231
2015 modern 157 #22,997
2016 modern 154 #23,293

Geography

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Where Cowchers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Isle of Wight, Bexley, Ceredigion, Greenwich and Thurrock. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Isle of Wight 010 Isle of Wight
2 Bexley 002 Bexley
3 Ceredigion 010 Ceredigion
4 Greenwich 027 Greenwich
5 Thurrock 007 Thurrock

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cowcher

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cowcher

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Cowcher surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Cowcher household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Cowcher is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, 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

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

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

Cowcher 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

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

1881 census detail

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Cowcher families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cowcher 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. Essex leads with 14 Cowchers recorded in 1881 and an index of 18.18x.

County Total Index
Essex 14 18.18x
Gloucestershire 9 11.77x
Kent 9 6.76x
Pembrokeshire 3 24.21x
Leicestershire 2 4.63x
Berkshire 1 3.42x
Hampshire 1 1.25x
Sussex 1 1.52x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. West Ham in Essex leads with 14 Cowchers recorded in 1881 and an index of 82.35x.

Place Total Index
West Ham 14 82.35x
Charlton Next Woolwich 9 647.48x
Gloucester St John Baptist 7 1428.57x
Tenby St Mary In 3 476.19x
Wigston Magna 2 350.88x
Abingdon St Helen 1 116.28x
Battle 1 227.27x
Longhope 1 769.23x
Minsterworth 1 1666.67x
Portsea 1 6.38x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Henry 2
James 2
Thomas 2
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
Charles 1
Edward 1
Francis 1
Harold 1
Ivor 1
John 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Cowcher households.

FAQ

Cowcher surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cowcher surname in 1881?

In 1881, 40 people were recorded with the Cowcher surname. That placed it at #28,011 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cowcher surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 154 in 2016. That gives Cowcher a modern rank of #23,293.

What does the Cowcher map show?

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