NameCensus.

UK surname

Cowdell

A locational surname derived from a place name referring to a cow dell or valley.

In the 1881 census there were 251 people recorded with the Cowdell surname, ranking it #11,041 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 448, ranked #10,842, up from #11,041 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Kington, Birstall and Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rotherham, Barnsley and Blaenau Gwent.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cowdell is 486 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 78.5%.

1881 census count

251

Ranked #11,041

Modern count

448

2016, ranked #10,842

Peak year

1999

486 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cowdell had 251 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,041 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 448 in 2016, ranked #10,842.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 440 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Cowdell surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cowdell surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cowdell 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 133 #14,106
1861 historical 179 #13,127
1881 historical 251 #11,041
1891 historical 264 #12,235
1901 historical 392 #9,623
1911 historical 440 #8,661
1997 modern 452 #10,034
1998 modern 476 #9,974
1999 modern 486 #9,883
2000 modern 474 #10,029
2001 modern 464 #10,002
2002 modern 463 #10,202
2003 modern 450 #10,293
2004 modern 448 #10,355
2005 modern 433 #10,516
2006 modern 448 #10,269
2007 modern 441 #10,513
2008 modern 451 #10,394
2009 modern 460 #10,481
2010 modern 472 #10,488
2011 modern 470 #10,432
2012 modern 453 #10,598
2013 modern 454 #10,762
2014 modern 459 #10,731
2015 modern 454 #10,751
2016 modern 448 #10,842

Geography

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Where Cowdells are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Kington, Birstall, Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars, Bingham and Bedwelty. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Rotherham, Barnsley, Blaenau Gwent and Stockton-on-Tees. 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 Kington Radnorshire
2 Birstall Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire
4 Bingham Nottinghamshire
5 Bedwelty Monmouthshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rotherham 001 Rotherham
2 Barnsley 007 Barnsley
3 Blaenau Gwent 003 Blaenau Gwent
4 Blaenau Gwent 006 Blaenau Gwent
5 Stockton-on-Tees 018 Stockton-on-Tees

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cowdell

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cowdell

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Cowdell surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Cowdell household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Cowdell is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Cowdell 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

Cowdell falls in decile 2 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Cowdell

The surname COWDELL is of English origin and dates back to the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "cu" meaning cow and "dell" meaning valley or dell, suggesting the name originated from someone who lived in a cow valley or meadow.

The earliest recorded spelling of the surname appears to be Cudel in the Pipe Rolls of Buckinghamshire in 1195. By the 13th century, variations such as Coudel, Coudell, and Cowdell had emerged.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was John Cowdell, a landowner recorded in the Feet of Fines for Oxfordshire in 1308. Another early reference is found in the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire, where a Richard Cowdell is listed in 1379.

During the 16th century, the name was particularly prevalent in the counties of Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, with records showing families in places like Aylesbury, Winslow, and Bicester. A notable bearer from this period was William Cowdell (1531-1601), a wealthy wool merchant from Winslow.

In the 17th century, the surname spread further across southern England, with records in counties like Hampshire, Berkshire, and Wiltshire. A prominent figure was Sir John Cowdell (1615-1684), a Member of Parliament for Ludgershall and landowner in Wiltshire.

The 18th century saw the name established in London, with Thomas Cowdell (1740-1819) being a well-known engraver and printmaker. Another notable bearer was Captain James Cowdell (1737-1798), a Royal Navy officer who served during the American Revolutionary War.

In the 19th century, members of the Cowdell family continued to make their mark, with James Cowdell (1813-1891) being a successful architect responsible for designing several churches and public buildings in London.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cowdell families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cowdell 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. Nottinghamshire leads with 30 Cowdells recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.24x.

County Total Index
Nottinghamshire 30 9.24x
Yorkshire 24 1.01x
Lancashire 23 0.80x
Surrey 20 1.70x
Leicestershire 19 7.11x
Cheshire 14 2.63x
Middlesex 13 0.54x
Huntingdonshire 10 20.90x
Renfrewshire 10 5.36x
Lincolnshire 9 2.34x
Monmouthshire 9 5.17x
Shropshire 9 4.32x
Herefordshire 8 8.10x
Staffordshire 8 0.98x
Suffolk 8 2.73x
Worcestershire 8 2.54x
Derbyshire 7 1.86x
Essex 7 1.47x
Warwickshire 5 0.82x
Rutland 4 22.61x
Hampshire 1 0.20x
Kent 1 0.12x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bingham in Nottinghamshire leads with 22 Cowdells recorded in 1881 and an index of 1594.20x.

Place Total Index
Bingham 22 1594.20x
Gomersal 12 107.72x
Toxteth Park 11 11.36x
Bermondsey 10 13.94x
East Greenock 10 56.72x
Glatton Holme 10 3846.15x
Bedwellty 9 29.27x
Accrington 8 30.78x
Dudley 8 20.92x
Hollingworth 8 365.30x
Ipswich St Margaret 8 80.32x
Kington 8 326.53x
Mirfield 8 61.02x
Syston 8 320.00x
Brampton 7 132.83x
Madeley 7 91.74x
Ruddington 7 321.10x
Kensington London 6 4.48x
Leicester St Margaret 6 9.21x
West Ham 6 5.71x
Croydon 5 7.67x
Hinckley 5 78.86x
Stixwould 5 2631.58x
Walsall Foreign 5 11.90x
Birmingham 4 1.98x
Guisbrough 4 76.63x
Seaton 4 1538.46x
Monks Coppenhall 3 14.95x
Stockport 3 10.96x
Barlaston 2 294.12x
Camberwell 2 1.30x
Cowbit 2 377.36x
Islington London 2 0.86x
Southwark St Saviour 2 16.16x
St Pancras London 2 1.03x
West Derby 2 2.39x
Aldershot 1 6.05x
Aslockton 1 303.03x
Battersea 1 1.13x
Boston 1 8.55x
Dawley 1 13.21x
Harborne 1 3.84x
Hendon 1 11.53x
Kirkdale 1 2.08x
Ludford 1 263.16x
Paddington London 1 1.13x
Rugby 1 12.17x
St Marylebone London 1 0.78x
Swanscombe 1 27.10x
Wanstead 1 12.00x
Warrington 1 2.95x
Whaplode 1 76.34x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 14
William 13
George 9
Arthur 7
James 7
Samuel 7
Alfred 6
Henry 5
Joseph 5
Edward 4
Thomas 4
Albert 3
Charles 3
Frank 3
Herbert 3
Edwin 2
Frederick 2
Walter 2
Andrew 1
Baron 1
Chas. 1
Edmund 1
Edwd.C. 1
Enoch 1
Fred 1
Horace 1
Iram 1
Isaac 1
Jesse 1
Job 1
Levi 1
Mark 1
Mary 1
Moreton 1
Richard 1
Robert 1
Sidney 1
Sindrey 1
Todd 1
Tom 1
Zack 1

FAQ

Cowdell surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cowdell surname in 1881?

In 1881, 251 people were recorded with the Cowdell surname. That placed it at #11,041 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cowdell surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 448 in 2016. That gives Cowdell a modern rank of #10,842.

What does the Cowdell surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place name referring to a cow dell or valley.

What does the Cowdell map show?

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