NameCensus.

UK surname

Cowden

A locational surname derived from a place in Scotland, likely meaning "coal valley" or "coal hill."

In the 1881 census there were 237 people recorded with the Cowden surname, ranking it #11,509 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 261, ranked #16,309, down from #11,509 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Toxteth Park, Manchester and Dumfries. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cheshire East, Paisley Foxbar and Burnbank Central and Udston.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cowden is 286 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 10.1%.

1881 census count

237

Ranked #11,509

Modern count

261

2016, ranked #16,309

Peak year

1998

286 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cowden had 237 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,509 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 261 in 2016, ranked #16,309.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 285 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Cowden surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cowden surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cowden 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 134 #14,033
1861 historical 230 #10,611
1881 historical 237 #11,509
1891 historical 252 #12,685
1901 historical 285 #12,063
1911 historical 133 #19,214
1997 modern 263 #14,769
1998 modern 286 #14,318
1999 modern 270 #14,992
2000 modern 263 #15,228
2001 modern 262 #15,034
2002 modern 270 #15,010
2003 modern 270 #14,825
2004 modern 269 #14,955
2005 modern 251 #15,590
2006 modern 250 #15,749
2007 modern 257 #15,606
2008 modern 250 #16,065
2009 modern 256 #16,145
2010 modern 253 #16,652
2011 modern 251 #16,589
2012 modern 262 #16,001
2013 modern 255 #16,551
2014 modern 263 #16,334
2015 modern 260 #16,361
2016 modern 261 #16,309

Geography

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Where Cowdens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Toxteth Park, Manchester, Dumfries, Glasgow and Walton-on-the-Hill. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cheshire East, Paisley Foxbar, Burnbank Central and Udston, Milnwood and Paisley Central. 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 Toxteth Park Lancashire
2 Manchester Lancashire
3 Dumfries Dumfries
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Walton-on-the-Hill Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cheshire East 040 Cheshire East
2 Paisley Foxbar Renfrewshire
3 Burnbank Central and Udston South Lanarkshire
4 Milnwood North Lanarkshire
5 Paisley Central Renfrewshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cowden

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cowden

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

Legacy Communities

Group

Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities

Nationally, the Cowden surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Cowden household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Households in these areas often include divorced or separated parents and commonly include children and young adults. The age structure is heavily skewed towards the most advanced age groups. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are not present in large numbers. Flats predominate, with some terraced, semi-detached, and detached units. Multiple car ownership is low, and housing is predominantly in the private and social rented sectors. Employment is less skewed towards traditional routine industrial occupations. Levels of educational attainment are generally low. The Group occurs principally in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and other Scottish towns.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Cowden 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

Cowden is most concentrated in decile 2 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Cowden falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Cowden is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Cowden, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Cowden

The surname Cowden is of English origin and dates back to the medieval period. It is a locational name derived from the Old English words 'cu' meaning cow and 'denu' meaning valley, effectively translating as 'cow valley'. The name likely originated from a place named Cowden in various parts of England, including Kent, Suffolk, and Yorkshire.

One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is recorded as 'Codene'. This suggests that the name was already in use by the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066. The spelling variations in early records include Cowden, Coudene, and Couden.

In the 13th century, a person by the name of John de Coudene was listed in the Assize Court Rolls of Yorkshire in 1219. This is one of the earliest recorded instances of an individual bearing the surname Cowden.

Another notable figure was Sir Ralph de Cowdene, a landowner and knight who lived in the 14th century and is mentioned in various historical documents from Kent.

During the 16th century, the surname appears in the records of the Parish of Cowden in Kent, where families with the name Cowden were listed as landowners and residents.

In the 17th century, a prominent figure was John Cowden, a member of the English Parliament who represented the borough of Rye in Sussex from 1640 to 1644.

In the 18th century, Edward Cowden (1737-1809) was a well-known English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Deptford and wrote several theological works.

In the 19th century, Clarke Cowden Clarke (1787-1858) was a notable English writer and lecturer who published works on Shakespeare and other literary figures, while his wife, Mary Cowden Clarke (1809-1898), was a renowned author and scholar known for her works on Shakespeare and her contributions to Victorian literature.

These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who bore the surname Cowden, demonstrating its long-standing presence and significance in various parts of England.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cowden families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cowden 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. Renfrewshire leads with 64 Cowdens recorded in 1881 and an index of 35.87x.

County Total Index
Renfrewshire 64 35.87x
Lancashire 44 1.61x
Lanarkshire 37 4.97x
Kirkcudbrightshire 15 45.02x
Glamorgan 10 2.49x
Wigtownshire 9 29.44x
Dumfriesshire 8 15.73x
Northumberland 7 2.04x
Surrey 7 0.62x
Yorkshire 6 0.26x
Fife 4 2.94x
Kent 4 0.51x
Middlesex 4 0.17x
Warwickshire 4 0.69x
Berkshire 3 1.74x
Cumberland 2 1.01x
Ayrshire 1 0.58x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.72x
Cheshire 1 0.20x
East Lothian 1 3.28x
Gloucestershire 1 0.22x
Huntingdonshire 1 2.19x
Midlothian 1 0.32x
Staffordshire 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. Abbey in Renfrewshire leads with 18 Cowdens recorded in 1881 and an index of 66.13x.

Place Total Index
Abbey 18 66.13x
Paisley High Church 18 126.76x
Paisley Low Church 17 300.89x
Urr 15 346.42x
Toxteth Park 14 15.14x
Govan 13 7.06x
Kirkmaiden 9 466.32x
Walton On Hill 9 60.81x
Carluke 8 118.34x
Inchinnan 7 1750.00x
Kirkdale 7 15.23x
Ardwick 6 24.35x
Glasgow 6 4.54x
Merthyr Tydfil 6 15.57x
Old Monkland 6 20.31x
Tynemouth 6 32.72x
Dumfries 5 99.60x
Battersea 4 4.72x
Birmingham 4 2.07x
Cardiff St Mary 4 18.12x
Doncaster 4 24.00x
Kinghorn 4 138.41x
Chadderton 3 22.47x
Southwark Christchurch 3 27.80x
Above Derwent 2 270.27x
Barony 2 1.06x
East Greenock 2 11.87x
Greenwich 2 5.46x
Habergham Eaves 2 8.01x
Leeds 2 1.55x
Lochmaben 2 89.69x
Woolwich 2 6.89x
Applegarth 1 129.87x
Cheltenham 1 2.87x
Crawfordjohn 1 149.25x
Eastwood 1 9.10x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 1 0.81x
Glassford 1 86.96x
Haddington 1 22.22x
Hulme 1 1.75x
Huntingdon St Mary 1 87.72x
Kensington London 1 0.78x
Kilmarnock 1 4.88x
Liverpool 1 0.60x
New Windsor 1 17.21x
North Shields 1 14.62x
Paisley Middle Church 1 9.62x
Reading St Giles 1 5.90x
Reading St Lawrence 1 27.03x
Runcorn 1 8.53x
Salford 1 1.24x
St Anne Soho London 1 7.60x
St Marylebone London 1 0.81x
Westminster St James 1 4.22x
Wolverhampton 1 1.67x
Wycombe 1 9.64x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 5
Jane 4
Sarah 4
Annie 3
Eliza 3
Edith 2
Elizabeth 2
Ellen 2
Ann 1
Caroline 1
Clara 1
E. 1
Eleanor 1
Fanny 1
Georgiana 1
Hannah 1
Hannah. 1
Julia 1
Lousia 1
Maggie 1
Margaret 1
Martha 1
Maud 1
Minnie 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Cowden surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cowden surname in 1881?

In 1881, 237 people were recorded with the Cowden surname. That placed it at #11,509 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cowden surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 261 in 2016. That gives Cowden a modern rank of #16,309.

What does the Cowden surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place in Scotland, likely meaning "coal valley" or "coal hill."

What does the Cowden map show?

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