NameCensus.

UK surname

Cowlam

In the 1881 census there were 69 people recorded with the Cowlam surname, ranking it #23,816 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 147, ranked #24,071, down from #23,816 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Hartlepool, Kingston upon Hull and Basingstoke and Deane.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cowlam is 154 in 2011. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 113.0%.

1881 census count

69

Ranked #23,816

Modern count

147

2016, ranked #24,071

Peak year

2011

154 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cowlam had 69 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #23,816 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 147 in 2016, ranked #24,071.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 99 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Cowlam surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cowlam surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cowlam 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 66 #21,617
1861 historical 48 #27,896
1881 historical 69 #23,816
1891 historical 60 #29,204
1901 historical 87 #24,386
1911 historical 99 #22,850
1997 modern 133 #22,705
1998 modern 132 #23,394
1999 modern 134 #23,378
2000 modern 132 #23,562
2001 modern 134 #23,037
2002 modern 142 #22,687
2003 modern 136 #23,045
2004 modern 141 #22,689
2005 modern 133 #23,502
2006 modern 139 #23,044
2007 modern 145 #22,693
2008 modern 149 #22,530
2009 modern 150 #22,937
2010 modern 153 #23,175
2011 modern 154 #22,886
2012 modern 150 #23,264
2013 modern 147 #23,977
2014 modern 153 #23,537
2015 modern 148 #23,934
2016 modern 147 #24,071

Geography

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Where Cowlams 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 Hartlepool, Kingston upon Hull and Basingstoke and Deane. 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 Hartlepool 007 Hartlepool
2 Kingston upon Hull 005 Kingston upon Hull, City of
3 Basingstoke and Deane 019 Basingstoke and Deane
4 Kingston upon Hull 033 Kingston upon Hull, City of
5 Kingston upon Hull 011 Kingston upon Hull, City of

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cowlam

These lists show first names that appear often with the Cowlam 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 Cowlam

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Cowlam surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Cowlam household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Cowlam is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Cowlam is most concentrated in decile 9 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

1881 census detail

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Cowlam families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cowlam 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. Yorkshire leads with 31 Cowlams recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.65x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 31 4.65x
Lincolnshire 26 24.16x
Nottinghamshire 6 6.61x
Leicestershire 2 2.68x
Durham 1 0.50x
Fife 1 2.51x
Huntingdonshire 1 7.49x
Kent 1 0.44x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leeds in Yorkshire leads with 20 Cowlams recorded in 1881 and an index of 53.11x.

Place Total Index
Leeds 20 53.11x
Holy Trinity 10 62.34x
Spittlegate 7 469.80x
Nottingham St Mary 6 25.56x
Clee With Weelsby 5 211.86x
West Rasen 5 8333.33x
Old Sleaford 4 3333.33x
Great Grimsby 2 29.28x
Loughborough 2 59.00x
Market Rasen 2 333.33x
Bentham 1 196.08x
Bromley 1 28.57x
Cleethorpes 1 158.73x
Dunfermline 1 16.31x
Fletton 1 232.56x
Hartlepool 1 35.09x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Eliza 4
Mary 4
Elizabeth 3
Emma 2
Louisa 2
Alice 1
Alicia 1
Ann 1
Annie 1
Colley 1
Deborah 1
Elizth. 1
Emily 1
Fanny 1
Frances 1
Hannah 1
Jane 1
Kate 1
Martha 1
Rhoda 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 5
Henry 4
Charles 3
John 3
Herbert 2
James 2
Robert 2
Smalpage 2
Thomas 2
William 2
Alfred 1
Bennet 1
Bennett 1
Edwin 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
Horace 1
Jas. 1
Joseph 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Cowlam surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cowlam surname in 1881?

In 1881, 69 people were recorded with the Cowlam surname. That placed it at #23,816 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cowlam surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 147 in 2016. That gives Cowlam a modern rank of #24,071.

What does the Cowlam map show?

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