NameCensus.

UK surname

Cowler

In the 1881 census there were 124 people recorded with the Cowler surname, ranking it #17,429 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 230, ranked #17,812, down from #17,429 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Stanstead Abbots, Exeter St David (including Castle Yard) and St Bees. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Hertfordshire, North Devon and Poole.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cowler is 273 in 1997. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 85.5%.

1881 census count

124

Ranked #17,429

Modern count

230

2016, ranked #17,812

Peak year

1997

273 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cowler had 124 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #17,429 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 230 in 2016, ranked #17,812.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 237 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Cowler surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cowler surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cowler 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 85 #18,940
1861 historical 200 #12,005
1881 historical 124 #17,429
1891 historical 173 #16,600
1901 historical 177 #16,342
1911 historical 237 #13,406
1997 modern 273 #14,417
1998 modern 266 #15,053
1999 modern 257 #15,506
2000 modern 251 #15,692
2001 modern 240 #15,912
2002 modern 249 #15,855
2003 modern 251 #15,563
2004 modern 249 #15,739
2005 modern 251 #15,590
2006 modern 247 #15,860
2007 modern 241 #16,341
2008 modern 239 #16,583
2009 modern 245 #16,646
2010 modern 251 #16,749
2011 modern 242 #17,001
2012 modern 228 #17,584
2013 modern 226 #17,969
2014 modern 226 #18,088
2015 modern 227 #17,941
2016 modern 230 #17,812

Geography

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Where Cowlers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Stanstead Abbots, Exeter St David (including Castle Yard), St Bees, Barnstaple, Bishops Tawton and St Thomas the Apostle, Whitestone. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Hertfordshire, North Devon and Poole. 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 Stanstead Abbots Hertfordshire
2 Exeter St David (including Castle Yard) Devon
3 St Bees Cumberland
4 Barnstaple, Bishops Tawton Devon
5 St Thomas the Apostle, Whitestone Devon

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Hertfordshire 003 East Hertfordshire
2 East Hertfordshire 002 East Hertfordshire
3 North Devon 005 North Devon
4 North Devon 008 North Devon
5 Poole 014 Poole

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cowler

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cowler

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Cowler 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

Cowler is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Cowler falls in decile 9 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.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Cowler is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

1881 census detail

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Cowler families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cowler 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. Devon leads with 48 Cowlers recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.07x.

County Total Index
Devon 48 19.07x
Essex 21 8.80x
Hertfordshire 19 22.79x
Yorkshire 13 1.08x
Cumberland 6 5.76x
Glamorgan 4 1.90x
Lancashire 4 0.28x
Berkshire 3 3.30x
Middlesex 3 0.25x
Surrey 2 0.34x
Lanarkshire 1 0.26x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Exeter St Thomas The in Devon leads with 12 Cowlers recorded in 1881 and an index of 466.93x.

Place Total Index
Exeter St Thomas The 12 466.93x
Standon 11 1279.07x
Ilfracombe 9 347.49x
Braunton 8 941.18x
Little Coggeshall 8 5333.33x
Stanstead Abbots 8 1568.63x
Kelvedon 7 1093.75x
Barnstaple 6 151.90x
Sculcoates 6 31.58x
West Ham 6 11.38x
Bootle Cum Linacre 4 35.09x
Chittlehampton 4 645.16x
Fremington 4 784.31x
Northam 4 218.58x
Preston Quarter 4 136.99x
Scarborough 4 36.73x
Bray 3 112.36x
Haverah Park 3 10000.00x
Llansamlet Lower 3 157.07x
Distington 2 370.37x
Penge 2 25.87x
Bow London 1 6.49x
Dylais Higher 1 285.71x
Islington London 1 0.85x
Maryhill 1 13.05x
Morthoe 1 555.56x
St George Hanover Square 1 4.69x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 9
Eliza 4
Emily 4
Sarah 4
Alice 3
Ann 3
Elizabeth 3
Annie 2
Ellen 2
Harriet 2
Kate 2
Lucy 2
Martha 2
Amelia 1
Anne 1
Beatrice 1
Betsy 1
Caroline 1
Christine 1
Clara 1
Dora 1
Elen 1
Emma 1
Hephsibal 1
Jane 1
Jema 1
Mabel 1
Phebe 1
Priscilla 1
Rose 1
Selena 1
Selina 1
Teresa 1
Zillah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 12
William 11
George 5
Charles 4
James 4
Arthur 3
Richard 2
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Charlie 1
Daniel 1
Ernest 1
Frederic 1
Fredk 1
Fredrick 1
Geo. 1
Henry 1
Isaac 1
Joseph 1
Robert 1
Robt. 1
Samuel 1
Thomas 1
Walter 1
Wm 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Cowler surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cowler surname in 1881?

In 1881, 124 people were recorded with the Cowler surname. That placed it at #17,429 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cowler surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 230 in 2016. That gives Cowler a modern rank of #17,812.

What does the Cowler map show?

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