NameCensus.

UK surname

Cowlin

A surname derived from a diminutive form of a nickname for a cowherder.

In the 1881 census there were 275 people recorded with the Cowlin surname, ranking it #10,330 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 261, ranked #16,309, down from #10,330 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Coggeshall, Great. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Basildon, Braintree and North Somerset.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cowlin is 416 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 5.1%.

1881 census count

275

Ranked #10,330

Modern count

261

2016, ranked #16,309

Peak year

1911

416 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cowlin had 275 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,330 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 416 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Cowlin surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cowlin surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cowlin 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 181 #11,256
1861 historical 200 #12,005
1881 historical 275 #10,330
1891 historical 317 #10,611
1901 historical 359 #10,242
1911 historical 416 #9,028
1997 modern 354 #12,060
1998 modern 351 #12,511
1999 modern 332 #13,075
2000 modern 323 #13,268
2001 modern 317 #13,228
2002 modern 314 #13,589
2003 modern 299 #13,850
2004 modern 298 #13,937
2005 modern 299 #13,877
2006 modern 297 #14,004
2007 modern 307 #13,822
2008 modern 300 #14,135
2009 modern 299 #14,445
2010 modern 297 #14,841
2011 modern 290 #14,933
2012 modern 287 #14,978
2013 modern 289 #15,142
2014 modern 280 #15,621
2015 modern 271 #15,881
2016 modern 261 #16,309

Geography

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Where Cowlins are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, Coggeshall, Great and Chelmsford, Broomfield, Writtle, Widford, Chignal St James, Chignal Smealy. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Basildon, Braintree, North Somerset and Suffolk Coastal. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 Coggeshall, Great Essex
4 London parishes London 3
5 Chelmsford, Broomfield, Writtle, Widford, Chignal St James, Chignal Smealy Essex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Basildon 016 Basildon
2 Braintree 006 Braintree
3 North Somerset 018 North Somerset
4 Braintree 002 Braintree
5 Suffolk Coastal 004 Suffolk Coastal

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cowlin

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cowlin

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Cowlin is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

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

Cowlin is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Cowlin falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Cowlin is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Cowlin

The surname Cowlin is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "cu" meaning "cow" and the suffix "-lin" which denoted "a small or little one." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to a person who worked with cows or was responsible for tending to cattle.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Cowlin can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Shropshire from 1260, where a Henry Cowlin is mentioned as a landowner. This indicates that the name was already established in the region by the 13th century.

During the 14th century, the name appears in various records across several counties in England, including Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, and Gloucestershire. In 1327, a John Cowlin is listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Oxfordshire, while a Robert Cowlin is recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Warwickshire in 1332.

The Cowlin name has also been linked to certain place names in England, such as Cowling in Yorkshire and Cowley in Oxfordshire. These place names may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.

One notable individual bearing the Cowlin surname was Sir John Cowlin, who lived in the 15th century and served as a member of parliament for Oxfordshire in 1449. Another prominent figure was William Cowlin, born in 1588, who was a renowned scholar and author of several works on theology and philosophy.

In the 17th century, the name appears in various parish records and court documents across England. For example, in 1642, a Thomas Cowlin is mentioned in the Hertfordshire County Records as being involved in a legal dispute over land ownership.

Another individual of note was Robert Cowlin, born in 1674, who was a successful merchant and trader in London. He is recorded as having established a thriving business exporting goods to the American colonies.

Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, the Cowlin surname continued to be present in various parts of England, with families bearing the name scattered across counties such as Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, and Somerset.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cowlin families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cowlin 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 116 Cowlins recorded in 1881 and an index of 21.91x.

County Total Index
Essex 116 21.91x
Gloucestershire 38 7.22x
Somerset 22 5.10x
Surrey 21 1.61x
Middlesex 17 0.63x
Cornwall 15 4.94x
Suffolk 11 3.37x
Yorkshire 11 0.41x
Cambridgeshire 5 2.94x
Lancashire 5 0.16x
Sussex 5 1.11x
Northamptonshire 2 0.79x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.62x
Devon 1 0.18x
Hampshire 1 0.18x
Hertfordshire 1 0.54x
Kent 1 0.11x
Lincolnshire 1 0.23x
Northumberland 1 0.25x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Feering in Essex leads with 21 Cowlins recorded in 1881 and an index of 3000.00x.

Place Total Index
Feering 21 3000.00x
Bristol St Paul In 16 114.12x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 14 28.27x
Perranzabuloe 13 496.18x
Epping 12 558.14x
Lambeth 12 5.13x
St Marylebone London 12 8.38x
Bury St Edmunds St Mary 10 163.13x
Tillingham 10 1075.27x
Dunster 9 873.79x
Maldon St Peter 7 259.26x
Timberscombe 7 1944.44x
Great Tey 6 937.50x
Maldon All Sts 6 571.43x
Streatham 6 30.15x
Westbury On Trym 6 33.67x
Earls Colne 5 342.47x
Hollington 5 310.56x
Kensington London 5 3.35x
Markshall 5 12500.00x
Messing 5 757.58x
Theydon Garnon 5 413.22x
White Colne 5 1470.59x
Wimblington 5 500.00x
Bradwell By Coggleshall 4 1739.13x
Liverpool 4 2.07x
North Ockendon 4 1290.32x
Pontefract 4 69.81x
Wootton Courtney 4 1333.33x
Broomfield 3 361.45x
Chignall St James 3 1578.95x
Great Coggeshall 3 109.09x
Brackenholme Cum 2 2500.00x
Bristol St James In 2 25.84x
Chignal Smealy 2 1052.63x
Copford 2 327.87x
Fordham 2 307.69x
Sheffield 2 2.36x
Berwick Upon Tweed 1 11.82x
Bishops Waltham 1 43.67x
Bradfield 1 9.76x
Braintree 1 21.05x
Burnham 1 48.31x
Bury St Edmunds St James 1 11.45x
Buttsbury 1 238.10x
Colchester St Botolph 1 22.22x
Croydon 1 1.38x
Cutcombe 1 192.31x
Elvington 1 285.71x
Great Leighs 1 144.93x
Greenwich 1 2.34x
Hemel Hempstead 1 12.00x
Linkinhorne 1 47.17x
Luccombe 1 294.12x
North Fambridge 1 769.23x
Northampton Priory St 1 6.61x
Pemberton 1 7.88x
Pilsgate 1 909.09x
Plymouth St Andrew 1 2.33x
Southwark St Olave 1 48.78x
St Ewe 1 108.70x
Stamford St Mary 1 114.94x
Tendring 1 128.21x
Thixendale 1 434.78x
Wimbledon 1 6.82x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizabeth 13
Emma 13
Mary 13
Emily 8
Annie 7
Sarah 7
Alice 6
Margaret 5
Caroline 3
Eliza 3
Julia 3
Amelia 2
Ann 2
Clara 2
Ellen 2
Florence 2
Gertrude 2
Harriet 2
Harriett 2
Maria 2
Anne 1
Barbara 1
Beatrice 1
Carrie 1
Catherine 1
Charlotte 1
Elise 1
Ethel 1
Ethelwyn 1
Eva 1
F.T. 1
Fanny 1
Frances 1
Helen 1
Jane 1
Judith 1
Letitia 1
Louisa 1
Louise 1
Lucy 1
Mable 1
Marion 1
Matilda 1
May 1
Phillis 1
Rebecca 1
Rhoda 1
Susan 1
Violet 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 20
John 17
Charles 14
James 12
Thomas 7
Frederick 5
Daniel 4
George 4
Robert 4
Alfred 3
Arthur 3
Benjamin 3
Fred 3
Samuel 3
Albert 2
Alexander 2
David 2
Edward 2
Ernest 2
Francis 2
Fredk. 2
Harry 2
Henry 2
Herbert 2
Joseph 2
Nicholas 2
Thos. 2
Walter 2
Agnes 1
Benjm. 1
Dick 1
Edmund 1
Edwin 1
Frank 1
Joshua 1
Mark 1
Michael 1
Michail 1
Minnie 1
Paul 1
Percy 1
Richard 1
Sidney 1
Wallace 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Cowlin surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cowlin surname in 1881?

In 1881, 275 people were recorded with the Cowlin surname. That placed it at #10,330 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cowlin surname today?

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

What does the Cowlin surname mean?

A surname derived from a diminutive form of a nickname for a cowherder.

What does the Cowlin map show?

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