NameCensus.

UK surname

Cowper

Originally referring to a cowherder or someone in charge of cows.

In the 1881 census there were 1,323 people recorded with the Cowper surname, ranking it #3,101 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 955, ranked #6,017, down from #3,101 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wellingborough, London parishes and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Stratford-on-Avon, County Durham and York.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cowper is 1,449 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 27.8%.

1881 census count

1,323

Ranked #3,101

Modern count

955

2016, ranked #6,017

Peak year

1901

1,449 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cowper had 1,323 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,101 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 955 in 2016, ranked #6,017.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,449 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Cowper surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cowper surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cowper 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 1,028 #2,721
1861 historical 992 #2,811
1881 historical 1,323 #3,101
1891 historical 1,334 #3,266
1901 historical 1,449 #3,513
1911 historical 1,056 #4,370
1997 modern 1,032 #5,346
1998 modern 1,071 #5,371
1999 modern 1,058 #5,452
2000 modern 1,035 #5,525
2001 modern 1,012 #5,530
2002 modern 1,031 #5,560
2003 modern 988 #5,646
2004 modern 980 #5,690
2005 modern 950 #5,778
2006 modern 940 #5,843
2007 modern 958 #5,803
2008 modern 951 #5,873
2009 modern 981 #5,852
2010 modern 1,008 #5,851
2011 modern 991 #5,862
2012 modern 955 #5,946
2013 modern 956 #6,043
2014 modern 968 #6,028
2015 modern 963 #5,999
2016 modern 955 #6,017

Geography

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Where Cowpers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wellingborough, London parishes, Edinburgh and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Stratford-on-Avon, County Durham, York, Gwynedd and Seaboard. 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 Wellingborough Northamptonshire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Stratford-on-Avon 014 Stratford-on-Avon
2 County Durham 057 County Durham
3 York 020 York
4 Gwynedd 012 Gwynedd
5 Seaboard Highland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cowper

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cowper

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Cowper is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, 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 predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

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

Cowper is most concentrated in decile 1 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Cowper falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Cowper

The surname Cowper is of English origin, deriving from the Old French word 'coupeur', meaning a cutter or woodcutter. It first emerged in the 13th century during the medieval period in England.

The name Cowper was initially found primarily in the counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire in northern England, where many families worked in forestry-related occupations. It was an occupational surname given to those who cut and prepared wood for various purposes.

One of the earliest recorded references to the surname Cowper can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, which lists a Peter le Coupere. The Cowper name also appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from 1297, indicating its presence in the region during that time.

In the 14th century, the name was sometimes spelled as Coupere or Couper, reflecting its Old French roots. Over time, the spelling evolved into the more modern form of Cowper.

A notable early bearer of the Cowper surname was William Cowper (c. 1340-1409), an English cleric and Lord Chancellor of England during the reign of King Henry IV. He served as the Bishop of Bath and Wells and later as the Bishop of Winchester.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Cowper family became prominent in Hertfordshire, with several members holding significant positions in the county. One of the most famous individuals from this line was William Cowper (1731-1800), an English poet and hymnodist known for his works such as "The Task" and "Olney Hymns".

Another individual of note was Spencer Cowper (1670-1728), a British lawyer and politician who served as the Lord Chancellor of Great Britain from 1718 to 1727. He played a crucial role in establishing the principles of equity in English law.

The Cowper surname also has connections to the peerage, with the title of Earl Cowper being held by members of the Cowper family from 1718 to 1905. One prominent holder of this title was George Cowper, 7th Earl Cowper (1834-1905), who served as the Lord Lieutenant of Bedfordshire.

Throughout history, the Cowper surname has been associated with various occupations, including woodcutters, clergymen, poets, lawyers, and members of the nobility. Its origins can be traced back to the medieval period in northern England, where it originated as an occupational surname related to the woodcutting trade.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cowper families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cowper 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. Lancashire leads with 154 Cowpers recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.01x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 154 1.01x
Yorkshire 137 1.08x
Middlesex 124 0.97x
Midlothian 92 5.37x
Cumberland 70 6.35x
Warwickshire 70 2.17x
Surrey 61 0.98x
Durham 52 1.37x
Fife 50 6.60x
Lanarkshire 43 1.04x
Northamptonshire 30 2.49x
Perthshire 26 4.53x
Angus 25 2.11x
Northumberland 23 1.21x
Derbyshire 22 1.10x
Sussex 22 1.02x
Ayrshire 20 2.09x
Orkney 20 14.20x
Gloucestershire 18 0.72x
Kent 17 0.39x
Oxfordshire 16 2.02x
Worcestershire 15 0.90x
Shropshire 13 1.18x
Staffordshire 13 0.30x
Kirkcudbrightshire 12 6.48x
Westmorland 11 3.91x
Clackmannanshire 10 9.46x
East Lothian 9 5.31x
Hertfordshire 9 1.02x
Stirlingshire 9 1.91x
Aberdeenshire 8 0.67x
Bedfordshire 8 1.21x
Essex 8 0.32x
Hampshire 8 0.31x
Banffshire 6 2.26x
Inverness-shire 6 1.57x
Morayshire 6 3.02x
Peeblesshire 6 9.97x
Caithness 5 2.85x
Shetland 5 3.83x
Berwickshire 4 2.58x
Flintshire 4 1.16x
Glamorgan 4 0.18x
Herefordshire 4 0.76x
Wigtownshire 4 2.35x
Berkshire 3 0.31x
Cheshire 3 0.11x
Lincolnshire 3 0.15x
Argyllshire 2 0.56x
Brecknockshire 2 0.78x
Cambridgeshire 2 0.25x
Devon 2 0.08x
Dumfriesshire 2 0.71x
Isle of Man 2 0.84x
Somerset 2 0.10x
Buteshire 1 1.29x
Dunbartonshire 1 0.29x
Huntingdonshire 1 0.39x
Kincardineshire 1 0.64x
Leicestershire 1 0.07x
Radnorshire 1 0.97x
Renfrewshire 1 0.10x
Ross-shire 1 0.28x
Royal Navy 1 0.66x
Wiltshire 1 0.09x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Edinburgh St Cuthberts in Midlothian leads with 51 Cowpers recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.39x.

Place Total Index
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 51 7.39x
Penrith 33 81.06x
Toxteth Park 27 5.25x
Islington London 22 1.77x
Aston 20 2.25x
Bidford 20 289.86x
Richmond 20 22.89x
Shoreditch London 16 2.88x
Exhall 15 306.75x
Scoonie 15 91.41x
Acaster Malbis 14 1206.90x
Glasgow 14 1.90x
Wellingborough 14 23.13x
Lambeth 13 1.16x
Oldham 13 2.65x
Paddington London 12 2.55x
Barony 11 1.05x
Clapham 11 6.88x
Edinburgh St Marys 11 33.00x
Kings Norton 11 7.34x
Alloa 10 19.51x
Dalmellington 10 35.51x
Penicuik 10 42.92x
St Marylebone London 10 1.46x
St Pancras London 10 0.97x
West Derby 10 2.25x
Chelsea London 9 2.33x
Garsdale 9 340.91x
Holm 9 190.68x
Kensington London 9 1.26x
St Andrews 9 26.11x
Accrington 8 5.79x
Barrow In Furness 8 3.87x
Bishopwearmouth 8 2.45x
Cramond 8 61.59x
Dawley 8 19.89x
Horsham 8 19.08x
Hulme 8 2.52x
Kennoway 8 116.11x
Little Bolton 8 4.10x
Manchester 8 1.17x
Marton In Middlesbrough 8 172.79x
Newton Regny Catterlen 8 629.92x
York St Maurice 8 33.50x
Carnwath 7 27.35x
Cockermouth 7 30.17x
Dull 7 60.82x
Dundee 7 1.58x
Elswick 7 4.61x
Kinghorn 7 43.53x
Kirkby Thore 7 308.37x
Northampton All Sts 7 17.14x
Sandford 7 330.19x
Wolverhampton 7 2.11x
Aberdeen Old Machar 6 2.42x
Blackburn 6 1.49x
Culgaith 6 394.74x
Darlington 6 4.08x
Dunipace 6 72.64x
Govan 6 0.59x
Hackney London 6 0.84x
Horsley 6 49.75x
Inverness 6 6.24x
Kempston 6 39.89x
Liff Benvie 6 3.33x
Montrose 6 8.35x
Osmotherley 6 148.88x
Prestonpans 6 52.77x
Sculcoates 6 2.98x
Stobo 6 287.08x
Stranton 6 4.68x
Urr 6 24.90x
Walton On Trent 6 307.69x
York St Giles In 6 50.17x
Bow London 5 3.07x
Gateshead 5 1.75x
Ilkley 5 24.12x
Kirkdale 5 1.96x
Motherby 5 1351.35x
Sittingbourne 5 14.50x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 58
John 49
George 39
James 33
Thomas 30
Joseph 17
Charles 14
Robert 13
Alfred 11
Frederick 11
Henry 10
Herbert 8
Arthur 6
Richard 6
Edwin 5
Albert 4
Edward 4
Samuel 4
Walter 4
Christopher 3
Francis 3
Frank 3
Fredrick 3
Lawrence 3
Peter 3
Rowland 3
Wm. 3
Alex. 2
David 2
Ernest 2
Isaac 2
Jonathan 2
Stanley 2
T. 2
Wm.Henry 2
Ambrose 1
Andrew 1
Astley 1
Authur 1
Ben. 1
Benjamin 1
Daunbesey 1
E. 1
Edgar 1
Edmund 1
Eli 1
Harrey 1
Harriet 1
Harry 1
Hector 1

FAQ

Cowper surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cowper surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,323 people were recorded with the Cowper surname. That placed it at #3,101 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cowper surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 955 in 2016. That gives Cowper a modern rank of #6,017.

What does the Cowper surname mean?

Originally referring to a cowherder or someone in charge of cows.

What does the Cowper map show?

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