NameCensus.

UK surname

Coxon

A surname derived from the occupational term for a boatman or sailor.

In the 1881 census there were 2,292 people recorded with the Coxon surname, ranking it #1,951 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,361, ranked #2,018, down from #1,951 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Burton-on-Trent and Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include County Durham, York and Northumberland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Coxon is 3,666 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 46.6%.

1881 census count

2,292

Ranked #1,951

Modern count

3,361

2016, ranked #2,018

Peak year

1999

3,666 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Coxon had 2,292 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,951 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,361 in 2016, ranked #2,018.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,315 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Coxon surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Coxon surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Coxon 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 1,406 #2,046
1861 historical 1,237 #2,308
1881 historical 2,292 #1,951
1891 historical 2,354 #1,995
1901 historical 3,043 #1,841
1911 historical 3,315 #1,576
1997 modern 3,368 #1,919
1998 modern 3,647 #1,846
1999 modern 3,666 #1,853
2000 modern 3,557 #1,904
2001 modern 3,510 #1,882
2002 modern 3,558 #1,908
2003 modern 3,418 #1,938
2004 modern 3,412 #1,937
2005 modern 3,359 #1,943
2006 modern 3,356 #1,942
2007 modern 3,341 #1,973
2008 modern 3,391 #1,963
2009 modern 3,470 #1,960
2010 modern 3,556 #1,956
2011 modern 3,482 #1,969
2012 modern 3,430 #1,966
2013 modern 3,458 #1,984
2014 modern 3,459 #1,994
2015 modern 3,388 #2,019
2016 modern 3,361 #2,018

Geography

Back to top

Where Coxons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, Burton-on-Trent, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Gateshead and St Werburgh. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to County Durham, York, Northumberland, Hartlepool and Sunderland. 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 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 Burton-on-Trent Staffordshire
3 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
4 Gateshead Durham
5 St Werburgh Derbyshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 County Durham 034 County Durham
2 York 009 York
3 Northumberland 003 Northumberland
4 Hartlepool 007 Hartlepool
5 Sunderland 016 Sunderland

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Coxon

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Coxon

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

Young Families in Industrial Towns

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

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

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Coxon 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

Coxon is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Coxon falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Coxon

The surname Coxon is of English origin, deriving from the occupational name for a cock-keeper or someone who raised and looked after chickens and other fowl. It is derived from the Old English words "cocc" meaning rooster or cock, and the agent suffix "-on" denoting a person who does something.

In Medieval times, names pertaining to a person's occupation or trade were commonplace as a way to distinguish individuals from one another. The surname Coxon likely first arose in rural farming communities where the raising of poultry was an important part of daily life and sustenance.

Early records show variations in spelling such as Cokson, Coxsone, and Coxson, reflecting the regional dialects and inconsistent spellings of the time. One of the earliest known references to the name is found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, which lists a Robert Coxon.

The Coxon surname can also be traced back to places like Coxhoe in Durham, which was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Coxhov". This place name may have influenced the development of some Coxon surnames, particularly in the north-eastern regions of England.

Notable individuals with the Coxon surname include Sir Nathaniel Coxon (1592-1672), an English merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1647. Thomas Coxon (1637-1703) was an English clergyman and academic who became the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge in 1693.

John Coxon (1809-1876) was a British-born Australian explorer and surveyor who led expeditions in South Australia and Western Australia in the mid-19th century. William Coxon (1836-1903) was an English cricketer who played for Nottinghamshire and represented the North of England in the early days of first-class cricket.

Henry Coxon (1857-1930) was a British artist known for his landscape paintings, particularly those depicting scenes in the English countryside and coastal regions. He exhibited regularly at the Royal Academy and other prestigious galleries during his lifetime.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Coxon families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Coxon 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. Durham leads with 550 Coxons recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.28x.

County Total Index
Durham 550 8.28x
Northumberland 391 11.77x
Derbyshire 309 8.84x
Staffordshire 306 4.06x
Lancashire 158 0.60x
Nottinghamshire 105 3.49x
Yorkshire 82 0.37x
Lincolnshire 67 1.88x
Middlesex 57 0.26x
Warwickshire 43 0.76x
Cheshire 31 0.63x
Surrey 29 0.27x
Leicestershire 27 1.09x
Shropshire 26 1.35x
Hampshire 17 0.37x
Worcestershire 17 0.58x
Kent 15 0.20x
Gloucestershire 12 0.27x
Devon 9 0.19x
Somerset 8 0.22x
Monmouthshire 6 0.37x
Midlothian 4 0.13x
Cumberland 3 0.16x
Essex 3 0.07x
Merionethshire 3 0.73x
Northamptonshire 3 0.14x
Buckinghamshire 2 0.15x
Royal Navy 2 0.75x
Dorset 1 0.07x
Hertfordshire 1 0.07x
Sussex 1 0.03x
Wiltshire 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Stoke Upon Trent in Staffordshire leads with 134 Coxons recorded in 1881 and an index of 16.77x.

Place Total Index
Stoke Upon Trent 134 16.77x
Nottingham St Mary 44 5.65x
Gateshead 37 7.44x
Stranton 28 12.52x
Tanfield 28 35.45x
Ashborne 27 113.59x
Bishopwearmouth 27 4.74x
Newcastle On Tyne St 27 15.68x
Spondon 27 200.74x
Burton Upon Trent 26 14.74x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 26 13.10x
Bedlington 25 22.54x
Basford 24 17.30x
Cheadle 24 66.30x
Litchurch 24 17.06x
Chester Le Street 23 45.09x
Byker 22 13.40x
Dawdon 22 26.92x
Westoe 21 5.58x
Tudhoe 19 32.69x
Birmingham 18 0.96x
Heworth 18 13.75x
Elswick 17 6.41x
Manchester 17 1.43x
Embleton 16 225.67x
Derby St Peter 14 12.57x
Great Grimsby 14 6.18x
Jesmond 14 29.95x
Salford 14 1.80x
Shadforth 14 108.61x
Stretford 14 9.60x
Aston 13 0.84x
Hetton Le Hole 13 15.44x
Holmside 13 79.41x
Houghton Le Spring 13 28.31x
Seals 13 149.08x
Alnwick 12 21.01x
Church Broughton 12 267.26x
Crossgate 12 41.32x
Hartlepool 12 12.71x
Ilkeston 12 12.24x
Leeds 12 0.96x
Melbourne 12 50.23x
Sheffield 12 1.70x
Shincliffe 12 161.94x
Stapenhill 12 23.06x
Sudbury 12 300.75x
Waldridge 12 107.91x
Westgate 12 5.83x
Brancepeth 11 91.14x
Elvet 11 22.94x
Felton 11 211.95x
Heaton Norris 11 7.29x
Morpeth 11 28.16x
Saddleworth 11 6.45x
Southwark St George Martyr 11 2.45x
St Nicholas Lincoln 11 32.23x
Eglingham 10 327.87x
Kirkdale 10 2.24x
Sturston 10 173.01x
Bradley In Moors 9 2307.69x
Greasley 9 13.25x
Hexham 9 17.50x
Horton In Bradford 9 2.60x
Kniveton 9 432.69x
Moorsley 9 126.23x
Northfleet 9 13.41x
Seaton Delaval 9 30.85x
Shotton 9 54.78x
Southwell 9 41.08x
St Pancras London 9 0.50x
Throckley 9 98.25x
Tormoham 9 4.58x
Trentham 9 14.04x
Ulgham 9 163.04x
Whitworth 9 18.51x
Wilne 9 112.50x
Handsworth 8 4.31x
Rock 8 406.09x
St Thomas Winchester 8 24.75x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 167
Elizabeth 110
Sarah 84
Jane 72
Ann 49
Hannah 42
Annie 40
Margaret 40
Isabella 29
Ellen 27
Emma 25
Alice 24
Fanny 18
Anne 17
Eliza 17
Emily 16
Frances 15
Martha 14
Catherine 12
Edith 12
Louisa 11
Dorothy 10
Agnes 9
Florence 9
Lucy 9
Clara 8
Eleanor 8
Harriet 8
Jemima 8
Gertrude 7
Harriett 7
Maria 7
Jessie 6
Ada 5
Elizth. 5
Esther 5
Leah 5
Rebecca 5
Adeline 4
Helen 4
Kate 4
Barbara 3
Beatrice 3
Flora 3
Grace 3
Lavinia 3
Margret 3
Maud 3
Rose 3
Adelaide 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 182
William 157
Thomas 121
James 77
George 69
Charles 49
Joseph 48
Robert 39
Henry 33
Edward 29
Frederick 24
Arthur 22
Alfred 17
Ralph 13
Wm. 12
Matthew 10
Peter 10
Samuel 10
Harry 8
Isaac 8
Richard 8
Albert 7
Edwin 7
Herbert 6
Mark 6
Nicholas 6
Walter 6
Frank 5
Joshua 5
Michael 5
Alexander 4
Daniel 4
Ernest 4
Francis 4
Jno. 4
Tom 4
David 3
Elisha 3
Jonathan 3
Lewis 3
Stephen 3
Benjamin 2
Edmund 2
Frederic 2
Grantham 2
Harold 2
Lambton 2
Oswald 2
Philip 2
Silas 2

FAQ

Coxon surname: questions and answers

How common was the Coxon surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,292 people were recorded with the Coxon surname. That placed it at #1,951 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Coxon surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,361 in 2016. That gives Coxon a modern rank of #2,018.

What does the Coxon surname mean?

A surname derived from the occupational term for a boatman or sailor.

What does the Coxon map show?

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