NameCensus.

UK surname

Cumper

An English surname derived from the Middle English occupational term "comper," meaning a dealer in cummin seed.

In the 1881 census there were 76 people recorded with the Cumper surname, ranking it #22,745 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 119, ranked #27,704, down from #22,745 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Burton-on-Trent, Barking and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Southend-on-Sea, Rhondda Cynon Taf and Kingston upon Thames.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cumper is 136 in 2001. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 56.6%.

1881 census count

76

Ranked #22,745

Modern count

119

2016, ranked #27,704

Peak year

2001

136 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cumper had 76 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #22,745 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 119 in 2016, ranked #27,704.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 132 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Cumper surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cumper surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cumper 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 64 #21,914
1861 historical 38 #29,216
1881 historical 76 #22,745
1891 historical 105 #23,241
1901 historical 116 #20,933
1911 historical 132 #19,313
1997 modern 133 #22,705
1998 modern 130 #23,603
1999 modern 129 #23,907
2000 modern 135 #23,250
2001 modern 136 #22,855
2002 modern 131 #23,793
2003 modern 125 #24,265
2004 modern 121 #24,939
2005 modern 117 #25,433
2006 modern 117 #25,695
2007 modern 121 #25,469
2008 modern 119 #26,067
2009 modern 122 #26,220
2010 modern 117 #27,557
2011 modern 114 #27,784
2012 modern 130 #25,559
2013 modern 133 #25,655
2014 modern 128 #26,490
2015 modern 130 #26,093
2016 modern 119 #27,704

Geography

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Where Cumpers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Burton-on-Trent, Barking, London parishes, Bishop Wearmouth and Croydon, Battersea (Penge), Sanderstead. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Southend-on-Sea, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Kingston upon Thames, Tandridge and Lewisham. 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 Burton-on-Trent Staffordshire
2 Barking Essex
3 London parishes London 3
4 Bishop Wearmouth Durham
5 Croydon, Battersea (Penge), Sanderstead Surrey

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Southend-on-Sea 003 Southend-on-Sea
2 Rhondda Cynon Taf 028 Rhondda Cynon Taf
3 Kingston upon Thames 004 Kingston upon Thames
4 Tandridge 010 Tandridge
5 Lewisham 002 Lewisham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cumper

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cumper

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Small Town Suburbia

Nationally, the Cumper surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Small Town Suburbia, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Cumper 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 is predominantly comprised of married couples with no resident dependent children, living in areas characterised neither by under-occupancy nor overcrowding throughout the UK in or adjacent to small towns. White ethnic groups and affiliation with Christianity predominates. Housing tends to be predominantly semi-detached or detached and workers are employed principally in managerial and professional occupations, with semi-skilled occupations also in evidence. These areas of the Supergroup are of higher population density.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Cumper 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

Cumper is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Cumper

The surname Cumper is believed to have originated in England during the late medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "cumpur," which meant a type of pear or fruit. This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname, referring to someone who grew or sold pears.

Some of the earliest recorded instances of the Cumper surname can be found in parish records and tax rolls from the 16th and 17th centuries in counties such as Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire. There are also references to individuals with the surname Cumper in the Hearth Tax Records of the late 17th century.

One notable early bearer of the Cumper name was John Cumper, who was born in Oxfordshire in 1587. He was a farmer and landowner who lived in the village of Bampton. Another early Cumper was William Cumper, born in Gloucestershire in 1612, who was a merchant and traded in various goods, including fruit.

In the 18th century, the Cumper surname began to spread to other parts of England, with records showing individuals with this name living in counties such as Somerset and Wiltshire. One notable figure from this period was Thomas Cumper (1723-1798), a wealthy landowner and farmer from Wiltshire.

As the name continued to spread in the 19th century, it also began to appear in historical records from other parts of the British Isles. For example, there are records of a James Cumper (1815-1892) who was a successful businessman and ship owner from the city of Glasgow in Scotland.

Over the centuries, the Cumper surname has also been subject to various spellings and variations, including Comper, Cumpar, and Compar. These variations likely arose due to regional accents, dialects, and the inconsistent spelling practices of the time.

Other notable individuals with the Cumper surname throughout history include:

1. Robert Cumper (1855-1928), an English painter and illustrator known for his landscapes and portraits. 2. Alfred Cumper (1870-1954), a British architect who designed several notable buildings in London and the south of England. 3. Emily Cumper (1888-1967), a British novelist and writer who published several works of historical fiction. 4. John Cumper (1913-1996), a British politician and member of parliament who represented various constituencies in the south of England. 5. William Cumper (1924-2008), a British botanist and horticulturist who specialized in the study and cultivation of rare and endangered plant species.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cumper families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cumper 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. Surrey leads with 31 Cumpers recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.58x.

County Total Index
Surrey 31 8.58x
Monmouthshire 22 41.06x
Middlesex 5 0.67x
Durham 4 1.81x
Kent 3 1.19x
Lancashire 3 0.34x
Oxfordshire 3 6.55x
Devon 2 1.30x
Gloucestershire 2 1.38x
Glamorgan 1 0.77x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Chepstow in Monmouthshire leads with 22 Cumpers recorded in 1881 and an index of 2417.58x.

Place Total Index
Chepstow 22 2417.58x
Battersea 8 29.34x
Shere 8 1818.18x
Albury 7 2121.21x
Bishopwearmouth 4 21.13x
St Pancras London 4 6.70x
West Derby 3 11.66x
Abinger 2 666.67x
Oxford St Ebbe 2 148.15x
Tormoham 2 30.63x
Woolwich 2 21.41x
Cardiff St Mary 1 14.06x
Ewhurst 1 434.78x
Henbury 1 140.85x
Kensington London 1 2.43x
Limpsfield 1 285.71x
Newington 1 3.65x
Pyrton 1 714.29x
Reigate Borough 1 120.48x
Shoreham 1 277.78x
Streatham 1 18.18x
Tidenham Beachley 1 625.00x
Wimbledon 1 24.69x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 8
Alice 3
Elizabeth 3
Ann 2
Edith 2
Jane 2
Sarah 2
Annie 1
Caroline 1
Charlotte 1
Clara 1
Elizth.T. 1
Emily 1
Emma 1
Florence 1
Harriot 1
Henrietta 1
Hester 1
Isabel 1
Janet 1
Kate 1
Lily 1
Louisa 1
Margaret 1
Rhoda 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Charles 5
George 5
Henry 4
William 4
Richard 3
Albert 2
John 2
Abram 1
Abramham 1
Arthur 1
Caleb 1
Ernest 1
James 1
Jesse 1
Percy 1
W.John 1
Wm.H. 1

FAQ

Cumper surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cumper surname in 1881?

In 1881, 76 people were recorded with the Cumper surname. That placed it at #22,745 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cumper surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 119 in 2016. That gives Cumper a modern rank of #27,704.

What does the Cumper surname mean?

An English surname derived from the Middle English occupational term "comper," meaning a dealer in cummin seed.

What does the Cumper map show?

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