NameCensus.

UK surname

Cunnington

A surname derived from a place name incorporating the Old English elements "cunning" (royal) and "tun" (settlement).

In the 1881 census there were 1,232 people recorded with the Cunnington surname, ranking it #3,288 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,508, ranked #4,102, down from #3,288 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Pertenhall, Little Staughton, Bolnhurst (Riseley, Bedfordshire), Keysoe (Riseley, Bedfordshire) and Peterborough St John the Baptist. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Northamptonshire, Gwynedd and South Kesteven.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cunnington is 1,888 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 22.4%.

1881 census count

1,232

Ranked #3,288

Modern count

1,508

2016, ranked #4,102

Peak year

1911

1,888 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cunnington had 1,232 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,288 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,508 in 2016, ranked #4,102.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,888 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Cunnington surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cunnington surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cunnington 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 867 #3,141
1861 historical 951 #2,914
1881 historical 1,232 #3,288
1891 historical 1,468 #2,996
1901 historical 1,725 #3,000
1911 historical 1,888 #2,616
1997 modern 1,653 #3,590
1998 modern 1,685 #3,661
1999 modern 1,666 #3,729
2000 modern 1,611 #3,827
2001 modern 1,598 #3,781
2002 modern 1,610 #3,828
2003 modern 1,576 #3,824
2004 modern 1,555 #3,874
2005 modern 1,521 #3,904
2006 modern 1,532 #3,886
2007 modern 1,542 #3,893
2008 modern 1,539 #3,924
2009 modern 1,558 #3,975
2010 modern 1,567 #4,034
2011 modern 1,560 #4,007
2012 modern 1,526 #4,014
2013 modern 1,502 #4,152
2014 modern 1,525 #4,122
2015 modern 1,518 #4,096
2016 modern 1,508 #4,102

Geography

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Where Cunningtons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Pertenhall, Little Staughton, Bolnhurst (Riseley, Bedfordshire), Keysoe (Riseley, Bedfordshire), Peterborough St John the Baptist and Oakham, Leigh Field Forest. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Northamptonshire, Gwynedd, South Kesteven and Peterborough. 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 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Pertenhall, Little Staughton, Bolnhurst (Riseley, Bedfordshire), Keysoe (Riseley, Bedfordshire) Huntingdonshire
4 Peterborough St John the Baptist Northamptonshire
5 Oakham, Leigh Field Forest Rutland

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Northamptonshire 001 East Northamptonshire
2 Gwynedd 009 Gwynedd
3 East Northamptonshire 002 East Northamptonshire
4 South Kesteven 010 South Kesteven
5 Peterborough 017 Peterborough

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cunnington

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cunnington

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

Cunnington is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Cunnington

The surname Cunnington has its origins in England, emerging during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from a combination of the Old English words "cuning" (meaning king or royal) and "tun" (meaning town or settlement), suggesting an ancestral connection to a royal or noble town.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions a landowner named Cunnington in Wiltshire. This historical record provides evidence of the name's existence in the late 11th century.

During the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Cunyngtoun, Conyngtone, and Conyngtun, reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation common in that era. These variations often corresponded to the specific regions where the name was prevalent.

Notable individuals with the surname Cunnington include Sir Edward Cunnington (1556-1623), an English merchant and Member of Parliament for Devizes in the early 17th century. Another prominent figure was William Cunnington (1754-1810), an English antiquarian and archaeologist known for his extensive excavations of ancient burial sites in Wiltshire.

In the 19th century, John Cunnington (1799-1861) gained recognition as an English clergyman and writer, serving as the vicar of Pakefield in Suffolk. His works included publications on local history and natural history.

The name Cunnington has also been associated with place names, such as Cunnington Down in Wiltshire, which was named after the Cunnington family who owned land in the area during the 17th and 18th centuries.

Other notable individuals bearing the surname include Richard Cunnington (1725-1801), an English farmer and archaeologist who made significant contributions to the study of prehistoric sites in Wiltshire, and Benjamin Cunnington (1776-1861), an English banker and antiquarian who collaborated with his cousin, William Cunnington, on archaeological excavations.

While the surname Cunnington has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora, with descendants carrying on the legacy of this historic name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cunnington families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cunnington 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. Lincolnshire leads with 205 Cunningtons recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.65x.

County Total Index
Lincolnshire 205 10.65x
Northamptonshire 167 14.75x
Rutland 145 164.06x
Middlesex 129 1.07x
Leicestershire 83 6.22x
Huntingdonshire 67 28.03x
Yorkshire 58 0.49x
Lancashire 41 0.29x
Surrey 37 0.63x
Warwickshire 35 1.15x
Nottinghamshire 34 2.10x
Cambridgeshire 32 4.20x
Derbyshire 21 1.11x
Hampshire 20 0.81x
Sussex 18 0.89x
Kent 17 0.41x
Norfolk 15 0.81x
Bedfordshire 13 2.09x
Wiltshire 12 1.13x
Essex 9 0.38x
Gloucestershire 8 0.34x
Cheshire 7 0.26x
Dorset 7 0.89x
Merionethshire 7 3.18x
Hertfordshire 6 0.72x
Staffordshire 6 0.15x
Northumberland 5 0.28x
Somerset 5 0.26x
Suffolk 5 0.34x
Berkshire 4 0.44x
Glamorgan 3 0.14x
Shropshire 3 0.29x
Worcestershire 3 0.19x
Fife 2 0.28x
Lanarkshire 2 0.05x
Devon 1 0.04x
Monmouthshire 1 0.11x
Oxfordshire 1 0.13x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Kings Cliffe in Northamptonshire leads with 34 Cunningtons recorded in 1881 and an index of 643.94x.

Place Total Index
Kings Cliffe 34 643.94x
Leicester St Margaret 33 10.14x
Oakham Deanshold 32 812.18x
Islington London 30 2.57x
Lutton 26 817.61x
Oakham Lordshold 22 237.84x
Hackney London 20 2.96x
Seaton 20 1526.72x
Wittering 20 1851.85x
Birmingham 19 1.88x
Exton 18 669.15x
Oundle 18 142.18x
Bethnal Green London 16 3.06x
Moulton 14 151.19x
Peterborough 14 17.08x
Denton 13 4193.55x
Barnoldswick 12 72.07x
Barnsley 12 9.75x
Aston 11 1.32x
Keysoe 11 375.43x
March 11 43.09x
St Marylebone London 11 1.71x
St Swithin Lincoln 11 36.35x
Barnack 10 414.94x
Edenham 10 431.03x
Holbeach 10 46.66x
Stamford All Sts 10 92.76x
Barrow Upon Soar 9 81.67x
Bow London 9 5.87x
Derby St Werburgh 9 8.27x
Easton 9 220.59x
Raunds 9 78.06x
Walcott 9 293.16x
Bourn 8 51.45x
Farnborough 8 30.88x
Godmanchester 8 88.50x
Greasley 8 21.85x
Kensington London 8 1.20x
Manton 8 620.16x
Melton Mowbray 8 33.33x
Newmarket All Sts 8 142.35x
Spalding 8 20.94x
Stamford St Mary 8 205.66x
Swinstead 8 555.56x
Chester St Mary On Hill 7 30.72x
Festiniog 7 15.06x
Fletton 7 91.62x
Morcott 7 353.54x
Nottingham St Peter 7 38.70x
Walpole St Peter 7 149.25x
Whissendine 7 231.79x
Woodwalton 7 598.29x
Battersea 6 1.35x
Bygrave 6 612.24x
Cheetham 6 5.63x
Deeping St James 6 88.24x
Devizes St James 6 42.40x
Fordington 6 35.25x
Glossop Dale 6 6.80x
Gunby In Grantham 6 1333.33x
Hambleton 6 594.06x
Higher Booths 6 23.30x
Kirby Muxloe 6 382.17x
Leatherhead 6 40.84x
Leeds 6 0.89x
Portsea 6 1.24x
Ramsey 6 31.35x
Rushden 6 39.60x
Sawtry St Judith 6 674.16x
Strood 6 25.61x
Tansor 6 576.92x
Tonbridge 6 4.05x
Walsall Foreign 6 2.86x
Wisbech St Mary 6 68.57x
Worksop 6 12.47x
Baston 5 156.74x
Heigham 5 5.03x
Honington 5 675.68x
Loughborough 5 8.26x
Pinchbeck 5 40.52x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 97
William 76
Thomas 46
George 37
Charles 26
Henry 24
Robert 24
Edward 20
James 15
Arthur 14
Joseph 14
Alfred 11
Harry 9
David 8
Albert 7
Benjamin 6
Frederick 6
Herbert 5
Richard 5
Walter 5
Daniel 4
Ernest 4
Frank 4
Fred 4
Samuel 4
Tom 4
Geo. 3
Humphrey 3
Peter 3
Willm. 3
Cecil 2
Cedric 2
Clement 2
Earnest 2
Francis 2
H. 2
Horace 2
Isaac 2
Isacc 2
Jesse 2
Matthew 2
Philip 2
Phillip 2
Shelton 2
Stephen 2
Amos 1
Elijah 1
Faringay 1
Hy 1
Wm.Jos.Walden 1

FAQ

Cunnington surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cunnington surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,232 people were recorded with the Cunnington surname. That placed it at #3,288 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cunnington surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,508 in 2016. That gives Cunnington a modern rank of #4,102.

What does the Cunnington surname mean?

A surname derived from a place name incorporating the Old English elements "cunning" (royal) and "tun" (settlement).

What does the Cunnington map show?

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