NameCensus.

UK surname

Cushing

An English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "place of Cuss's people."

In the 1881 census there were 538 people recorded with the Cushing surname, ranking it #6,406 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,044, ranked #5,589, up from #6,406 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Shipdham, St George Tombland, St Peter Mountergate, St John Timberhill, All Saints, St Michael at Thorn, St Ju and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Caerphilly, North Norfolk and South Norfolk.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cushing is 1,118 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 94.1%.

1881 census count

538

Ranked #6,406

Modern count

1,044

2016, ranked #5,589

Peak year

1999

1,118 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cushing had 538 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,406 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,044 in 2016, ranked #5,589.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 747 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Cushing surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cushing surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cushing 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 279 #8,067
1861 historical 330 #7,721
1881 historical 538 #6,406
1891 historical 589 #6,485
1901 historical 599 #7,081
1911 historical 747 #5,755
1997 modern 1,081 #5,152
1998 modern 1,111 #5,215
1999 modern 1,118 #5,226
2000 modern 1,111 #5,231
2001 modern 1,084 #5,234
2002 modern 1,102 #5,263
2003 modern 1,059 #5,346
2004 modern 1,075 #5,292
2005 modern 1,044 #5,357
2006 modern 1,053 #5,325
2007 modern 1,054 #5,369
2008 modern 1,039 #5,472
2009 modern 1,064 #5,480
2010 modern 1,086 #5,498
2011 modern 1,053 #5,575
2012 modern 1,036 #5,572
2013 modern 1,067 #5,523
2014 modern 1,047 #5,643
2015 modern 1,047 #5,589
2016 modern 1,044 #5,589

Geography

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Where Cushings are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Shipdham, St George Tombland, St Peter Mountergate, St John Timberhill, All Saints, St Michael at Thorn, St Ju, London parishes and St Pancras. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Caerphilly, North Norfolk and South Norfolk. 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 Shipdham Norfolk
2 St George Tombland, St Peter Mountergate, St John Timberhill, All Saints, St Michael at Thorn, St Ju Norfolk
3 London parishes London 1
4 London parishes London 3
5 St Pancras London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Caerphilly 012 Caerphilly
2 North Norfolk 008 North Norfolk
3 Caerphilly 008 Caerphilly
4 Caerphilly 007 Caerphilly
5 South Norfolk 009 South Norfolk

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cushing

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cushing

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

Cushing is most concentrated in decile 3 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Cushing falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Cushing

The surname Cushing is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "cusce," meaning a rush or sedge plant. It likely originated as a toponymic surname, referring to someone who lived near a patch of rushes or sedge.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the late 12th century in various English counties, including Norfolk, Suffolk, and Hertfordshire. It appears in the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk in 1199 as "William Cussinc." The name also appears in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 as "Roger Cusshing" in Norfolk.

In the 14th century, the surname was found in various spellings, such as Cusshyng, Cusshyngge, and Cusshinge, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling during that time. One notable early bearer of the name was John Cushing, a Member of Parliament for Somerset in 1326.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name continued to spread across England, with several notable individuals emerging. One of the earliest was Peter Cushing (1532-1612), a merchant and benefactor from Hingham, Norfolk. Another was Thomas Cushing (1595-1679), who emigrated from Norfolk to Massachusetts Bay Colony and became a prominent figure in the early colonial period.

In the 18th century, William Cushing (1732-1810) was a prominent American jurist and judge who served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. His brother, Thomas Cushing (1725-1788), was a merchant and politician who served as the second Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts.

The 19th century saw the rise of several distinguished individuals with the Cushing surname, including Caleb Cushing (1800-1879), an American diplomat and Attorney General under President Franklin Pierce, and Frank Hamilton Cushing (1857-1900), an American anthropologist and ethnologist known for his pioneering work in the American Southwest.

Other notable bearers of the Cushing surname include Harvey Williams Cushing (1869-1939), a pioneering American neurosurgeon often referred to as the "Father of Modern Neurosurgery," and Peter Cushing (1913-1994), an English actor best known for his roles in horror films and his portrayal of Grand Moff Tarkin in the Star Wars franchise.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cushing families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cushing 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. Norfolk leads with 249 Cushings recorded in 1881 and an index of 30.97x.

County Total Index
Norfolk 249 30.97x
Middlesex 124 2.37x
Lancashire 30 0.48x
Surrey 28 1.10x
Yorkshire 25 0.48x
Essex 17 1.65x
Gloucestershire 10 0.98x
Northamptonshire 8 1.63x
Durham 7 0.45x
Kent 7 0.39x
Lincolnshire 7 0.84x
Nottinghamshire 5 0.71x
Hertfordshire 4 1.11x
Cheshire 3 0.26x
Lanarkshire 3 0.18x
Hampshire 2 0.19x
Suffolk 2 0.31x
Huntingdonshire 1 0.96x
Renfrewshire 1 0.25x
Royal Navy 1 1.61x
Rutland 1 2.60x
Sussex 1 0.11x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Heigham in Norfolk leads with 35 Cushings recorded in 1881 and an index of 81.11x.

Place Total Index
Heigham 35 81.11x
Wymondham 28 340.63x
St Pancras London 23 5.47x
Tibenham 22 1946.90x
Shipdham 18 659.34x
Saxlingham Nethergate 13 1368.42x
Hanwell 11 118.66x
Shoreditch London 11 4.85x
Bawburgh 10 1315.79x
Kensington London 10 3.44x
Paddington London 10 5.20x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 9 9.32x
Islington London 9 1.78x
Liverpool 9 2.39x
Norwich St Julian 9 265.49x
Norwich St Paul 9 187.11x
York St Mary 9 41.94x
Bermondsey 8 5.14x
Chelsea London 8 5.08x
Croydon 8 5.66x
Lakenham 8 70.05x
Marlingford 8 1904.76x
Newington 8 4.14x
Norwich St Gregory 8 567.38x
Toxteth Park 8 3.81x
Westminster St John 8 12.56x
Heworth 7 22.84x
Hindringham 7 666.67x
Norwich St Edmund 7 538.46x
Norwich St Martin At Oak 6 122.70x
Spalding 6 36.17x
Walthamstow 6 16.15x
Whissonsett 6 550.46x
Everton 5 2.53x
Farnley In Bramley 5 77.28x
Hackney London 5 1.71x
Norwich St Clement 5 53.65x
Norwich St John Sepulchre 5 95.79x
Pilkington 5 21.21x
Tacolnestone 5 632.91x
West Ham 5 2.19x
Bow London 4 6.01x
Bradford 4 3.19x
Isleworth 4 17.21x
Northampton St Sepulchre 4 15.99x
Peterborough 4 11.24x
Rastrick 4 27.80x
Shenley 4 168.07x
Snenton 4 14.45x
St George Bloomsbury 4 13.33x
Thursford 4 677.97x
Attleborough 3 73.89x
Bethnal Green London 3 1.32x
Blakeney 3 208.33x
Bunwell 3 194.81x
Hedenham 3 600.00x
Sandwich St Peter 3 159.57x
Shettleston 3 19.82x
South Weald 3 33.94x
St Giles In Fields London 3 11.70x
St Marylebone London 3 1.07x
Wighton 3 326.09x
Acton 2 6.53x
Brentwood 2 31.80x
East Dereham 2 19.69x
Norwich St Giles 2 77.82x
Norwich St Peter Mancroft 2 49.51x
Rotherhithe 2 3.10x
Stockport 2 3.37x
Stody 2 869.57x
Tottenham 2 2.40x
Caterham 1 8.88x
Hammersmith London 1 0.78x
Hingham 1 35.97x
Holy Trinity 1 0.80x
Kirkdale 1 0.96x
Knottingley 1 10.98x
Portsmouth 1 4.05x
West Derby 1 0.55x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 36
John 30
George 18
Thomas 17
Charles 14
James 14
Arthur 10
Henry 10
Walter 10
Edward 7
Robert 7
Harry 6
Stephen 6
Alfred 5
Herbert 4
Samuel 4
Albert 3
Francis 3
Joseph 3
Richard 3
Wm. 3
Ernest 2
Frederic 2
Fredk. 2
Fredrick 2
Robt. 2
A.Fred 1
Bertram 1
Charlie 1
Christopher 1
Douglass 1
Edwin 1
Frank 1
Fred 1
Freddie 1
Frederick 1
Geo. 1
Godfrey 1
Horase 1
Jabez 1
Jame 1
Jas. 1
Joshua 1
Josiah 1
Leonard 1
Matthew 1
Percy 1
Peter 1
Phillip 1
Sidney 1

FAQ

Cushing surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cushing surname in 1881?

In 1881, 538 people were recorded with the Cushing surname. That placed it at #6,406 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cushing surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,044 in 2016. That gives Cushing a modern rank of #5,589.

What does the Cushing surname mean?

An English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "place of Cuss's people."

What does the Cushing map show?

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