Find out how popular the last name Cockerill is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Cockerill.

Cockerill, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Cockerill surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cockerill in America

Cockerill is the 23002nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cockerill surname appeared 1,111 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Cockerill.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cockerill to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Cockerill

The surname Cockerill is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the early medieval period. It is believed to have originated as a locational name, derived from a place called Cockerill or Cockerell, likely located in one of the eastern counties of England.

One of the earliest recorded instances of this surname appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Cocherelle." This suggests that the name was already well-established in parts of England by the late 11th century.

The name is thought to have evolved from the Old English words "cocc," meaning "a cock or rooster," and "hyll," meaning "a hill." This implies that the original bearers of the name may have lived near a prominent hill or elevated area associated with roosters or poultry farming.

In the 13th century, records show a John de Cokerell living in Oxfordshire, England. Another early record from 1327 mentions a Robert Cokerell, who was a resident of Nottinghamshire.

During the 16th century, the spelling variations of the name proliferated, with forms such as Cockerell, Cockerill, and Cockeril appearing in various historical documents and parish records across England.

One notable individual bearing this surname was Sir Aston Cockayne (1608-1684), an English politician and lawyer who served as Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer. He was born in Derbyshire and was a prominent figure during the English Civil War.

Another historical figure was Edward Cockerill (1809-1896), a British engineer and industrialist who played a significant role in the development of the Belgian iron industry in the 19th century. He established the Cockerill Company, a major manufacturer of machinery and armaments.

In the 18th century, John Cockerill (1725-1798) was a renowned English clockmaker and inventor from Yorkshire. He is credited with creating the first self-winding clock mechanism, a significant innovation in horology.

The surname Cockerill has also been associated with the Cockerill family of artists, including William Cockerill (1687-1765), a British painter and engraver, and his son, William Cockerill Jr. (1714-1768), who was also a painter and etcher.

Throughout its history, the Cockerill surname has maintained a strong presence in various parts of England, particularly in the eastern and northern counties, where it is believed to have originated.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cockerill

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Cockerill.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Cockerill was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Cockerill has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Cockerill was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Cockerill, please contact us.

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