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Cocker Family History

Cocker Surname Meaning

English (Yorkshire and Lancashire): nickname for a quarrelsome person from Middle English coker ‘fighter wrangler’. English: occupational name ‘one who puts up hay in cocks’ a seasonal occupation.

Probably an Americanized form of German Kocher.

English: variant of Coker.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Cocker family from?

You can see how Cocker families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Cocker family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Cocker families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 1,172 Cocker families living in Lancashire. This was about 47% of all the recorded Cocker's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Cocker families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Cocker surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Cocker ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Cocker. 13% of Cocker men worked as a General Labourer and 67% of Cocker women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Cocker were Incapacitated and Housewife.

View Census Data for Cocker | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    13%
  • Cotton Weaver
    4%
  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    4%
  • Incapacitated
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    67%
  • Cotton Weaver
    4%
  • Incapacitated
    3%
  • Housewife
    3%

What Cocker family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 40,000 census records available for the last name Cocker. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Cocker census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Cocker

Passenger Lists

There are 4,000 immigration records available for the last name Cocker. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Cocker immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 3,000 military records available for the last name Cocker. For the veterans among your Cocker ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Cocker military records

You've only scratched the surface of Cocker family history

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What is the average Cocker lifespan?

Between 1952 and 2004, in the United States, Cocker life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1977, and highest in 1984. The average life expectancy for Cocker in 1952 was 56, and 66 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Cocker

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Cocker ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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