What does cockney mean?
A Cockney is, in the strictest traditional sense, a person born within earshot of the bells of St Mary-le-Bow church in the City of London, though the word now most often describes any working-class inhabitant of London's East End or the distinctive accent they speak with. As a dialect, Cockney is known for features such as dropped h's, glottal stops, th-fronting, and its famous rhyming slang, in which a word is replaced by a phrase that rhymes with it — 'plates of meat' for 'feet'. The word carries warm, affectionate associations in British culture, evoking market traders, music-hall songs, and East End resilience, though used carelessly by outsiders it can sound patronizing. Whether referring to a person or a way of speaking, 'cockney' remains one of the most recognizable markers of London identity.
A person born within earshot of Bow Bells, or more broadly a working-class East End Londoner.
"As a lifelong Cockney, she took great pride in her East End roots."
Usually capitalized when referring to a person.
The dialect or accent characteristic of working-class Londoners of the East End.
"His cockney slipped out whenever he got excited."
Standard English plural; capitalized as 'Cockneys' when referring to people.
"The pub was full of old cockneys swapping stories about the docks."
Legend says you're only a true Cockney if you were born within earshot of Bow Bells — a birthright that modern London maternity wards have all but erased.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of cockney
'Cockney' derives from Middle English 'cokeney', literally 'cock's egg' — from 'coken', a form of 'cock', plus 'ey', meaning 'egg'. It originally denoted a misshapen or runt egg, supposedly laid by a hen rather than a cock, and by extension came to mean a pampered, mollycoddled child or milksop. Over time the sense shifted to a townsman overly refined compared to country folk, and eventually narrowed to a working-class Londoner of the East End, with the accent sense following. Related forms include the derivative 'Cockneyism', meaning a Cockney idiom or turn of phrase.
Related word forms
How cockney is actually used
When capitalized (Cockney) it usually denotes a person; lowercased (cockney) it often refers to the dialect. The term carries affectionate, nostalgic connotations in Britain but can sound condescending when applied by outsiders. The strict 'born within earshot of Bow Bells' definition is largely traditional and symbolic today.