Where in London do you have to be born to be a Cockney?

Question

I know within the sound of the Bow Bells but what area does it cover?

Ok does Stepney count?

Answer 1

I was born in Hackney, East London, which is technically within the "Sound of Bow Bells", depending on your hearing ability!
I'd say anywhere in or near Bow, in Areas such as Stratford, Stepney, Leyton, Homerton etc.
But there's a case for South Londoners being Cockneys too.....I just don't know what it is!!

Answer 2

Within the sound of the bells of St Mary Le Bow, Cheapside, in the City. Which is confusing because there is also a Bow church at Bow in the East End - which sound a lot more likely! This means that there are nowadays very few true cockneys and what there are are very rich! In the past it could be said that cockneys were people from inner London, particularly the East End, though places such as Lambeth and Bermondsey also qualify. Nowadays people in these areas tend to be immigrants. Particularly Bangladeshis in Tower Hamlets. Possibly the last stronghold of traditional white working class cockneys is Bermondsey - but even there yuppies are becoming prevalent!
Meanwhile kids speak in some awful mock Jamaican patois they have learned from gangsta rap. No, the cockney is as extinct as the London docks.

Answer 3

A study was done by the city in 2000 to see how far the Bow Bells could be heard, and it was estimated that the bells would have been heard 6 miles to the east, 5 miles to the north, 3 miles to the south, and 4 miles to the west.
The traditional core neighbourhoods of the East End are Bethnal Green, Whitechapel, Spitalfields, Stepney, Wapping, Limehouse, Poplar, Millwall, Hackney, Shoreditch, Bow and Mile End with The City, Clerkenwell, Finsbury, Hoxton, Shadwell, Bermondsey and Rotherhide being within 'earshot of the bells'
The area has even extended to Chatham (Kent) due to expansion of the dockyards in the 18th century and alot of eastend workers being redeployed there. Even to this day the 'chatham' accent is distinguishable from the rest of Kent as having an Eastend 'twang'!

Answer 4

I'm a true cockney i was born in the east end of london, and within the sound of the bow-bells, so my answer is as long as its in the east an within the sound of the bells,your a little cockney sparrow.

Answer 5

This is the definitive answer. You must be born within the sounds of the church bells at Bow in East London.
Have a great Christmas.

Answer 6

within the sound of st mary le bow bells, so mainly east london, hackney, stepney etc

Answer 7

The official definition is within the sound of Bow Bells.

Answer 8

It is within the sound of Bow bells.Normally considered to be 3 mile radius.A common mistake is made by not using the correct bow bells.The right ones are in St Mary le Bow church in cheapside.

Answer 9

About 5 miles radius in each direction of the Bow Bells, which is within earshot.

Answer 10

East london