NameCensus.

UK surname

Adlam

English locational surname denoting someone from Adlam, a place in Lancashire derived from the Old English given name Eadwulf.

In the 1881 census there were 773 people recorded with the Adlam surname, ranking it #4,791 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,040, ranked #5,606, down from #4,791 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wookey, Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wiltshire, Staffordshire Moorlands and Blaenau Gwent.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Adlam is 1,127 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 34.5%.

1881 census count

773

Ranked #4,791

Modern count

1,040

2016, ranked #5,606

Peak year

2002

1,127 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Adlam had 773 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,791 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,040 in 2016, ranked #5,606.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,085 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Adlam surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Adlam surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Adlam 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 579 #4,401
1861 historical 452 #5,730
1881 historical 773 #4,791
1891 historical 840 #4,853
1901 historical 982 #4,831
1911 historical 1,085 #4,278
1997 modern 1,073 #5,183
1998 modern 1,116 #5,196
1999 modern 1,095 #5,299
2000 modern 1,113 #5,221
2001 modern 1,080 #5,251
2002 modern 1,127 #5,181
2003 modern 1,101 #5,179
2004 modern 1,118 #5,117
2005 modern 1,074 #5,238
2006 modern 1,077 #5,226
2007 modern 1,078 #5,269
2008 modern 1,064 #5,357
2009 modern 1,090 #5,359
2010 modern 1,085 #5,502
2011 modern 1,065 #5,521
2012 modern 1,048 #5,504
2013 modern 1,083 #5,446
2014 modern 1,059 #5,592
2015 modern 1,040 #5,623
2016 modern 1,040 #5,606

Geography

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Where Adlams are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wookey, Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Salisbury St Edmund. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wiltshire, Staffordshire Moorlands, Blaenau Gwent and Plymouth. 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 Wookey Somerset
2 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
3 London parishes London 1
4 London parishes London 3
5 Salisbury St Edmund Wiltshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wiltshire 040 Wiltshire
2 Wiltshire 053 Wiltshire
3 Staffordshire Moorlands 005 Staffordshire Moorlands
4 Blaenau Gwent 001 Blaenau Gwent
5 Plymouth 006 Plymouth

Forenames

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First names often paired with Adlam

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Adlam

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Adlam, 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

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Adlam surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Adlam household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Adlam is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Adlam is most concentrated in decile 7 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Adlam falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Adlam is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Adlam, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Adlam

The surname ADLAM is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "ad" meaning "at" and "lam" meaning "loam" or "muddy soil." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived near or worked with loamy or muddy soil.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the ADLAM surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears to have been concentrated in the counties of Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire during this time.

In the 14th century, the surname ADLAM was sometimes spelled as "Adlam" or "Adlame," reflecting the variations in spelling that were common before standardized spelling became widespread. There are records of an Andrew Adlam who was born in Oxfordshire around 1320.

During the 16th century, the ADLAM surname was also associated with the village of Adlam in Nottinghamshire. This may indicate that some bearers of the name originated from or lived in this location. One notable individual from this period was John Adlam, a merchant who was born in Nottinghamshire in 1545.

In the 17th century, the ADLAM surname continued to be found in various parts of England. Notable individuals from this time include Richard Adlam, a clergyman born in Oxfordshire in 1632, and William Adlam, a farmer born in Gloucestershire in 1675.

By the 18th century, the ADLAM surname had spread to other regions of England, as well as to parts of North America and the British colonies. One prominent figure from this period was Thomas Adlam, a mathematician and astronomer born in Yorkshire in 1720.

Throughout the 19th century, the ADLAM surname continued to be present in various parts of the English-speaking world. Notable individuals include Samuel Adlam, a businessman and philanthropist born in London in 1830, and Sarah Adlam, an educator and activist born in Gloucestershire in 1855.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Adlam families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Adlam 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. Wiltshire leads with 258 Adlams recorded in 1881 and an index of 38.69x.

County Total Index
Wiltshire 258 38.69x
Somerset 130 10.71x
Middlesex 88 1.17x
Gloucestershire 66 4.46x
Surrey 41 1.12x
Dorset 31 6.26x
Hampshire 18 1.16x
Kent 15 0.58x
Berkshire 14 2.47x
Durham 14 0.62x
Devon 11 0.70x
Cornwall 9 1.05x
Glamorgan 9 0.69x
Yorkshire 9 0.12x
Norfolk 8 0.69x
Shropshire 8 1.23x
Sussex 7 0.55x
Lancashire 6 0.07x
Monmouthshire 6 1.10x
Worcestershire 6 0.61x
Essex 5 0.34x
Ayrshire 4 0.71x
Leicestershire 4 0.48x
Buckinghamshire 2 0.44x
Oxfordshire 1 0.21x
Roxburghshire 1 0.73x
Royal Navy 1 1.11x
Staffordshire 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Warminster in Wiltshire leads with 53 Adlams recorded in 1881 and an index of 362.77x.

Place Total Index
Warminster 53 362.77x
Wookey 42 1573.03x
Westbury 33 212.08x
Horningsham 32 1523.81x
Frome 29 99.90x
Lonbridge Deverill 17 726.50x
Winterbourne Stoke 17 2207.79x
Salisbury St Edmund 13 121.50x
St George Hanover Square 13 9.79x
Bristol St James St Paul 11 22.31x
Lambeth 11 1.67x
Maiden Bradley 11 714.29x
Reading St Mary 11 24.27x
Westbury On Trym 11 21.96x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 10 7.18x
Tarrant Hinton 10 1886.79x
Trowbridge 10 33.92x
Alvesdiston 9 1451.61x
Compton Abbas 9 743.80x
Kensington London 9 2.15x
Keynsham 9 103.21x
Madron Penzance 9 28.99x
Newington 9 3.23x
Paddington London 9 3.25x
St Luke London 9 7.44x
Brislington 8 353.98x
Bulford 8 898.88x
Chitterne All Sts 8 720.72x
Gloucester Barton St Mary 8 29.56x
Shrewsbury St Mary 8 31.12x
Hackney London 7 1.66x
Stapleford 7 1166.67x
Stoke Damerel 7 6.37x
Bedminster 6 5.26x
Camberwell 6 1.25x
Compton Dando 6 705.88x
Merthyr Tydfil 6 4.75x
Norwich St Clement 6 44.64x
Salisbury St Martin 6 86.46x
Twerton 6 47.92x
Worcester All Sts 6 105.08x
Wortley In Bramley 6 10.14x
Battersea 5 1.80x
Bristol St Mary Redcliff 5 37.12x
Eling 5 31.95x
Heytesbury 5 205.76x
Lyncombe Widcombe 5 15.73x
Tunstall 5 44.76x
Upton Lovell 5 943.40x
Whitworth 5 30.45x
Winterbourne 5 61.20x
Aberystruth 4 8.32x
Bishopwearmouth 4 2.08x
Brighton 4 1.56x
Bristol St Augustine 4 16.76x
Bristol St Paul In 4 10.15x
Devizes St James 4 45.15x
Esher 4 77.82x
Fontmell Magna 4 211.64x
Fulham London 4 3.66x
Gillingham 4 7.54x
Mile End Old Town London 4 2.49x
Monkton Prestwick 4 72.86x
Owermoigne 4 366.97x
Preston 4 1.67x
Wapping London 4 69.44x
Amesbury 3 103.09x
Branscombe 3 139.53x
Bristol St George 3 4.39x
Chelsea London 3 1.32x
Clerkenwell London 3 1.69x
Clifton 3 4.01x
Leicester St Mary 3 4.44x
Meare 3 82.42x
Millbrook 3 7.71x
Rollestone 3 3750.00x
St James Taunton 3 526.32x
St Marylebone London 3 0.75x
St Pancras London 3 0.49x
Swindon 3 5.80x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 53
John 32
George 27
Henry 26
James 24
Joseph 21
Thomas 19
Charles 18
Samuel 10
Edwin 9
Ernest 8
Walter 8
Frank 7
Frederick 7
Arthur 6
Edward 6
Harry 6
Robert 6
Sidney 5
Albert 4
Herbert 4
Edmund 3
Fredk. 3
Stephen 3
Eli 2
Isaac 2
Nehemiah 2
Wm. 2
Ben 1
Benjn. 1
Charley 1
David 1
Edgar 1
Edmond 1
Ellen 1
Evelyn 1
Francis 1
Frederic 1
Fredrick 1
Hen. 1
Humphrey 1
Jacob 1
Jno. 1
Levi 1
Lewis 1
Lionel 1
Nathaniel 1
Oliver 1
Percy 1
Richard 1

FAQ

Adlam surname: questions and answers

How common was the Adlam surname in 1881?

In 1881, 773 people were recorded with the Adlam surname. That placed it at #4,791 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Adlam surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,040 in 2016. That gives Adlam a modern rank of #5,606.

What does the Adlam surname mean?

English locational surname denoting someone from Adlam, a place in Lancashire derived from the Old English given name Eadwulf.

What does the Adlam map show?

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