NameCensus.

UK surname

Bassham

An English habitational surname derived from a place name referring to Bassingham in Lincolnshire.

In the 1881 census there were 89 people recorded with the Bassham surname, ranking it #21,091 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 97, ranked #31,585, down from #21,091 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, London parishes and King's Lynn St Margaret. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Stockton-on-Tees, South Somerset and Broadland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bassham is 146 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 9.0%.

1881 census count

89

Ranked #21,091

Modern count

97

2016, ranked #31,585

Peak year

1911

146 bearers

Map years

3

1901 to 1998

Key insights

  • Bassham had 89 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #21,091 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 97 in 2016, ranked #31,585.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 146 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Bassham surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bassham surname density by area, 1998 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Bassham 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 28 #28,274
1861 historical 43 #28,562
1881 historical 89 #21,091
1891 historical 79 #26,897
1901 historical 127 #19,893
1911 historical 146 #18,179
1997 modern 119 #24,302
1998 modern 125 #24,198
1999 modern 118 #25,227
2000 modern 116 #25,452
2001 modern 115 #25,222
2002 modern 113 #26,024
2003 modern 102 #27,383
2004 modern 106 #27,045
2005 modern 102 #27,689
2006 modern 99 #28,453
2007 modern 99 #28,852
2008 modern 107 #27,844
2009 modern 112 #27,685
2010 modern 109 #28,831
2011 modern 100 #30,058
2012 modern 92 #31,528
2013 modern 97 #31,239
2014 modern 96 #31,667
2015 modern 97 #31,499
2016 modern 97 #31,585

Geography

Back to top

Where Basshams are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside, London parishes, King's Lynn St Margaret, Sculthorpe and Fakenham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Stockton-on-Tees, South Somerset, Broadland, Tendring and Mid Devon. 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 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
2 London parishes London 3
3 King's Lynn St Margaret Norfolk
4 Sculthorpe Norfolk
5 Fakenham Norfolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Stockton-on-Tees 018 Stockton-on-Tees
2 South Somerset 002 South Somerset
3 Broadland 006 Broadland
4 Tendring 002 Tendring
5 Mid Devon 007 Mid Devon

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Bassham

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Bassham

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

Rural Amenity

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Bassham is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Bassham is most concentrated in decile 3 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

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

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Bassham falls in decile 3 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Bassham is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Bassham

The surname Bassham is of English origin, derived from a locational name for someone who lived near a bass tree. The name is derived from the Old English words "bærs" meaning "bass tree" and "ham" meaning "homestead" or "village." The name was first recorded in the late 12th century.

The earliest recorded instance of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1195, where a John de Bassham is mentioned. This suggests that the name originated in the village of Basham or Bassham in Gloucestershire, England.

Another early reference to the name can be found in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1242, which mentions a William de Bassham. This indicates that the name had spread to other parts of England by the 13th century.

In the 14th century, the name is recorded in various spellings such as Bassehame, Basseham, and Basham. This variation in spelling was common during this period due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions.

Notable individuals with the surname Bassham include:

1. John Bassham (1916-1986), an American biochemist who made significant contributions to the understanding of photosynthesis. 2. William Bassham (1790-1853), an English botanist and plant collector. 3. Thomas Bassham (1782-1854), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Newcastle-under-Lyme. 4. Samuel Bassham (1819-1897), an American politician who served as a member of the Texas House of Representatives. 5. George Bassham (1828-1902), an English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Nottinghamshire.

While the name Bassham is not a particularly common surname, it has a rich history dating back to medieval England. The name's origins can be traced back to a specific location and its meaning is rooted in Old English vocabulary.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Bassham families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bassham 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. Norfolk leads with 56 Basshams recorded in 1881 and an index of 41.96x.

County Total Index
Norfolk 56 41.96x
Middlesex 14 1.61x
Lincolnshire 8 5.76x
Durham 6 2.32x
Surrey 3 0.71x
Hampshire 1 0.56x
Yorkshire 1 0.12x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Sculthorpe in Norfolk leads with 27 Basshams recorded in 1881 and an index of 15882.35x.

Place Total Index
Sculthorpe 27 15882.35x
Fakenham 12 1818.18x
Boston 6 142.52x
East Bradenham 6 6000.00x
Islington London 6 7.13x
St George Bloomsbury 6 120.48x
Tanfield 6 195.44x
Dunton Cum Doughton 5 10000.00x
Wolferton 4 8000.00x
Battersea 3 9.39x
Clee With Weelsby 2 65.79x
Hackney London 2 4.11x
Sharrington 1 1666.67x
St Thomas Winchester 1 79.37x
Syderstone 1 666.67x
Wilton In Guisbrough 1 263.16x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 4
Annie 3
Eliza 3
Ellen 3
Sarah 3
Edith 2
Elizabeth 2
Ethel 2
Martha 2
Adelaide 1
Bertha 1
Cathrine 1
Charlotte 1
Christiana 1
Clara 1
Elizth. 1
Esther 1
Florence 1
Henretta 1
Jemima 1
Laura 1
Lucy 1
Mabel 1
Maria 1
Olivia 1
Rose 1
Stephen 1
Susan 1
Susanna 1
Thedora 1
Violet 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 8
Robert 5
William 4
George 2
Harry 2
James 2
Thomas 2
Alfred 1
Bin 1
Charles 1
Edward 1
Eliakim 1
Ernest 1
Geo. 1
Henry 1
Herbert 1
Jacob 1
Jno. 1
Louis 1
Luke 1
Noah 1
Richard 1
Roseanna 1
Samuel 1
Wilfred 1

FAQ

Bassham surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bassham surname in 1881?

In 1881, 89 people were recorded with the Bassham surname. That placed it at #21,091 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bassham surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 97 in 2016. That gives Bassham a modern rank of #31,585.

What does the Bassham surname mean?

An English habitational surname derived from a place name referring to Bassingham in Lincolnshire.

What does the Bassham map show?

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