NameCensus.

UK surname

Belham

In the 1881 census there were 109 people recorded with the Belham surname, ranking it #18,793 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 103, ranked #30,515, down from #18,793 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Fincham, London parishes and Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Breckland, King's Lynn and West Norfolk and South Holland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Belham is 133 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 5.5%.

1881 census count

109

Ranked #18,793

Modern count

103

2016, ranked #30,515

Peak year

1861

133 bearers

Map years

7

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Belham had 109 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,793 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 103 in 2016, ranked #30,515.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 133 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Belham surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Belham surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Belham 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 93 #17,946
1861 historical 133 #16,835
1881 historical 109 #18,793
1891 historical 110 #22,557
1901 historical 108 #21,836
1911 historical 81 #24,719
1997 modern 118 #24,423
1998 modern 112 #25,856
1999 modern 113 #25,913
2000 modern 111 #26,111
2001 modern 106 #26,468
2002 modern 114 #25,886
2003 modern 107 #26,617
2004 modern 101 #27,813
2005 modern 91 #29,406
2006 modern 102 #27,926
2007 modern 102 #28,351
2008 modern 111 #27,225
2009 modern 107 #28,483
2010 modern 101 #30,078
2011 modern 104 #29,424
2012 modern 97 #30,798
2013 modern 113 #28,502
2014 modern 115 #28,439
2015 modern 101 #30,816
2016 modern 103 #30,515

Geography

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Where Belhams are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Fincham, London parishes, Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory, Lambeth and St George, Hanover Square, Buckingham Palace. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Breckland, King's Lynn and West Norfolk, South Holland and South Kesteven. 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 Fincham Norfolk
2 London parishes London 3
3 Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory Northamptonshire
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 St George, Hanover Square, Buckingham Palace London (West Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Breckland 010 Breckland
2 Breckland 009 Breckland
3 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 017 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
4 South Holland 011 South Holland
5 South Kesteven 016 South Kesteven

Forenames

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First names often paired with Belham

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Belham

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Belham surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Belham household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Belham is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Belham is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Belham falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Belham is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

1881 census detail

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Belham families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Belham 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 29 Belhams recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.74x.

County Total Index
Norfolk 29 17.74x
Surrey 23 4.44x
Middlesex 22 2.07x
Northamptonshire 9 9.00x
Sussex 8 4.46x
Durham 7 2.21x
Cambridgeshire 3 4.46x
Essex 3 1.43x
Gloucestershire 1 0.48x
Kent 1 0.28x
Somerset 1 0.58x
Suffolk 1 0.77x
Worcestershire 1 0.72x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Islington London in Middlesex leads with 11 Belhams recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.68x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 11 10.68x
Lambeth 11 11.87x
Fincham 9 3103.45x
Northampton Priory St 9 150.00x
Wingate 7 322.58x
Bermondsey 6 18.96x
East Blatchington 5 6250.00x
St George Hanover Square 5 26.70x
Wiggenhall St German 5 2631.58x
Beechamwell 4 3636.36x
Subdeanary 3 625.00x
Swaffham 3 225.56x
Witchford 3 1875.00x
Camberwell 2 2.95x
Chelsea London 2 6.24x
Kingston On Thames 2 16.08x
Newington 2 5.09x
Shouldham Thorpe 2 2000.00x
Tolleshunt Knights 2 1176.47x
West Bradenham 2 1818.18x
Barton Bendish 1 625.00x
Folkestone 1 14.20x
Great Ellingham 1 416.67x
Hampstead London 1 6.04x
Harrow 1 61.73x
Hatch Beauchamp 1 769.23x
Ipswich St Peter 1 57.47x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 1 20.37x
Mistley 1 178.57x
Paddington London 1 2.56x
Shingham 1 3333.33x
St Martin In Fields 1 15.72x
Stapleton 1 25.25x
Worcester St John 1 60.24x

Top female names

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

FAQ

Belham surname: questions and answers

How common was the Belham surname in 1881?

In 1881, 109 people were recorded with the Belham surname. That placed it at #18,793 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Belham surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 103 in 2016. That gives Belham a modern rank of #30,515.

What does the Belham map show?

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