NameCensus.

UK surname

Bellham

In the 1881 census there were 61 people recorded with the Bellham surname, ranking it #24,992 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 88, ranked #32,396, down from #24,992 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Fincham, Northampton All Saints and Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Northampton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bellham is 127 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 44.3%.

1881 census count

61

Ranked #24,992

Modern count

88

2016, ranked #32,396

Peak year

1911

127 bearers

Map years

3

1901 to 1998

Key insights

  • Bellham had 61 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #24,992 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 88 in 2016, ranked #32,396.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 127 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Bellham surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bellham surname density by area, 1998 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Bellham 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 29 #28,082
1861 historical 52 #27,369
1881 historical 61 #24,992
1891 historical 74 #27,538
1901 historical 107 #21,955
1911 historical 127 #19,749
1997 modern 92 #28,079
1998 modern 100 #27,619
1999 modern 96 #28,326
2000 modern 100 #27,695
2001 modern 101 #27,252
2002 modern 102 #27,596
2003 modern 96 #28,381
2004 modern 100 #27,964
2005 modern 91 #29,406
2006 modern 89 #30,027
2007 modern 88 #30,515
2008 modern 91 #30,431
2009 modern 96 #30,239
2010 modern 94 #31,111
2011 modern 89 #31,659
2012 modern 92 #31,528
2013 modern 95 #31,523
2014 modern 91 #32,219
2015 modern 91 #32,153
2016 modern 88 #32,396

Geography

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Where Bellhams are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Fincham, Northampton All Saints, Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory, Downham Market, Stow Bardolph, Wimbotsham and Wiggenhall St Germans. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Northampton. 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 Northampton All Saints Northamptonshire
3 Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory Northamptonshire
4 Downham Market, Stow Bardolph, Wimbotsham Norfolk
5 Wiggenhall St Germans Norfolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Northampton 018 Northampton
2 Northampton 017 Northampton
3 Northampton 001 Northampton
4 Northampton 014 Northampton
5 Northampton 024 Northampton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Bellham

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Bellham

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Bellham surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Bellham household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

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Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Bellham 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

Bellham 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

Bellham falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Bellham 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 Bellham, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

1881 census detail

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Bellham families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bellham 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 11 Bellhams recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.03x.

County Total Index
Norfolk 11 12.03x
Essex 10 8.52x
Lancashire 7 0.99x
Northamptonshire 7 12.51x
Somerset 7 7.31x
Sussex 6 5.98x
Surrey 4 1.38x
Yorkshire 4 0.68x
Durham 3 1.70x
Kent 2 0.99x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Fincham in Norfolk leads with 11 Bellhams recorded in 1881 and an index of 6875.00x.

Place Total Index
Fincham 11 6875.00x
Newchurch 7 121.32x
Taunton St Mary 7 397.73x
Wanstead 6 291.26x
Keymer 5 704.23x
Northampton St Peter 4 1176.47x
St Mary 4 1025.64x
Walthamstow 4 94.56x
Wimbledon 4 123.08x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 3 39.16x
Northampton St Giles 3 140.85x
Ashford 1 50.51x
Brighton 1 4.94x
Margate St John Baptist 1 26.88x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 5
Elizabeth 2
Matilda 2
Ada 1
Alice 1
Edith 1
Elizth. 1
Ella 1
Ellen 1
Ellenor 1
Emma 1
Esther 1
Flora 1
Georgina 1
Gertrude 1
Hannah 1
Harriatt 1
Isabella 1
Jessie 1
Laura 1
Lily 1
Louisa 1
Margaret 1
Selena 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 6
John 5
George 2
Harry 2
Henry 2
James 2
Richard 2
Robert 2
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
Edwd. 1
Ernest 1
Frederick 1
Jacob 1
Thomas 1
Wm. 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Bellham households.

FAQ

Bellham surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bellham surname in 1881?

In 1881, 61 people were recorded with the Bellham surname. That placed it at #24,992 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bellham surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 88 in 2016. That gives Bellham a modern rank of #32,396.

What does the Bellham map show?

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