NameCensus.

UK surname

Bilham

In the 1881 census there were 361 people recorded with the Bilham surname, ranking it #8,579 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 348, ranked #13,233, down from #8,579 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Sporle with Palgrave, London parishes and Stalham. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rotherham, Norwich and King's Lynn and West Norfolk.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Bilham is 478 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 3.6%.

1881 census count

361

Ranked #8,579

Modern count

348

2016, ranked #13,233

Peak year

1911

478 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Bilham had 361 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,579 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 348 in 2016, ranked #13,233.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 478 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Bilham surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Bilham surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Bilham 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 147 #13,084
1861 historical 213 #11,419
1881 historical 361 #8,579
1891 historical 340 #10,062
1901 historical 421 #9,141
1911 historical 478 #8,099
1997 modern 383 #11,359
1998 modern 403 #11,275
1999 modern 395 #11,555
2000 modern 388 #11,664
2001 modern 372 #11,855
2002 modern 391 #11,627
2003 modern 387 #11,523
2004 modern 381 #11,700
2005 modern 374 #11,778
2006 modern 360 #12,198
2007 modern 354 #12,489
2008 modern 351 #12,661
2009 modern 351 #12,940
2010 modern 357 #13,036
2011 modern 350 #13,086
2012 modern 333 #13,468
2013 modern 340 #13,449
2014 modern 348 #13,320
2015 modern 350 #13,159
2016 modern 348 #13,233

Geography

Back to top

Where Bilhams are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Sporle with Palgrave, London parishes, Stalham and Harthill with Woodall. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Rotherham, Norwich, King's Lynn and West Norfolk, Broadland and North 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 Sporle with Palgrave Norfolk
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Stalham Norfolk
5 Harthill with Woodall Nottinghamshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rotherham 032 Rotherham
2 Norwich 011 Norwich
3 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 011 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
4 Broadland 012 Broadland
5 North Devon 013 North Devon

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Bilham

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Bilham

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Bilham, 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 Bilham surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Bilham 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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Bilham 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

Bilham 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

Bilham 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 Bilham 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 Bilham, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Bilham families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Bilham 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 197 Bilhams recorded in 1881 and an index of 36.38x.

County Total Index
Norfolk 197 36.38x
Yorkshire 55 1.58x
Middlesex 31 0.88x
Kent 11 0.92x
Lincolnshire 11 1.95x
Suffolk 11 2.56x
Surrey 10 0.58x
Leicestershire 7 1.79x
Northamptonshire 5 1.51x
Devon 4 0.55x
Nottinghamshire 4 0.84x
Derbyshire 3 0.54x
Hampshire 3 0.42x
Lancashire 3 0.07x
Essex 2 0.29x
Bedfordshire 1 0.55x
Cumberland 1 0.33x
Gloucestershire 1 0.14x
Staffordshire 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Stalham in Norfolk leads with 25 Bilhams recorded in 1881 and an index of 2403.85x.

Place Total Index
Stalham 25 2403.85x
Hingham 20 1069.52x
Heigham 16 55.06x
Sporle With Palgrave 16 1818.18x
Scarborough 14 44.15x
Gainsborough 11 82.89x
Forncett St Peter 10 1351.35x
Thetford St Cuthbert 10 510.20x
Kirby Bedon 9 2812.50x
Paddington London 9 6.95x
Skinningrove 9 420.56x
Gate Fulford 8 98.16x
Greenwich 8 14.27x
Harthill Cum Woodall 8 597.01x
Poplar London 8 12.04x
Leicester St Mary 7 22.19x
Marlingford 7 2500.00x
Roudham 7 3500.00x
Banham 6 434.78x
Old Buckenham 6 431.65x
Poringland 6 1052.63x
Thorpe Next Norwich 6 104.53x
Byfield 5 520.83x
Foulsham 5 438.60x
Gorleston 5 45.87x
Lambeth 5 1.63x
Mile End Old Town London 5 6.67x
Shropham 5 961.54x
Bishops Tawton 4 174.67x
Bury St Edmunds St James 4 34.90x
Castle Acre 4 248.45x
Great Dunham 4 833.33x
Great Witchingham 4 579.71x
Harrow On The Hill 4 56.90x
Mulbarton 4 645.16x
Bermondsey 3 2.86x
Great Longstone With 3 508.47x
Lakenham 3 39.01x
Laughton En Le Morthen 3 375.00x
Norwich St Peter Mancroft 3 110.29x
Radford 3 12.44x
Southampton St Mary 3 6.61x
St Marylebone London 3 1.60x
Wortley In Bramley 3 10.85x
Barford 2 526.32x
Blo Norton 2 689.66x
Caston 2 303.03x
Dover St Mary Virgin 2 17.20x
Everton 2 1.50x
Ormesby 2 21.32x
St Pancras London 2 0.71x
Themelthorpe 2 2222.22x
Walcott 2 1333.33x
Wiveton 2 909.09x
Aspley Guise 1 57.14x
Beckingham 1 185.19x
Boynton 1 526.32x
Croydon 1 1.05x
Elvenden 1 263.16x
Great Melton 1 263.16x
Harpham 1 333.33x
Keyingham 1 131.58x
Kirkley 1 27.86x
Leeds 1 0.51x
Newby In Stokesley 1 714.29x
North South Anston 1 65.36x
Norwich St George Colegate 1 50.76x
Norwich St Saviour 1 52.63x
Norwich St Stephen 1 20.12x
Prestbury 1 58.48x
Prittlewell 1 10.38x
Salhouse 1 131.58x
St Cuthbert Within 1 28.49x
Sunk Island 1 196.08x
Swaffham 1 22.73x
Thurning 1 476.19x
Walton On Hill 1 4.42x
Wanstead 1 8.22x
West Lexham 1 625.00x
Whittington 1 41.15x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 19
Sarah 11
Elizabeth 10
Emma 9
Jane 8
Lucy 7
Eliza 6
Emily 6
Maria 6
Ellen 5
Hannah 5
Harriet 5
Anna 4
Martha 4
Alice 3
Frances 3
Kate 3
Susan 3
Ann 2
Bessie 2
Caroline 2
Clara 2
Dorcas 2
Edith 2
Elizth. 2
Esther 2
Happy 2
Lilly 2
Louisa 2
Minnie 2
Rebecca 2
Rose 2
Ruth 2
Selina 2
Annie 1
Atalanta 1
Betsy 1
Celena 1
Constana 1
Evangeline 1
Fanny 1
Florence 1
George 1
Kathleen 1
Laura 1
Lavina 1
Lavinia 1
Lois 1
Lydia 1
Margaret 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 25
John 23
James 20
George 14
Robert 14
Thomas 8
Harry 7
Walter 6
Alfred 5
Charles 5
Henry 5
Arthur 4
Ernest 4
David 3
Edward 2
Ephraim 2
Jno. 2
Richard 2
Albert 1
Anthony 1
Chas. 1
Chas.S. 1
Ed. 1
Elijah 1
Frank 1
Fredk. 1
Fredric 1
Gaze 1
Geo. 1
Herbert 1
Horace 1
Jas. 1
Jesse 1
Johnthan 1
Jonathan 1
Mark 1
Robt. 1
Robt.Thos. 1
Samuel 1
Thos. 1
Wilfred 1

FAQ

Bilham surname: questions and answers

How common was the Bilham surname in 1881?

In 1881, 361 people were recorded with the Bilham surname. That placed it at #8,579 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Bilham surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 348 in 2016. That gives Bilham a modern rank of #13,233.

What does the Bilham map show?

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