NameCensus.

UK surname

Boreham

An English locational surname originating from a place called Boreham, likely derived from Old English "bor" (bower) and "ham" (homestead).

In the 1881 census there were 1,182 people recorded with the Boreham surname, ranking it #3,408 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,719, ranked #3,630, down from #3,408 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Hedingham, Sible, London parishes and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Braintree, Babergh and North Lincolnshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Boreham is 1,922 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 45.4%.

1881 census count

1,182

Ranked #3,408

Modern count

1,719

2016, ranked #3,630

Peak year

1911

1,922 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Boreham had 1,182 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,408 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,719 in 2016, ranked #3,630.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,922 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Boreham surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Boreham surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Boreham 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 681 #3,816
1861 historical 601 #4,411
1881 historical 1,182 #3,408
1891 historical 1,167 #3,661
1901 historical 1,679 #3,072
1911 historical 1,922 #2,579
1997 modern 1,808 #3,321
1998 modern 1,905 #3,285
1999 modern 1,915 #3,299
2000 modern 1,913 #3,284
2001 modern 1,880 #3,267
2002 modern 1,863 #3,362
2003 modern 1,823 #3,363
2004 modern 1,791 #3,411
2005 modern 1,753 #3,447
2006 modern 1,746 #3,470
2007 modern 1,765 #3,465
2008 modern 1,785 #3,456
2009 modern 1,805 #3,502
2010 modern 1,789 #3,589
2011 modern 1,764 #3,582
2012 modern 1,728 #3,595
2013 modern 1,764 #3,587
2014 modern 1,761 #3,604
2015 modern 1,734 #3,619
2016 modern 1,719 #3,630

Geography

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Where Borehams are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Hedingham, Sible, London parishes, St Pancras and Glemsford. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Braintree, Babergh, North Lincolnshire and St Edmundsbury. 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 Hedingham, Sible Essex
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 Glemsford Suffolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Braintree 003 Braintree
2 Braintree 004 Braintree
3 Babergh 002 Babergh
4 North Lincolnshire 008 North Lincolnshire
5 St Edmundsbury 003 St Edmundsbury

Forenames

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First names often paired with Boreham

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Boreham

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Boreham, 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 Boreham surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Boreham 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, Boreham 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

Boreham 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

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

Meaning and origin of Boreham

The surname Boreham is of English origin, deriving from the Old English words "bor" meaning a citizen or dweller and "ham" meaning a homestead or village. It is believed to have originated in the medieval period, likely during the 11th or 12th century.

The name is thought to have originated in areas such as Hertfordshire and Essex, where places like Boreham and Borehamwood were located. These place names likely gave rise to the surname as people began to adopt surnames based on their place of origin or residence.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Boreham can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Hertfordshire from 1195, where a William de Boreham is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 12th century.

In the 13th century, a John de Boreham is recorded in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1239. The "de" prefix indicates the surname's connection to a specific place, further reinforcing its locational origins.

The Boreham surname appears in various historical records throughout the centuries. In the 14th century, a Robert Boreham is mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1332. The Lay Subsidy Rolls were tax records, indicating that the Borehams were established landowners or property holders.

One notable figure in history was Sir John Boreham, who lived in the late 14th and early 15th centuries. He was a Member of Parliament for Hertfordshire in 1400 and served as Sheriff of Essex and Hertfordshire in 1402.

In the 16th century, a Thomas Boreham is recorded in the Musters of Norfolk in 1522. These were military records, suggesting that members of the Boreham family were involved in military service during this period.

Another noteworthy individual was William Boreham, a 17th-century English writer and clergyman who was born in 1616 and died in 1689. He authored several religious works, including "A Mirrour of Mercy and Judgement" and "The Christian's Watchword".

Throughout history, the Boreham surname has undergone various spellings, including Boreham, Boram, Borrham, and Borham, reflecting regional variations and the evolution of the English language over time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Boreham families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Boreham 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. Essex leads with 335 Borehams recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.63x.

County Total Index
Essex 335 14.63x
Suffolk 275 19.47x
Middlesex 242 2.09x
Surrey 119 2.11x
Kent 47 1.19x
Yorkshire 27 0.23x
Buckinghamshire 21 2.99x
Cambridgeshire 20 2.72x
Sussex 19 0.97x
Cheshire 14 0.55x
Gloucestershire 10 0.44x
Northamptonshire 9 0.83x
Durham 8 0.23x
Channel Islands 7 2.04x
Norfolk 6 0.34x
Hertfordshire 5 0.63x
Dorset 4 0.53x
Hampshire 4 0.17x
Lancashire 3 0.02x
Somerset 3 0.16x
Devon 2 0.08x
Warwickshire 2 0.07x
Berkshire 1 0.11x
Cornwall 1 0.08x
Huntingdonshire 1 0.43x
Leicestershire 1 0.08x
Oxfordshire 1 0.14x
Staffordshire 1 0.03x
Wiltshire 1 0.10x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Sible Hedingham in Essex leads with 79 Borehams recorded in 1881 and an index of 1032.68x.

Place Total Index
Sible Hedingham 79 1032.68x
Glemsford 54 544.35x
Brockley 52 4160.00x
St Pancras London 42 4.50x
Camberwell 27 3.64x
Felstead 20 254.78x
Hartest 20 816.33x
Bury St Edmunds St Mary 19 71.67x
Bethnal Green London 18 3.57x
Chelsea London 17 4.86x
Hackney London 15 2.31x
Islington London 15 1.33x
Lambeth 15 1.48x
Battersea 14 3.28x
Deptford St Paul 14 4.59x
Maldon St Marys 14 255.01x
West Ham 14 2.77x
Walthamstow 13 15.77x
Croydon 12 3.83x
Horringer 12 456.27x
Rettendon 12 419.58x
Acton 11 16.18x
Bury St Edmunds St James 11 29.15x
Hughenden 11 153.63x
Southwark St George Martyr 11 4.71x
St Andrewthe Less 11 13.11x
Haverhill 10 79.68x
Holton St Mary 10 1492.54x
Moreton 10 555.56x
St Marylebone London 10 1.61x
Leyton Low 9 19.34x
Mile End Old Town London 9 3.65x
Rye 9 48.44x
Sawston 9 126.94x
Whepstead 9 370.37x
Wickhambrook 9 169.49x
Bow London 8 5.42x
Brentwood 8 57.31x
Bromley London 8 3.14x
Chatham 8 7.35x
Clapham 8 5.52x
Long Melford 8 60.93x
Peterborough 8 10.13x
Rede 8 898.88x
St George In East London 8 7.33x
Stranton 8 6.89x
Tonbridge 8 5.61x
Tottenham 8 4.33x
Wanstead 8 19.95x
Attercliffe Cum Darnall 7 6.54x
Beccles 7 30.78x
Colchester Holy Trinity 7 137.80x
Dagenham 7 51.36x
Dowdeswell 7 353.54x
Hampstead London 7 3.88x
Sutton In Macclesfield 7 26.35x
Wycombe 7 13.39x
Bermondsey 6 1.74x
Chertsey 6 16.43x
Edmonton 6 6.42x
Epping 6 64.52x
Great Tey 6 216.61x
Hammersmith London 6 2.10x
Hatfield Peverel 6 121.46x
Hornchurch 6 53.48x
Ipswich St Mathew 6 15.16x
Nazeing 6 204.08x
Nowton 6 845.07x
Shoreditch London 6 1.19x
St Helier 6 5.36x
Uxbridge 6 45.28x
Woodham Ferris 6 223.88x
Chedburgh 5 495.05x
Great Burstead 5 60.02x
Hempstead 5 199.20x
Holy Trinity 5 1.81x
Ramsgate 5 7.74x
Romford 5 13.82x
Southwark Christchurch 5 9.20x
Upminster 5 105.04x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Sarah 45
Mary 44
Elizabeth 40
Eliza 26
Jane 22
Emma 20
Alice 19
Ellen 19
Annie 16
Kate 16
Emily 15
Ann 13
Hannah 13
Susan 13
Harriet 12
Louisa 12
Florence 11
Charlotte 10
Edith 10
Maria 9
Caroline 8
Ada 7
Martha 7
Minnie 6
Susannah 6
Clara 5
Esther 5
Fanny 5
Gertrude 5
Isabella 5
Lizzie 5
Margaret 5
Rebecca 5
Amelia 4
Anne 4
Elizth. 4
Flora 4
Jessie 4
Laura 4
Lucy 4
Margrett 4
Matilda 4
Amy 3
Catherine 3
Frances 3
Grace 3
Harriett 3
Helena 3
Julia 3
Rose 3

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 67
George 53
John 48
Henry 35
James 35
Charles 34
Arthur 19
Harry 18
Thomas 18
Walter 18
Robert 17
Albert 16
Frederick 15
Joseph 15
Alfred 14
Edward 13
Herbert 11
Isaac 9
Ernest 8
Samuel 6
Frank 5
Fredrick 4
Benjamin 3
David 3
Geo. 3
Stephen 3
Wm. 3
Amos 2
Ben 2
Earnest 2
Esau 2
Fred 2
Frederic 2
Joshua 2
Josiah 2
Mark 2
Peter 2
Silas 2
Sydney 2
Austin 1
Benj. 1
Bertha 1
Bertie 1
Eamon 1
Ebenezer 1
Edmund 1
Edwd. 1
Edwin 1
Geo.Wm. 1
H.S. 1

FAQ

Boreham surname: questions and answers

How common was the Boreham surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,182 people were recorded with the Boreham surname. That placed it at #3,408 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Boreham surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,719 in 2016. That gives Boreham a modern rank of #3,630.

What does the Boreham surname mean?

An English locational surname originating from a place called Boreham, likely derived from Old English "bor" (bower) and "ham" (homestead).

What does the Boreham map show?

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