NameCensus.

UK surname

Byram

Habitational surname derived from any of the various places named Byram, meaning "by the ram or male sheep."

In the 1881 census there were 216 people recorded with the Byram surname, ranking it #12,222 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 402, ranked #11,837, up from #12,222 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Gateshead, Jarrow (Harton), Monkwearmouth (Southwick), Boldon, Whitburn and Batley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kirklees, Lancaster and Wakefield.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Byram is 439 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 86.1%.

1881 census count

216

Ranked #12,222

Modern count

402

2016, ranked #11,837

Peak year

1999

439 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Byram had 216 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,222 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 402 in 2016, ranked #11,837.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 370 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Byram surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Byram surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Byram 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 253 #8,709
1861 historical 225 #10,843
1881 historical 216 #12,222
1891 historical 264 #12,235
1901 historical 370 #10,017
1911 historical 344 #10,386
1997 modern 416 #10,696
1998 modern 431 #10,754
1999 modern 439 #10,673
2000 modern 410 #11,204
2001 modern 402 #11,183
2002 modern 415 #11,133
2003 modern 398 #11,301
2004 modern 401 #11,264
2005 modern 394 #11,308
2006 modern 388 #11,496
2007 modern 395 #11,481
2008 modern 399 #11,494
2009 modern 409 #11,524
2010 modern 422 #11,493
2011 modern 417 #11,462
2012 modern 406 #11,606
2013 modern 410 #11,693
2014 modern 407 #11,848
2015 modern 404 #11,814
2016 modern 402 #11,837

Geography

Back to top

Where Byrams are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Gateshead, Jarrow (Harton), Monkwearmouth (Southwick), Boldon, Whitburn, Batley, Great Budworth (Witton with Twambrook), Davenham (Leftwich) and Rochdale. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kirklees, Lancaster, Wakefield and Scarborough. 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 Gateshead Durham
2 Jarrow (Harton), Monkwearmouth (Southwick), Boldon, Whitburn Durham
3 Batley Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Great Budworth (Witton with Twambrook), Davenham (Leftwich) Cheshire
5 Rochdale Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kirklees 052 Kirklees
2 Lancaster 001 Lancaster
3 Wakefield 029 Wakefield
4 Scarborough 006 Scarborough
5 Wakefield 002 Wakefield

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Byram

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Byram

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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Byram is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

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

Byram is most concentrated in decile 1 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Byram falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Byram

The surname Byram originated in England during the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "byr" meaning a dwelling or enclosure, and "ham" meaning a homestead or village. This suggests that the name likely referred to someone who lived in a particular farmstead or small settlement.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is spelled "Bireham." This entry refers to a place name in the county of Norfolk. Over time, the spelling evolved to its modern form of Byram.

The surname Byram can also be linked to several place names in England, such as Byram in Yorkshire, and Byram Court in Kent. These locations may have been named after early bearers of the surname or vice versa.

Among the notable individuals who bore this surname is Sir John Byram, a 15th-century English knight who fought in the Wars of the Roses. He was born around 1430 and died in 1487.

Another notable figure was Francis Byram, a 16th-century English clergyman and author. He was born in 1537 and served as the Rector of Adstock in Buckinghamshire.

In the 17th century, there was a merchant named John Byram who was involved in the early colonization of Virginia. He was born in 1585 and played a role in the establishment of the Jamestown settlement.

During the 18th century, a man named William Byram gained recognition as a skilled architect and surveyor. He was born in 1709 and designed several notable buildings in London.

In the 19th century, a notable bearer of the Byram surname was Henry Byram, a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars. He was born in 1785 and participated in several significant battles.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Byram families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Byram 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. Yorkshire leads with 148 Byrams recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.09x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 148 7.09x
Cheshire 29 6.24x
Durham 9 1.44x
Lancashire 9 0.36x
Middlesex 5 0.24x
Northumberland 4 1.28x
Surrey 3 0.29x
Kent 2 0.28x
Westmorland 2 4.32x
Gloucestershire 1 0.24x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 3.28x
Lanarkshire 1 0.15x
Lincolnshire 1 0.30x
Worcestershire 1 0.36x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Saddleworth in Yorkshire leads with 17 Byrams recorded in 1881 and an index of 105.59x.

Place Total Index
Saddleworth 17 105.59x
Hipperholme Cum 15 163.58x
Soothill 15 198.94x
Ferry Fryston 14 1728.40x
Whitwood 11 370.37x
Allerton Bywater 10 884.96x
Bramley In Bramley 10 125.16x
Huddersfield 10 32.87x
Leftwich 10 483.09x
Southwick 9 151.52x
Marsden In Almondbury 8 421.05x
Borwick 7 3888.89x
Marston 7 985.92x
Church Coppenhall 5 240.38x
Knottingley 5 136.24x
Honley 4 109.59x
Islington London 4 1.96x
Leeds 4 3.39x
Clapham 3 11.39x
Gomersal 3 30.80x
Kippax 3 163.04x
Lockwood 3 39.95x
South Crosland 3 136.36x
Tranmere 3 17.55x
Tynemouth 3 17.87x
Almondbury 2 19.80x
Bradford 2 3.96x
Gravesend 2 32.84x
Lindley Cum Quarmby 2 37.95x
New Hutton 2 2222.22x
Over Kellet 2 555.56x
Aston By Budworth 1 303.03x
Brocklesby 1 526.32x
Castleford 1 13.16x
Cirencester 1 17.89x
Dudley 1 2.99x
Freeholders Quarter 1 1250.00x
Goole 1 28.57x
Hamilton 1 5.26x
Kirkcudbright 1 39.68x
Marsden In Huddersfield 1 204.08x
Methley 1 34.01x
Mirfield 1 8.73x
Pontefract 1 22.22x
Pudsey 1 8.96x
Rudheath 1 270.27x
St George In East London 1 5.05x
Stockport Etchells 1 101.01x
Witton Cum Twambrooks 1 24.15x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 10
Ann 8
Elizabeth 6
Ellen 6
Sarah 6
Eliza 4
Hannah 4
Ada 3
Florence 3
Jane 3
Fanny 2
Lilly 2
Maria 2
Amelia 1
Anne 1
Annie 1
Beatrice 1
Betsy 1
Betty 1
Charlotte 1
Christiana 1
Edith 1
Elenour 1
Emma 1
Emmeline 1
Esther 1
Frances 1
Gertrude 1
Harriet 1
Hephizibah 1
Isabella 1
Jamerena 1
Janey 1
Jannett 1
Malinda 1
Martha 1
Matilda 1
May 1
Minnie 1
Ruth 1
Sally 1
Sophia 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 18
William 15
James 12
George 10
Thomas 10
Joseph 8
Richard 5
Arthur 3
Alfred 2
Benjamin 2
Charles 2
Daniel 2
Harry 2
Joel 2
Samuel 2
Wm. 2
Allick 1
Andrew 1
Becket 1
Chas. 1
David 1
Drury 1
Edward 1
Ellis 1
Franklin 1
Harold 1
Henery 1
Horsfall 1
Howard 1
Jeffrey 1
Joe 1
Joshua 1
Luke 1
Martin 1
Mathew 1
Matthew 1
Peter 1
Philip 1
Ralph 1
Robert 1
Sam 1
Stanley 1
Thos. 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Byram surname: questions and answers

How common was the Byram surname in 1881?

In 1881, 216 people were recorded with the Byram surname. That placed it at #12,222 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Byram surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 402 in 2016. That gives Byram a modern rank of #11,837.

What does the Byram surname mean?

Habitational surname derived from any of the various places named Byram, meaning "by the ram or male sheep."

What does the Byram map show?

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