NameCensus.

UK surname

Cham

A surname denoting a person from the region of Champagne, France.

In the 1881 census there were 5 people recorded with the Cham surname, ranking it #33,110 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 449, ranked #10,816, up from #33,110 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Manchester, Southwark and Gorbals and Hutchesontown.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Cham is 449 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 8880.0%.

1881 census count

5

Ranked #33,110

Modern count

449

2016, ranked #10,816

Peak year

2016

449 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Cham had 5 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #33,110 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 449 in 2016, ranked #10,816.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 52 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Cham surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Cham surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Cham 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 19 #29,904
1861 historical 52 #27,369
1881 historical 5 #33,110
1891 historical 16 #32,868
1901 historical 17 #32,146
1911 historical 30 #30,073
1997 modern 205 #17,370
1998 modern 217 #17,207
1999 modern 222 #17,080
2000 modern 222 #17,032
2001 modern 214 #17,211
2002 modern 249 #15,855
2003 modern 260 #15,216
2004 modern 290 #14,178
2005 modern 316 #13,351
2006 modern 336 #12,842
2007 modern 359 #12,356
2008 modern 362 #12,384
2009 modern 399 #11,750
2010 modern 440 #11,101
2011 modern 411 #11,617
2012 modern 420 #11,278
2013 modern 431 #11,231
2014 modern 448 #10,946
2015 modern 444 #10,935
2016 modern 449 #10,816

Geography

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Where Chams are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Manchester, Southwark, Gorbals and Hutchesontown, Liverpool and Birmingham. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Manchester 024 Manchester
2 Southwark 022 Southwark
3 Gorbals and Hutchesontown Glasgow City
4 Liverpool 023 Liverpool
5 Birmingham 035 Birmingham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Cham

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

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Cham

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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations

Nationally, the Cham surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Cham 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 is often found in less central parts of London and other major towns and cities. Adults are more likely than the Supergroup average to have never been married and are typically aged less than 45 years. Many have young dependent children and individuals may have been born in Africa. There are many members identifying with a Black ethnic group, with the other ethnic groups (as listed in the glossary) also represented, though Chinese less so. Accommodation in flats, frequently socially rented, is common in these neighbourhoods. Part time employment is also common, and work is often in elementary occupations, while unemployment is also the highest within this Supergroup.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Cham is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Cham is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Cham 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 Cham is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 40-50 mbit/s.

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

7
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
Asian - Chinese

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

Meaning and origin of Cham

The surname CHAM is of English origin, dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be a locational name, derived from the Old English word 'cham' or 'camb', meaning a bend or ridge. This suggests that the name may have originated from a place near a bend in a river or a ridgeline.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Lincolnshire, a census-like record from 1274, which mentions a John de Cham. The name also appears in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379, where a Thomas de Cham is listed.

The CHAM surname may also be linked to the village of Cham in Gloucestershire, England. This place name is thought to derive from the Old English word 'camb', meaning a ridge or hill. It is possible that early bearers of the surname hailed from this village or the surrounding area.

A notable historical figure with the CHAM surname was John Cham, a 14th-century English landowner and Member of Parliament for Somerset. He was born around 1330 and died in 1391.

Another individual of note was Thomas Cham, a 16th-century English clergyman and author. He was born in Wiltshire in 1504 and served as a canon of the church at Salisbury Cathedral. He wrote several religious works, including a commentary on the Book of Psalms.

In the 17th century, Walter Cham was a prominent merchant and sea captain from Bristol, England. He was involved in the transatlantic trade and made several voyages to the Caribbean and North America between 1640 and 1670.

Moving into the 18th century, William Cham was a notable English architect and surveyor. He was born in 1720 and is known for his work on various buildings and estates in the counties of Wiltshire and Somerset.

Finally, in the 19th century, there was Edward Cham, a British explorer and naturalist. He was born in 1828 and participated in several expeditions to Africa and Asia, where he collected and documented various plant and animal specimens.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Cham families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Cham 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 1 Chams recorded in 1881 and an index of 67.57x.

County Total Index
Norfolk 1 67.57x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. South Lynn in Norfolk leads with 1 Chams recorded in 1881 and an index of 5000.00x.

Place Total Index
South Lynn 1 5000.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Susannah 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 Cham households.

FAQ

Cham surname: questions and answers

How common was the Cham surname in 1881?

In 1881, 5 people were recorded with the Cham surname. That placed it at #33,110 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Cham surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 449 in 2016. That gives Cham a modern rank of #10,816.

What does the Cham surname mean?

A surname denoting a person from the region of Champagne, France.

What does the Cham map show?

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