NameCensus.

UK surname

Chamberlain

An occupational surname referring to a servant who managed the private chambers of a nobleman or monarch.

In the 1881 census there were 8,127 people recorded with the Chamberlain surname, ranking it #513 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 12,310, ranked #530, down from #513 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Cambridgeshire, Winchester and Caerphilly.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Chamberlain is 12,872 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 51.5%.

1881 census count

8,127

Ranked #513

Modern count

12,310

2016, ranked #530

Peak year

1999

12,872 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Chamberlain had 8,127 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #513 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 12,310 in 2016, ranked #530.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 11,888 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Chamberlain surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Chamberlain surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Chamberlain 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 4,904 #569
1861 historical 4,669 #612
1881 historical 8,127 #513
1891 historical 8,942 #494
1901 historical 10,739 #485
1911 historical 11,888 #412
1997 modern 12,374 #496
1998 modern 12,805 #500
1999 modern 12,872 #501
2000 modern 12,715 #504
2001 modern 12,472 #500
2002 modern 12,814 #497
2003 modern 12,545 #494
2004 modern 12,533 #494
2005 modern 12,180 #506
2006 modern 12,110 #512
2007 modern 12,096 #519
2008 modern 12,126 #519
2009 modern 12,372 #524
2010 modern 12,587 #524
2011 modern 12,413 #525
2012 modern 12,191 #526
2013 modern 12,436 #529
2014 modern 12,508 #532
2015 modern 12,375 #531
2016 modern 12,310 #530

Geography

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Where Chamberlains are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard and Lambeth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Cambridgeshire, Winchester, Caerphilly, Boston and King's Lynn and West Norfolk. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
5 Lambeth London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Cambridgeshire 018 South Cambridgeshire
2 Winchester 012 Winchester
3 Caerphilly 005 Caerphilly
4 Boston 004 Boston
5 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 002 King's Lynn and West Norfolk

Forenames

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First names often paired with Chamberlain

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Chamberlain

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Chamberlain 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

Chamberlain 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

Chamberlain falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Chamberlain

The surname Chamberlain has its origins in early medieval England, with records dating back to the 11th century. It is derived from the Old French words "chambre" and "lain," meaning "chamber" and "servant" respectively. The name originally referred to a servant who attended the private chambers of a lord or nobleman.

One of the earliest known references to the surname Chamberlain can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive record of landholdings and tax assessments in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears in various spellings, including Camberlanus and Camberlayn.

In the 13th century, the Chamberlain family held lands and estates in various parts of England, particularly in Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, and Gloucestershire. Notable members of the family during this period include Sir Richard Chamberlain, who served as Lord Chief Justice of England in the late 13th century.

The surname Chamberlain has been associated with several prominent historical figures throughout the centuries. One of the most notable was John Chamberlain (1470-1543), an English clergyman and academic who served as Chancellor of the University of Oxford and as a diplomat for King Henry VIII.

Another notable figure was Joseph Chamberlain (1836-1914), a British statesman and politician who served as Secretary of State for the Colonies and played a significant role in the expansion of the British Empire. He was also a key figure in the formation of the modern Conservative Party.

Other notable individuals with the surname Chamberlain include Sir Neville Chamberlain (1869-1940), the British Prime Minister who famously pursued a policy of appeasement towards Nazi Germany in the lead-up to World War II, and Wilt Chamberlain (1936-1999), the legendary American basketball player and one of the greatest players in the history of the NBA.

The Chamberlain surname has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Chamberlain Court in Gloucestershire and Chamberlain's Farm in Oxfordshire, reflecting the family's historical landholdings and influence in these areas.

Overall, the surname Chamberlain has a rich history and has been borne by many notable figures throughout the centuries, reflecting its origins as a title associated with service to the nobility in medieval England.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Chamberlain families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Chamberlain 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. Middlesex leads with 1,053 Chamberlains recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.32x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 1,053 1.32x
Leicestershire 561 6.37x
Lancashire 537 0.57x
Surrey 506 1.31x
Warwickshire 434 2.17x
Somerset 281 2.20x
Devon 265 1.60x
Berkshire 262 4.39x
Gloucestershire 251 1.61x
Yorkshire 251 0.32x
Staffordshire 239 0.89x
Hampshire 231 1.42x
Bedfordshire 229 5.56x
Kent 218 0.80x
Northamptonshire 216 2.89x
Nottinghamshire 213 1.99x
Essex 208 1.33x
Worcestershire 208 2.00x
Lincolnshire 186 1.46x
Norfolk 184 1.51x
Derbyshire 175 1.41x
Cambridgeshire 169 3.36x
Hertfordshire 155 2.83x
Suffolk 110 1.14x
Wiltshire 108 1.54x
Herefordshire 97 2.98x
Huntingdonshire 95 6.02x
Cheshire 87 0.50x
Glamorgan 83 0.60x
Durham 72 0.30x
Rutland 62 10.62x
Buckinghamshire 60 1.25x
Sussex 59 0.44x
Oxfordshire 55 1.12x
Monmouthshire 37 0.64x
Dorset 27 0.52x
Lanarkshire 24 0.09x
Shropshire 21 0.31x
Midlothian 20 0.19x
Northumberland 14 0.12x
Cornwall 12 0.13x
Royal Navy 12 1.27x
Carmarthenshire 11 0.33x
Westmorland 11 0.63x
Dunbartonshire 8 0.37x
Fife 7 0.15x
Caernarfonshire 6 0.19x
Flintshire 3 0.14x
Montgomeryshire 3 0.16x
Channel Islands 2 0.08x
Cumberland 2 0.03x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.01x
Denbighshire 1 0.03x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 0.09x
Merionethshire 1 0.07x
Perthshire 1 0.03x
Stirlingshire 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leicester St Margaret in Leicestershire leads with 130 Chamberlains recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.05x.

Place Total Index
Leicester St Margaret 130 6.05x
Aston 95 1.72x
Lambeth 91 1.31x
Birmingham 84 1.26x
Hackney London 81 1.82x
Kensington London 81 1.83x
Islington London 74 0.96x
St Pancras London 69 1.08x
Mile End Old Town London 68 4.02x
Portsea 63 1.97x
Leicester St Mary 58 8.15x
Bermondsey 57 2.41x
West Ham 57 1.65x
Leighton Buzzard 55 31.07x
St Marylebone London 54 1.27x
Camberwell 50 0.98x
Shoreditch London 50 1.45x
Bassingbourn 48 64.88x
Luton 48 6.74x
Battersea 46 1.57x
Bromley London 41 2.34x
Burton Upon Trent 39 6.21x
Nottingham St Mary 38 1.37x
Hammersmith London 37 1.89x
Wigan 37 2.81x
Manchester 36 0.85x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 35 2.38x
Croydon 35 1.63x
Pirton 33 107.04x
Alfreton 32 8.46x
Kidderminster Borough 31 5.10x
Burbage 30 65.20x
Chelsea London 30 1.25x
Crediton 30 19.14x
Hinckley 30 14.35x
Lancaster 30 5.35x
Derby St Werburgh 29 4.04x
Fulham London 29 2.52x
Dudley 28 2.22x
Mansfield 28 7.55x
Plumstead 28 3.10x
Ramsbury 28 43.98x
Southwark St George Martyr 28 1.75x
St George Hanover Square 28 2.00x
Everton 27 0.90x
Ipswich St Margaret 27 8.22x
Newington 27 0.92x
Pinchbeck 27 33.15x
Ystradyfodwg 27 2.22x
West Derby 26 0.94x
Oadby 25 52.97x
Rotherhithe 25 2.55x
Upper Gravenhurst 25 258.80x
Clerkenwell London 24 1.28x
Leeds 24 0.54x
Shepton Mallet 24 16.72x
Bedminster 23 1.91x
Great Paxton 23 323.94x
Poplar London 23 1.53x
Shepreth 23 232.32x
Wellingborough 23 6.12x
Greenwich 22 1.74x
Kettering 22 7.28x
Rothley 22 76.79x
Bradfield 21 66.48x
Bradford 21 1.10x
Cheltenham 21 1.75x
Glastonbury 21 20.11x
Govan 21 0.33x
Graveley 21 371.02x
Wolverhampton 21 1.02x
Edgbaston 20 3.22x
Hampstead London 20 1.62x
Hillmorton 20 55.94x
Peterborough 20 3.70x
West Bromwich 20 1.30x
Wimbledon 20 4.60x
Lewisham 19 1.31x
Rearsby 19 146.38x
Twickenham 19 5.58x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 480
Elizabeth 340
Sarah 311
Ann 181
Jane 153
Eliza 152
Emma 132
Alice 128
Annie 120
Ellen 116
Emily 104
Martha 76
Hannah 73
Louisa 69
Edith 63
Florence 57
Fanny 55
Kate 55
Maria 55
Ada 54
Lucy 49
Caroline 47
Clara 47
Frances 46
Charlotte 45
Harriet 43
Margaret 37
Susan 37
Catherine 35
Rebecca 33
Agnes 31
Rose 28
Elizth. 26
Esther 26
Harriett 26
Amelia 25
Anne 23
Eleanor 21
Gertrude 20
Matilda 20
Lizzie 19
Susannah 19
Ruth 18
Sophia 18
Minnie 17
Julia 15
Laura 15
Lydia 14
Selina 14
Grace 13

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 487
John 396
George 283
Thomas 270
James 224
Charles 203
Henry 174
Joseph 156
Arthur 103
Alfred 92
Robert 82
Edward 79
Frederick 75
Richard 72
Walter 64
Albert 63
Harry 59
Samuel 50
Ernest 44
Wm. 40
Francis 34
Edwin 33
Herbert 31
Frank 29
Thos. 27
David 26
Chas. 15
Stephen 15
Benjamin 14
Amos 13
Fredk. 13
Percy 13
Sidney 13
Tom 13
Edmund 11
Geo. 11
Fred 10
Willm. 10
Daniel 9
Edgar 9
Robt. 9
Abraham 8
Christopher 8
Fredrick 8
Jas. 8
Jesse 8
Saml. 8
Horace 7
Mark 7
W. 7

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 Chamberlain households.

FAQ

Chamberlain surname: questions and answers

How common was the Chamberlain surname in 1881?

In 1881, 8,127 people were recorded with the Chamberlain surname. That placed it at #513 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Chamberlain surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 12,310 in 2016. That gives Chamberlain a modern rank of #530.

What does the Chamberlain surname mean?

An occupational surname referring to a servant who managed the private chambers of a nobleman or monarch.

What does the Chamberlain map show?

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