NameCensus.

UK surname

Chatham

A locational surname referring to someone from Chatham, a town in Kent, England, meaning "homestead of Ceatta's people."

In the 1881 census there were 475 people recorded with the Chatham surname, ranking it #7,031 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 460, ranked #10,657, down from #7,031 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Harborne, Wolverhampton and Manchester. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Riding of Yorkshire, Shropshire and Battlefield.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Chatham is 896 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 3.2%.

1881 census count

475

Ranked #7,031

Modern count

460

2016, ranked #10,657

Peak year

1861

896 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Chatham had 475 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #7,031 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 460 in 2016, ranked #10,657.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 896 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Chatham surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Chatham surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Chatham 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 435 #5,644
1861 historical 896 #3,090
1881 historical 475 #7,031
1891 historical 642 #6,044
1901 historical 477 #8,343
1911 historical 490 #7,943
1997 modern 439 #10,264
1998 modern 469 #10,079
1999 modern 472 #10,083
2000 modern 467 #10,144
2001 modern 457 #10,113
2002 modern 465 #10,163
2003 modern 460 #10,091
2004 modern 452 #10,270
2005 modern 444 #10,315
2006 modern 430 #10,624
2007 modern 442 #10,495
2008 modern 445 #10,521
2009 modern 456 #10,558
2010 modern 471 #10,510
2011 modern 469 #10,444
2012 modern 462 #10,470
2013 modern 468 #10,516
2014 modern 467 #10,596
2015 modern 467 #10,535
2016 modern 460 #10,657

Geography

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Where Chathams are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Harborne, Wolverhampton, Manchester, Harrow-on-the-Hill and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Riding of Yorkshire, Shropshire, Battlefield and Petershill. 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 Harborne Worcestershire
2 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Harrow-on-the-Hill Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Riding of Yorkshire 038 East Riding of Yorkshire
2 Shropshire 028 Shropshire
3 East Riding of Yorkshire 037 East Riding of Yorkshire
4 Battlefield Glasgow City
5 Petershill Glasgow City

Forenames

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First names often paired with Chatham

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Chatham

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Chatham 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

Chatham is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Chatham falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Chatham

The surname Chatham originated in England, derived from the town of the same name located in Kent. The earliest recorded spellings of the place name date back to the 8th century, appearing as "Cetham" and "Chetham" in Old English texts.

The name Chatham is believed to come from the Old English words "caet" meaning "barn" and "ham" meaning "homestead" or "village". This suggests that the original settlement may have been centered around a large barn or farmstead. In the Domesday Book of 1086, the town is recorded as "Ceteham".

One of the earliest documented individuals with the surname Chatham was William de Chatham, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Kent in 1230. Another early record is that of John de Chetham, listed in the Assize Rolls of Lancashire in 1284.

During the Middle Ages, the Chatham family was prominent in Kent, with members holding positions of influence in the local community. Notably, Sir John Chatham served as High Sheriff of Kent in 1422.

As the surname spread across England, variations in spelling arose, including Chetham, Cheatham, and Chattam. One notable bearer of this name was Humphrey Chetham (1580-1653), a wealthy merchant and philanthropist from Manchester, who founded Chetham's Hospital and Library, one of the oldest public libraries in Britain.

Other historical figures with the surname Chatham include Sir John Pardo Chatham (1685-1762), a British naval officer who served as Commander-in-Chief of the East Indies Station, and William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham (1708-1778), a prominent British statesman and Prime Minister during the Seven Years' War.

In the United States, one of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname was Edward Chatham, who settled in Virginia in 1623. Another notable American bearing this name was Thomas Chatham (1770-1854), a soldier and politician who served as a brigadier general during the War of 1812.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Chatham families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Chatham 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. Lancashire leads with 111 Chathams recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.02x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 111 2.02x
Staffordshire 58 3.72x
Yorkshire 52 1.13x
Warwickshire 40 3.43x
Shropshire 36 9.01x
Denbighshire 27 15.46x
Lanarkshire 27 1.81x
Middlesex 27 0.58x
Cheshire 22 2.16x
Glamorgan 9 1.12x
Derbyshire 7 0.97x
Midlothian 6 0.97x
Westmorland 6 5.90x
Worcestershire 6 0.99x
Nottinghamshire 5 0.80x
Sussex 5 0.64x
Cornwall 4 0.76x
Herefordshire 4 2.11x
Flintshire 3 2.41x
Leicestershire 3 0.59x
Renfrewshire 3 0.84x
Devon 2 0.21x
Durham 2 0.15x
Kent 2 0.13x
Surrey 2 0.09x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.53x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.51x
Gloucestershire 1 0.11x
Hampshire 1 0.11x
Perthshire 1 0.48x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Harborne in Staffordshire leads with 22 Chathams recorded in 1881 and an index of 43.98x.

Place Total Index
Harborne 22 43.98x
Birmingham 20 5.15x
Barony 18 4.76x
Aston 14 4.36x
Leeds 12 4.64x
Kensington London 10 3.89x
Everton 9 5.15x
Gresford Gwersyllt 9 166.05x
Methley 9 139.53x
Neenton 9 4090.91x
Rowley Regis 9 20.69x
West Derby 9 5.61x
Ruabon 8 33.31x
Wolverhampton 8 6.67x
Liverpool 7 2.10x
Oldham 7 3.95x
Prestwich 7 51.13x
Windle 7 22.68x
Wuerdle Wardle 7 42.04x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 6 2.41x
Holt 6 370.37x
Litherland 6 52.31x
Newton 6 14.19x
Stanton Lacy 6 173.91x
Tibshelf 6 169.01x
Undermilbeck 6 179.10x
West Bromwich 6 6.72x
Brighton 5 3.18x
Brinnington 5 52.47x
Dudley 5 6.81x
Ecclesall Bierlow 5 5.37x
Glasgow 5 1.88x
Harrow On The Hill 5 54.11x
Llanwonno 5 17.28x
Sculcoates 5 6.88x
Ardwick 4 8.08x
Blackley 4 41.58x
Burford 4 588.24x
Chadderton 4 14.91x
Chester St Oswald 4 21.65x
Darlaston 4 18.54x
Govan 4 1.08x
Little Bolton 4 5.67x
Ludlow St Lawrence 4 50.31x
Newland 4 909.09x
Pemberton 4 18.28x
Pudsey 4 16.33x
Stansty 4 207.25x
Stanton Long 4 952.38x
Yarpole 4 421.05x
Bilston 3 9.92x
Bowling 3 6.61x
Curdworth 3 280.37x
Diddlebury 3 227.27x
Drax 3 508.47x
Hurdsfield 3 47.77x
Lathom 3 45.25x
Leicester St Margaret 3 2.40x
Llantrisant 3 14.79x
Newton In Ashton Under 3 29.79x
Old Withington 3 326.09x
Salford 3 1.86x
West Greenock 3 4.66x
Worsley 3 8.87x
Altrincham 2 11.22x
Bethnal Green London 2 1.00x
Cheetham 2 4.89x
Fulham London 2 2.98x
Holme On Spalding Moor 2 66.67x
Islington London 2 0.45x
Kirkdale 2 2.17x
Mold 2 17.75x
Paddington London 2 1.18x
Redruth 2 13.50x
Shoreditch London 2 1.00x
Snenton 2 8.17x
St Austell 2 11.18x
Stoke St Milborough 2 240.96x
Stretford 2 6.62x
Witton 2 28.99x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 33
Sarah 23
Jane 14
Elizabeth 12
Ann 11
Annie 11
Emma 7
Hannah 6
Harriet 6
Margaret 5
Alice 4
Eliza 4
Maria 4
Charlotte 3
Elizth. 3
Lucy 3
Caroline 2
Catherine 2
Edith 2
Ellen 2
Esther 2
Fanny 2
Isabella 2
Martha 2
Matilda 2
Winifred 2
Amelia 1
Anne 1
Annis 1
Betty 1
Blanche 1
Conatance 1
Emily 1
Emmily 1
Ernestine 1
Florance 1
Francess 1
G.E. 1
Georgina 1
Helen 1
Jeanie 1
Julia 1
Katherine 1
Kerenhappuch 1
Lavina 1
Lavinia 1
Leah 1
Lilly 1
Lily 1
Louisa 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 28
William 24
George 19
Thomas 17
Henry 16
Charles 15
James 13
Joseph 11
Walter 7
Edward 5
Herbert 5
Samuel 5
Robert 4
Albert 3
Edwin 3
Frederick 3
Alfred 2
Francis 2
Hugh 2
Peter 2
Stephen 2
Augustus 1
Baby 1
Benjamin 1
Bennett 1
Chares 1
Chas. 1
Daniel 1
E. 1
Edmond 1
Edwd. 1
Emmanuel 1
Ernest 1
Frank 1
Geo. 1
Harry 1
J.Fred. 1
Jas. 1
Josephine 1
Margaret 1
Mary 1
Matthew 1
R.C.H. 1
Richard 1
Sam 1
Sidney 1
Silvester 1
Thos. 1
Wlm. 1
Wm.H. 1

FAQ

Chatham surname: questions and answers

How common was the Chatham surname in 1881?

In 1881, 475 people were recorded with the Chatham surname. That placed it at #7,031 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Chatham surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 460 in 2016. That gives Chatham a modern rank of #10,657.

What does the Chatham surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone from Chatham, a town in Kent, England, meaning "homestead of Ceatta's people."

What does the Chatham map show?

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