NameCensus.

UK surname

Coulam

A habitational surname derived from a place name originating from Lancashire, England.

In the 1881 census there were 47 people recorded with the Coulam surname, ranking it #27,019 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 192, ranked #20,118, up from #27,019 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Louth, Clee and Swaby. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North Lincolnshire, Boston and Rotherham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Coulam is 216 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 308.5%.

1881 census count

47

Ranked #27,019

Modern count

192

2016, ranked #20,118

Peak year

2010

216 bearers

Map years

5

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Coulam had 47 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #27,019 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 192 in 2016, ranked #20,118.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 138 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Coulam surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Coulam surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Coulam 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 82 #19,317
1861 historical 67 #25,342
1881 historical 47 #27,019
1891 historical 103 #23,558
1901 historical 69 #26,499
1911 historical 138 #18,811
1997 modern 177 #19,018
1998 modern 184 #19,037
1999 modern 186 #19,073
2000 modern 192 #18,683
2001 modern 185 #18,840
2002 modern 192 #18,767
2003 modern 189 #18,738
2004 modern 188 #18,919
2005 modern 189 #18,807
2006 modern 183 #19,326
2007 modern 190 #19,088
2008 modern 190 #19,246
2009 modern 201 #18,965
2010 modern 216 #18,492
2011 modern 216 #18,321
2012 modern 198 #19,340
2013 modern 202 #19,389
2014 modern 203 #19,504
2015 modern 196 #19,840
2016 modern 192 #20,118

Geography

Back to top

Where Coulams are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Louth, Clee, Swaby, Tathwell and Oakham, Leigh Field Forest. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North Lincolnshire, Boston, Rotherham, East Lindsey and North East Lincolnshire. 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 Louth Lincolnshire
2 Clee Lincolnshire
3 Swaby Lincolnshire
4 Tathwell Lincolnshire
5 Oakham, Leigh Field Forest Rutland

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North Lincolnshire 001 North Lincolnshire
2 Boston 006 Boston
3 Rotherham 005 Rotherham
4 East Lindsey 004 East Lindsey
5 North East Lincolnshire 003 North East Lincolnshire

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Coulam

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Coulam

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

Coulam 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

Coulam falls in decile 3 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.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Coulam

The surname COULAM is believed to have originated in France, specifically in the region of Normandy during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old French word "colomb," meaning "dove" or "pigeon." This could suggest that the name was initially used as a nickname or occupational name for someone who worked with or bred these birds.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the COULAM surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land ownership and population in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. This indicates that individuals bearing this surname or a similar spelling may have been among the Norman settlers who arrived in England following the Norman Conquest in 1066.

During the 13th century, the name COULAM appeared in various historical documents and records, often associated with landed gentry or nobility in the regions of Normandy and Brittany in France. One notable example is Sir Robert COULAM, a knight who participated in the Seventh Crusade led by King Louis IX of France in the mid-13th century.

In the 14th and 15th centuries, the COULAM surname began to spread across Europe, with records showing individuals bearing this name in various regions, including England, Scotland, and the Netherlands. A notable figure from this period was Jehan COULAM, a French merchant and diplomat who lived between 1380 and 1452, and served as an envoy for King Charles VII of France.

The 16th and 17th centuries saw the further dispersal of the COULAM surname, with individuals bearing this name found in various parts of Europe and even in the newly established colonies in the Americas. One notable example is William COULAM, an English settler who arrived in Virginia in the early 17th century and became a prominent landowner and planter.

Another significant figure was Françoise COULAM, a French writer and philosopher who lived from 1592 to 1658. She was known for her literary works and her contributions to the intellectual discourse of her time.

As the COULAM surname spread across different regions and countries, various spelling variations emerged, such as Coulomb, Colombe, and Colombo. These variations often reflected local dialects and linguistic influences, but they all shared a common origin and meaning related to the dove or pigeon imagery.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Coulam families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Coulam 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. Lincolnshire leads with 30 Coulams recorded in 1881 and an index of 40.93x.

County Total Index
Lincolnshire 30 40.93x
Cambridgeshire 7 24.11x
Cornwall 4 7.71x
Lancashire 3 0.55x
Yorkshire 2 0.44x
Northumberland 1 1.47x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barton St Peter in Lincolnshire leads with 9 Coulams recorded in 1881 and an index of 2647.06x.

Place Total Index
Barton St Peter 9 2647.06x
Barton St Mary 7 1891.89x
Wisbech St Peter 7 479.45x
Ruan Lanihorne 4 8000.00x
Legbourne 3 4285.71x
Poulton Barre 3 483.87x
Woodhall 3 7500.00x
Swaby 2 3333.33x
Berwick Upon Tweed 1 68.97x
Grainthorpe 1 909.09x
Great Grimsby 1 21.51x
Little Carlton 1 3333.33x
Louth 1 59.52x
Saltmarshe 1 10000.00x
Skipton 1 69.93x
Tumby 1 2000.00x
Withern 1 1428.57x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Jane 3
Annie 2
Elizabeth 2
Alice 1
Ann 1
Caroline 1
Harriett 1
Margaret 1
Mary 1
Pricila 1
Reumah 1
Sarah 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 6
Joseph 3
Thomas 3
George 2
William 2
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
Bowler 1
Earnest 1
Edward 1
Frank 1
Fredrick 1
Geo. 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Hubert 1
Richard 1
Willm.J. 1
Wm. 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 Coulam households.

FAQ

Coulam surname: questions and answers

How common was the Coulam surname in 1881?

In 1881, 47 people were recorded with the Coulam surname. That placed it at #27,019 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Coulam surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 192 in 2016. That gives Coulam a modern rank of #20,118.

What does the Coulam surname mean?

A habitational surname derived from a place name originating from Lancashire, England.

What does the Coulam map show?

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