NameCensus.

UK surname

Denham

From the Old English words "denu" and "ham," meaning "homestead in the valley."

In the 1881 census there were 2,637 people recorded with the Denham surname, ranking it #1,685 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,502, ranked #1,938, down from #1,685 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Darlington, Halifax and Newchurch. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include County Durham, Calderdale and South Oxfordshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Denham is 3,618 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 32.8%.

1881 census count

2,637

Ranked #1,685

Modern count

3,502

2016, ranked #1,938

Peak year

1998

3,618 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Denham had 2,637 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,685 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,502 in 2016, ranked #1,938.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,318 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Denham surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Denham surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Denham 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 1,672 #1,722
1861 historical 1,595 #1,785
1881 historical 2,637 #1,685
1891 historical 2,881 #1,645
1901 historical 3,215 #1,744
1911 historical 3,318 #1,574
1997 modern 3,455 #1,872
1998 modern 3,618 #1,868
1999 modern 3,607 #1,887
2000 modern 3,594 #1,890
2001 modern 3,510 #1,882
2002 modern 3,563 #1,903
2003 modern 3,489 #1,899
2004 modern 3,516 #1,881
2005 modern 3,411 #1,905
2006 modern 3,375 #1,929
2007 modern 3,402 #1,930
2008 modern 3,388 #1,964
2009 modern 3,461 #1,971
2010 modern 3,566 #1,949
2011 modern 3,563 #1,931
2012 modern 3,477 #1,942
2013 modern 3,552 #1,936
2014 modern 3,554 #1,944
2015 modern 3,513 #1,942
2016 modern 3,502 #1,938

Geography

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Where Denhams are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Darlington, Halifax, Newchurch, London parishes and Portsmouth, Portsea. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to County Durham, Calderdale and South Oxfordshire. 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 Darlington Durham
2 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Newchurch Hampshire
4 London parishes London 3
5 Portsmouth, Portsea Hampshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 County Durham 059 County Durham
2 County Durham 057 County Durham
3 Calderdale 011 Calderdale
4 County Durham 064 County Durham
5 South Oxfordshire 008 South Oxfordshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Denham

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Denham

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Denham is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Denham is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Denham falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Denham

The surname Denham is of Anglo-Saxon origin, deriving from the Old English words "denu" meaning valley and "ham" meaning homestead or village. It is a locational name referring to the village of Denham in Buckinghamshire, England.

Records of the village of Denham date back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it was listed as "Denham". The name is thought to have been derived from the Old English words "denu" and "ham", meaning "homestead or village in the valley".

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the surname Denham was Robert de Denham, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Warwickshire in 1195. Another early bearer was William de Denham, recorded in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1281.

The surname Denham has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. Sir John Denham (1615-1669) was an English poet and courtier who served as the Surveyor of the King's Works under Charles II. He is best known for his poem "Cooper's Hill", which is considered one of the first examples of English topographical poetry.

Another prominent figure was Sir John Denham (1559-1639), an English judge and politician who served as a Member of Parliament and Chief Baron of the Exchequer under King James I. He was instrumental in the establishment of the Somers Isles (now Bermuda) as an English colony.

In the United States, Denham has been the surname of several notable individuals, including John Denham (1805-1867), a U.S. Representative from Ohio, and William Denham (1856-1904), an American lawyer and politician who served as the Attorney General of California.

Other notable individuals with the surname Denham include Sir Archibald Denham (1783-1859), a British naval officer and explorer who explored parts of Africa, and Sir John Denham (1829-1910), a British diplomat and colonial administrator who served as the Governor of New South Wales and the Bahamas.

Overall, the surname Denham has a rich history dating back to Anglo-Saxon England, with records of bearers appearing in various historical documents and notable individuals from different walks of life.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Denham families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Denham 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 473 Denhams recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.85x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 473 1.85x
Middlesex 345 1.34x
Hampshire 278 5.27x
Durham 212 2.77x
Lancashire 194 0.63x
Surrey 160 1.28x
Kent 93 1.06x
Devon 86 1.60x
Nottinghamshire 80 2.30x
Northumberland 79 2.06x
Somerset 79 1.91x
Warwickshire 70 1.08x
Essex 52 1.02x
Midlothian 50 1.45x
Staffordshire 42 0.48x
Gloucestershire 36 0.71x
Buckinghamshire 32 2.06x
Berkshire 20 1.03x
Derbyshire 19 0.47x
Lanarkshire 19 0.23x
Norfolk 19 0.48x
Ayrshire 18 0.93x
Berwickshire 17 5.45x
Glamorgan 14 0.31x
Sussex 13 0.30x
Fife 11 0.72x
Huntingdonshire 10 1.96x
Angus 9 0.38x
Herefordshire 9 0.85x
Hertfordshire 9 0.51x
Perthshire 9 0.78x
Dorset 8 0.47x
Oxfordshire 8 0.50x
Wiltshire 8 0.35x
Cheshire 7 0.12x
West Lothian 6 1.55x
Shropshire 5 0.22x
Royal Navy 4 1.30x
East Lothian 3 0.88x
Leicestershire 3 0.11x
Renfrewshire 3 0.15x
Ross-shire 3 0.42x
Selkirkshire 3 1.29x
Brecknockshire 2 0.39x
Clackmannanshire 2 0.94x
Dunbartonshire 2 0.29x
Monmouthshire 2 0.11x
Northamptonshire 2 0.08x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.04x
Argyllshire 1 0.14x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.06x
Channel Islands 1 0.13x
Cumberland 1 0.05x
Denbighshire 1 0.10x
Dumfriesshire 1 0.18x
Flintshire 1 0.14x
Roxburghshire 1 0.21x
Stirlingshire 1 0.11x
Suffolk 1 0.03x
Wigtownshire 1 0.29x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hipperholme Cum in Yorkshire leads with 74 Denhams recorded in 1881 and an index of 65.99x.

Place Total Index
Hipperholme Cum 74 65.99x
Northwood 55 73.17x
Birmingham 52 2.40x
Islington London 47 1.88x
Rastrick 46 64.90x
Hackney London 44 3.05x
Darlington 43 14.54x
St Pancras London 41 1.98x
Lynesack Softley 40 193.24x
Ryde 40 35.28x
Blackburn 31 3.81x
Bromley London 31 5.47x
Leeds 31 2.15x
Heworth 29 19.21x
Arnold 28 55.26x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 28 2.02x
Walsall Foreign 25 5.57x
West Ham 25 2.23x
Lambeth 23 1.02x
Liversedge 22 19.37x
Huddersfield 20 5.38x
Camberwell 19 1.16x
Elland Cum Greetland 19 16.53x
Bishopstoke 18 132.84x
Hulme 18 2.82x
Portsea 18 1.74x
Byker 17 8.98x
Newington 17 1.79x
Nottingham St Mary 17 1.89x
South Stoneham 17 14.85x
Aston 16 0.89x
Freshwater 16 66.34x
Middlesbrough 16 4.81x
Shoreditch London 16 1.43x
Southowram 15 19.26x
Clifton In Halifax 14 91.80x
Hammersmith London 14 2.21x
Norwich St Clement 14 30.50x
Taunton St Mary 14 18.40x
Whippingham 14 35.03x
Littleham 13 33.17x
Newfield 13 127.95x
Wandsworth 13 5.24x
Willesden 13 5.36x
Bridgewater 12 10.66x
Broughton In Salford 12 4.29x
Charlton Next Woolwich 12 13.09x
Chorlton On Medlock 12 2.47x
Deal 12 16.01x
Halifax 12 3.20x
Hart 12 64.31x
Hornsey 12 3.68x
Newcastle On Tyne St 12 6.04x
Preston 12 1.47x
Sheffield 12 1.48x
Shildon 12 19.49x
Skircoat 12 11.92x
Westoe 12 2.76x
Wickham 12 123.58x
Bermondsey 11 1.43x
Bootle Cum Linacre 11 4.53x
Carisbrooke 11 15.01x
Clerkenwell London 11 1.81x
Brighton 10 1.14x
Failsworth 10 14.30x
Liverpool 10 0.54x
North Bierley 10 7.26x
Oldham 10 1.01x
Ramsey 10 24.43x
Snaith Cowick 10 65.53x
St Marylebone London 10 0.73x
Worksop 10 9.71x
Barking 9 6.05x
Exeter St Mary Steps 9 74.44x
Govan 9 0.44x
Hambleden 9 67.62x
Paddington London 9 0.95x
Portsmouth 9 7.41x
Southwark St George Martyr 9 1.74x
Tedburn St Mary 9 159.29x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 150
John 124
George 83
James 76
Thomas 64
Henry 54
Joseph 47
Charles 36
Alfred 35
Robert 29
Edward 27
Frederick 27
Arthur 23
Samuel 20
Albert 19
Richard 18
Walter 18
Herbert 16
Harry 15
David 9
Wm. 9
Geo. 8
Daniel 7
Ernest 7
Percy 7
Edwin 6
Fred 6
Luke 6
Matthew 6
Benjamin 5
Francis 5
Harold 5
Robt. 5
Thos. 5
Tom 5
Chas. 4
Edmund 4
Frank 4
Owen 4
Willie 4
Alexander 3
Christopher 3
Earnest 3
Hance 3
Harrison 3
Jacob 3
Amos 2
Jeffery 2
Joe 2
Jos. 2

FAQ

Denham surname: questions and answers

How common was the Denham surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,637 people were recorded with the Denham surname. That placed it at #1,685 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Denham surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,502 in 2016. That gives Denham a modern rank of #1,938.

What does the Denham surname mean?

From the Old English words "denu" and "ham," meaning "homestead in the valley."

What does the Denham map show?

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