NameCensus.

UK surname

Durham

From the Old English for "deer home," referring to a town, village, or place where deer were common.

In the 1881 census there were 2,576 people recorded with the Durham surname, ranking it #1,735 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 3,928, ranked #1,721, up from #1,735 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Hemingborough (Cliff with Lund), Drax (Drax), London parishes and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bassetlaw, Darlington and Stockton-on-Tees.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Durham is 4,060 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 52.5%.

1881 census count

2,576

Ranked #1,735

Modern count

3,928

2016, ranked #1,721

Peak year

2010

4,060 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Durham had 2,576 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,735 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 3,928 in 2016, ranked #1,721.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,428 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Durham surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Durham surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Durham 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 1,703 #1,695
1861 historical 1,957 #1,491
1881 historical 2,576 #1,735
1891 historical 2,879 #1,647
1901 historical 3,107 #1,800
1911 historical 3,428 #1,530
1997 modern 3,773 #1,722
1998 modern 3,991 #1,694
1999 modern 3,998 #1,702
2000 modern 3,983 #1,702
2001 modern 3,891 #1,701
2002 modern 3,945 #1,718
2003 modern 3,799 #1,750
2004 modern 3,788 #1,751
2005 modern 3,738 #1,754
2006 modern 3,783 #1,728
2007 modern 3,804 #1,733
2008 modern 3,831 #1,734
2009 modern 3,946 #1,725
2010 modern 4,060 #1,708
2011 modern 4,023 #1,707
2012 modern 3,961 #1,700
2013 modern 4,017 #1,707
2014 modern 4,040 #1,706
2015 modern 3,975 #1,712
2016 modern 3,928 #1,721

Geography

Back to top

Where Durhams are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Hemingborough (Cliff with Lund), Drax (Drax), London parishes, Edinburgh and St Marylebone. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Bassetlaw, Darlington, Stockton-on-Tees, Powys and Forest of Dean. 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 Hemingborough (Cliff with Lund), Drax (Drax) Yorkshire, West Riding
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 St Marylebone London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bassetlaw 010 Bassetlaw
2 Darlington 006 Darlington
3 Stockton-on-Tees 012 Stockton-on-Tees
4 Powys 015 Powys
5 Forest of Dean 004 Forest of Dean

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Durham

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Durham

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

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Durham is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

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

Durham 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

Durham falls in decile 8 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.

8
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Durham

The surname Durham originated in England and is a locational name derived from the city of Durham in the county of Durham. The name is believed to have derived from the Old English words "dun" meaning hill and "holm" meaning island or dry ground in a marshy area.

The city of Durham dates back to the 7th century when a monastic cathedral was established on a peninsula formed by a loop in the River Wear. The earliest recorded reference to the name Durham can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions several individuals with the surname residing in the county of Durham.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname Durham was Roger de Dunelm, who lived in the late 12th century and was recorded as holding lands in the county of Durham. Another notable figure was Thomas de Durham, a 13th-century Benedictine monk and chronicler who wrote about the history of the Durham Cathedral Priory.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various spellings such as Dureham, Durram, and Durrham. During this time, a prominent bearer of the name was William de Durham, who was appointed the Bishop of Durham in 1333 and played a significant role in the Scottish Wars of Independence.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname in its modern spelling can be found in the records of the University of Oxford, where a student named John Durham was enrolled in 1505.

Other notable individuals with the surname Durham include Edward Durham (1567-1644), an English clergyman and author, and James Durham (1622-1658), a Scottish Presbyterian minister and author of several influential theological works.

In the 18th century, the surname gained prominence with the birth of John George Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham (1792-1840), a British politician and colonial administrator who played a significant role in the governance of British North America.

Throughout history, the surname Durham has been associated with individuals from diverse fields, including religion, politics, academia, and literature. The name's origins can be traced back to the historic city of Durham, which played a crucial role in the development of northern England during the medieval period.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Durham families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Durham 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 445 Durhams recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.78x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 445 1.78x
Middlesex 373 1.48x
Lancashire 282 0.94x
Surrey 154 1.26x
Gloucestershire 87 1.76x
Warwickshire 77 1.21x
Oxfordshire 69 4.44x
Kent 66 0.77x
Staffordshire 66 0.78x
Northamptonshire 64 2.70x
Durham 56 0.75x
Lanarkshire 56 0.69x
Devon 47 0.90x
Somerset 47 1.16x
Lincolnshire 40 0.99x
Midlothian 40 1.19x
Monmouthshire 40 2.20x
Derbyshire 39 0.99x
Suffolk 34 1.11x
Nottinghamshire 31 0.91x
Worcestershire 28 0.85x
Northumberland 27 0.72x
Berkshire 24 1.27x
Buckinghamshire 24 1.58x
East Lothian 24 7.20x
Essex 23 0.46x
Sussex 23 0.54x
Wiltshire 23 1.03x
Hertfordshire 22 1.27x
Ayrshire 21 1.12x
Glamorgan 20 0.46x
Kirkcudbrightshire 19 5.22x
Aberdeenshire 16 0.69x
Bedfordshire 15 1.15x
Norfolk 15 0.39x
Cumberland 14 0.65x
Cheshire 13 0.23x
Rutland 13 7.04x
Flintshire 11 1.63x
Hampshire 11 0.21x
Leicestershire 11 0.39x
Herefordshire 10 0.97x
Pembrokeshire 10 1.25x
Wigtownshire 8 2.39x
Caithness 7 2.03x
Cornwall 5 0.18x
Fife 5 0.34x
Kincardineshire 5 1.63x
Westmorland 4 0.72x
Dunbartonshire 3 0.44x
Brecknockshire 2 0.40x
Caernarfonshire 2 0.20x
Stirlingshire 2 0.22x
West Lothian 2 0.53x
Angus 1 0.04x
Denbighshire 1 0.11x
Orkney 1 0.36x
Royal Navy 1 0.33x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Preston in Lancashire leads with 58 Durhams recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.26x.

Place Total Index
Preston 58 7.26x
St Marylebone London 56 4.17x
Cliff Cum Lund 31 561.59x
Bethnal Green London 26 2.38x
St George Hanover Square 25 5.64x
Tranent 24 53.31x
Lambeth 23 1.05x
St Pancras London 23 1.14x
Wistow 22 332.33x
Headington 19 78.77x
Kensington London 18 1.29x
Manchester 18 1.34x
Heworth 17 11.53x
Stanley Cum Wrenthorpe 17 14.68x
Tysoe 17 197.90x
Whittington 17 31.20x
Birmingham 16 0.76x
Chelsea London 16 2.11x
Hunslet 16 4.12x
Idle 16 13.84x
Newport 16 18.44x
Pudsey 16 12.01x
Stokesley 16 102.96x
Tottenham 16 3.99x
Walton Le Dale 16 19.95x
Camberwell 15 0.93x
Hackney London 15 1.06x
Barony 14 0.68x
Kirkdale 14 2.79x
Paddington London 14 1.51x
Blatchinworth 13 19.13x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 13 0.96x
Leeds 13 0.92x
Liverpool 13 0.72x
North Leith 13 8.34x
Plymouth Charles The 13 5.64x
Battersea 12 1.30x
Cheam 12 91.46x
Glasgow 12 0.83x
Harlestone 12 244.90x
Poplar London 12 2.53x
Ripple 12 192.93x
Sheffield 12 1.51x
St Luke London 12 2.97x
Warwick St Mary 12 21.79x
Westminster St John 12 3.92x
Bradwell 11 51.38x
Cheltenham 11 2.89x
Everton 11 1.16x
Islington London 11 0.45x
Kilham 11 105.16x
Llanellen 11 349.21x
Peterborough 11 6.42x
Wolverhampton 11 1.68x
Woolwich 11 3.47x
Wressell 11 340.56x
Aysgarth 10 313.48x
Bacton 10 180.83x
Cumnor 10 114.81x
Deptford St Paul 10 1.51x
Fulham London 10 2.74x
Hawarden 10 18.83x
Hornsey 10 3.14x
Lancaster 10 5.63x
Lee 10 8.02x
Lewisham 10 2.18x
North Duffield 10 308.64x
Oxford St Mary Magdalen 10 54.29x
Pitchcombe 10 740.74x
Salford 10 1.14x
Swynnerton 10 149.48x
Tavistock 10 16.76x
Wardleworth 10 5.86x
Westminster St James 10 3.87x
North Sunderland 9 104.90x
Rattlesden 9 100.45x
Rothwell 9 17.87x
Stretton 9 526.32x
Toxteth Park 9 0.89x
Westoe 9 2.12x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 175
Elizabeth 103
Sarah 72
Jane 48
Ann 47
Annie 39
Emma 38
Hannah 34
Alice 33
Margaret 31
Eliza 29
Ellen 28
Emily 25
Martha 20
Louisa 16
Catherine 15
Caroline 14
Charlotte 13
Florence 13
Maria 13
Isabella 12
Susan 12
Clara 11
Harriet 11
Ada 10
Frances 10
Kate 10
Anne 9
Rose 9
Amy 8
Agnes 7
Bridget 7
Esther 7
Matilda 7
Elizth. 6
Fanny 6
Harriett 6
Julia 6
Sophia 6
Amelia 5
Edith 5
Grace 5
Lucy 5
Rebecca 5
Mabel 4
Betsy 3
Eleanor 3
Helen 3
Jemima 3
Maud 3

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 164
John 136
George 93
Thomas 81
James 71
Charles 63
Henry 50
Joseph 39
Richard 27
Alfred 26
Edward 26
Robert 24
Arthur 22
Samuel 21
Frederick 20
Walter 19
Albert 13
Ernest 13
Frank 13
Herbert 13
David 10
Harry 9
Francis 7
Alexander 6
Edwin 6
Stephen 6
Tom 6
Peter 5
Wm. 5
Andrew 4
Chas. 4
Christopher 4
Daniel 4
Edmund 4
Mark 4
Michael 4
Philip 4
Aaron 3
Fred 3
Isaac 3
Jas. 3
Josiah 3
Patrick 3
Richd. 3
Thos. 3
Emmanuel 2
Jonas 2
Makin 2
Matthew 2
Oliver 2

FAQ

Durham surname: questions and answers

How common was the Durham surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,576 people were recorded with the Durham surname. That placed it at #1,735 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Durham surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 3,928 in 2016. That gives Durham a modern rank of #1,721.

What does the Durham surname mean?

From the Old English for "deer home," referring to a town, village, or place where deer were common.

What does the Durham map show?

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