NameCensus.

UK surname

Eames

Derived from the Old English word "eam," meaning uncle or maternal uncle, suggesting a familial relationship or nickname.

In the 1881 census there were 2,061 people recorded with the Eames surname, ranking it #2,137 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,844, ranked #2,364, down from #2,137 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Stapenhill and Church Gresley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Derbyshire, South Somerset and Chiltern.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Eames is 3,043 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 38.0%.

1881 census count

2,061

Ranked #2,137

Modern count

2,844

2016, ranked #2,364

Peak year

1999

3,043 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Eames had 2,061 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,137 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,844 in 2016, ranked #2,364.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,010 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Eames surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Eames surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Eames 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 1,182 #2,399
1861 historical 993 #2,808
1881 historical 2,061 #2,137
1891 historical 1,994 #2,311
1901 historical 2,645 #2,086
1911 historical 3,010 #1,728
1997 modern 2,957 #2,193
1998 modern 3,040 #2,215
1999 modern 3,043 #2,226
2000 modern 3,017 #2,234
2001 modern 2,968 #2,220
2002 modern 3,002 #2,242
2003 modern 2,908 #2,259
2004 modern 2,895 #2,273
2005 modern 2,851 #2,277
2006 modern 2,846 #2,282
2007 modern 2,843 #2,306
2008 modern 2,870 #2,309
2009 modern 2,940 #2,302
2010 modern 2,963 #2,327
2011 modern 2,914 #2,335
2012 modern 2,836 #2,352
2013 modern 2,861 #2,376
2014 modern 2,886 #2,372
2015 modern 2,851 #2,374
2016 modern 2,844 #2,364

Geography

Back to top

Where Eames' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Stapenhill, Church Gresley 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 South Derbyshire, South Somerset and Chiltern. 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 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Stapenhill Staffordshire
4 Church Gresley Staffordshire
5 Portsmouth, Portsea Hampshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Derbyshire 012 South Derbyshire
2 South Derbyshire 007 South Derbyshire
3 South Somerset 024 South Somerset
4 Chiltern 003 Chiltern
5 South Derbyshire 009 South Derbyshire

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Eames

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Eames

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Eames is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Eames 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

Eames 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 Eames 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 Eames, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Eames

The surname Eames originates from England, dating back to the Anglo-Saxon era. It is derived from the Old English word "emes," which means "at the border" or "on the edge." This suggests that the name may have originated as a topographic designation for someone who lived near the boundary of a village or settlement.

The earliest recorded instances of the Eames surname can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings and population in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Emes" and "Emmes," reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling during that period.

One of the earliest documented individuals with the Eames surname was William Eames, who was born in Wiltshire, England, around 1520. He was a prominent figure in the village of Boxford and served as a churchwarden in the local parish church.

Another notable bearer of the Eames surname was Richard Eames, born in 1592 in Worcestershire, England. He was a renowned scholar and author, known for his treatise on the English language titled "The Philological Observations on the English Tongue."

In the 17th century, the Eames family gained prominence in the American colonies. Thomas Eames, born in 1610 in Wiltshire, England, was among the early Puritan settlers in Massachusetts Bay Colony. He served as a deputy to the General Court of Massachusetts and played a significant role in the establishment of the town of Framingham.

Moving forward, John Eames, born in 1744 in Oxfordshire, England, was a notable figure during the American Revolutionary War. He served as a captain in the Continental Army and fought in several battles, including the Battle of Monmouth.

Another prominent individual with the Eames surname was Charles Eames, born in 1907 in St. Louis, Missouri. He was a renowned American designer, architect, and filmmaker, widely acclaimed for his innovative furniture designs and contributions to modern architecture and design. Charles Eames collaborated extensively with his wife, Ray Eames, and their work has left a lasting impact on the design world.

While the Eames surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to various parts of the world, with descendants bearing this name found in countries like the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, among others.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Eames families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Eames 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 330 Eames' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.65x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 330 1.65x
Surrey 192 1.96x
Hampshire 191 4.65x
Hertfordshire 158 11.43x
Somerset 144 4.46x
Sussex 133 3.93x
Bedfordshire 107 10.30x
Derbyshire 90 2.87x
Leicestershire 71 3.19x
Yorkshire 71 0.36x
Kent 68 0.99x
Northamptonshire 53 2.81x
Lancashire 50 0.21x
Buckinghamshire 43 3.55x
Devon 36 0.86x
Anglesey 31 8.72x
Dorset 31 2.36x
Cambridgeshire 29 2.28x
Worcestershire 27 1.03x
Caernarfonshire 24 2.96x
Glamorgan 14 0.40x
Gloucestershire 14 0.36x
Warwickshire 14 0.28x
Essex 13 0.33x
Cheshire 12 0.27x
Monmouthshire 12 0.83x
Staffordshire 12 0.18x
Denbighshire 9 1.19x
Lanarkshire 9 0.14x
Suffolk 9 0.37x
Nottinghamshire 8 0.30x
Oxfordshire 8 0.65x
Flintshire 7 1.30x
Wiltshire 6 0.34x
Brecknockshire 5 1.25x
Lincolnshire 5 0.16x
Herefordshire 3 0.36x
Norfolk 3 0.10x
Pembrokeshire 3 0.47x
Royal Navy 3 1.26x
Berkshire 2 0.13x
Durham 2 0.03x
Channel Islands 1 0.17x
Midlothian 1 0.04x
Shropshire 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Islington London in Middlesex leads with 43 Eames' recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.21x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 43 2.21x
Camberwell 37 2.89x
Portsea 35 4.34x
Stapenhill 33 70.60x
Leighton Buzzard 32 71.64x
Luton 32 17.80x
St Albans St Peter 32 68.61x
Leicester St Margaret 23 4.24x
Newington 23 3.10x
Lewisham 22 6.03x
March 22 51.72x
Chardstock 20 219.30x
Hendon 20 27.72x
St Albans 20 70.60x
Battersea 19 2.57x
Hemel Hempstead 18 28.90x
Clipston 17 355.65x
Kensington London 17 1.52x
Dunstable 16 50.14x
Boundary 15 2142.86x
Catherington 15 165.20x
Frome 15 19.43x
Kirdford 15 127.77x
Shoreditch London 15 1.73x
Treyford 15 1485.15x
Bushey 14 42.54x
Redditch 14 26.37x
Richmond 14 10.22x
Stanton Newhall 14 139.17x
Alverstoke 13 8.74x
Bovingdon 13 179.56x
Deptford St Paul 13 2.46x
Lambeth 13 0.74x
South Hayling 13 177.60x
Southampton St Mary 13 5.03x
Walcot 13 7.56x
Bath St James 12 35.64x
Bethnal Green London 12 1.38x
Chatham 12 6.37x
Chelsea London 12 1.99x
Church Gresley 12 24.02x
Fareham 12 24.29x
Harrow On The Hill 12 29.95x
Ryde 12 13.59x
St Pancras London 12 0.74x
Stone 12 127.52x
Wootton Courtney 12 530.97x
Bermondsey 11 1.84x
Birkenhead 11 3.12x
Brightside Bierlow 11 2.82x
East Molesey 11 48.52x
Hammersmith London 11 2.23x
Hamsey 11 288.71x
St Luke London 11 3.42x
Barnstaple 10 15.26x
Bow London 10 3.92x
Ilminster 10 44.35x
Portchester 10 187.97x
Toxteth Park 10 1.24x
Aldenham 9 71.54x
Castleford 9 12.44x
Clerkenwell London 9 1.90x
Coton 9 1343.28x
Dunster 9 116.43x
Ealing 9 5.02x
Hornsey 9 3.55x
Llangollen Vivod 9 1343.28x
Newton 9 4.91x
Normanton 9 15.07x
Northchurch 9 60.98x
Rickmansworth 9 23.65x
Simpson 9 177.51x
Stoke Mandeville 9 263.93x
Sundon 9 348.84x
Westminster St John 9 3.68x
Brampton Bierlow 8 31.43x
Llanfair Fechan 8 57.02x
Milton Under Wychwood 8 139.37x
Paddington London 8 1.08x
Williton 8 74.01x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 105
Elizabeth 77
Sarah 77
Eliza 45
Ellen 38
Emma 37
Jane 35
Alice 32
Ann 32
Annie 28
Emily 25
Hannah 23
Caroline 19
Fanny 17
Louisa 17
Florence 16
Margaret 16
Harriett 15
Ada 14
Maria 14
Charlotte 13
Clara 13
Catherine 12
Edith 12
Harriet 12
Martha 12
Rebecca 11
Kate 9
Rose 9
Agnes 8
Frances 8
Julia 8
Amelia 6
Anne 6
Eleanor 6
Laura 6
Bessie 5
Elizth. 5
Lilian 5
Lucy 5
Ruth 5
Sophia 5
Susan 5
Amy 4
Constance 4
Gertrude 4
Isabella 4
Jemima 4
Minnie 4
Selina 4

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 129
John 106
George 78
James 73
Thomas 72
Henry 55
Edward 37
Alfred 35
Joseph 29
Arthur 25
Charles 25
Frederick 24
Harry 22
Frank 20
Robert 19
Walter 15
Albert 13
Samuel 12
Ernest 10
David 9
Herbert 9
Richard 9
Francis 8
Daniel 7
Owen 6
Percy 6
Edwin 5
Thos. 5
Wm. 5
Benjamin 4
Anthony 3
Leonard 3
Stephen 3
Amos 2
Augustus 2
Ebenezer 2
Edwd. 2
Eli 2
Fred 2
Frederic 2
Fredrick 2
Horace 2
Hugh 2
Mark 2
Nathaniel 2
Sidney 2
W. 2
Augustine 1
Edmond 1
Eliza 1

FAQ

Eames surname: questions and answers

How common was the Eames surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,061 people were recorded with the Eames surname. That placed it at #2,137 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Eames surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,844 in 2016. That gives Eames a modern rank of #2,364.

What does the Eames surname mean?

Derived from the Old English word "eam," meaning uncle or maternal uncle, suggesting a familial relationship or nickname.

What does the Eames map show?

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