NameCensus.

UK surname

Ellam

A place surname denoting someone from a place called Ellam or Elim.

In the 1881 census there were 755 people recorded with the Ellam surname, ranking it #4,890 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,130, ranked #5,212, down from #4,890 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Mirfield, Kirkheaton and Huddersfield. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Cambridgeshire, Wakefield and Kirklees.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Ellam is 1,234 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 49.7%.

1881 census count

755

Ranked #4,890

Modern count

1,130

2016, ranked #5,212

Peak year

1999

1,234 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Ellam had 755 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,890 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,130 in 2016, ranked #5,212.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,037 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Ellam surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Ellam surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Ellam 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 406 #5,963
1861 historical 503 #5,200
1881 historical 755 #4,890
1891 historical 784 #5,119
1901 historical 931 #5,008
1911 historical 1,037 #4,428
1997 modern 1,166 #4,837
1998 modern 1,221 #4,817
1999 modern 1,234 #4,802
2000 modern 1,197 #4,918
2001 modern 1,188 #4,832
2002 modern 1,204 #4,892
2003 modern 1,193 #4,829
2004 modern 1,185 #4,863
2005 modern 1,151 #4,940
2006 modern 1,153 #4,924
2007 modern 1,152 #4,978
2008 modern 1,154 #4,995
2009 modern 1,174 #5,033
2010 modern 1,176 #5,129
2011 modern 1,158 #5,153
2012 modern 1,128 #5,173
2013 modern 1,142 #5,208
2014 modern 1,133 #5,276
2015 modern 1,131 #5,227
2016 modern 1,130 #5,212

Geography

Back to top

Where Ellams are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Mirfield, Kirkheaton, Huddersfield, London parishes and Ecclesfield (Ecclesfield), Rotherham (Dalton), Conisborough. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Cambridgeshire, Wakefield and Kirklees. 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 Mirfield Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Kirkheaton Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Huddersfield Yorkshire, West Riding
4 London parishes London 2
5 Ecclesfield (Ecclesfield), Rotherham (Dalton), Conisborough Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Cambridgeshire 016 South Cambridgeshire
2 Wakefield 023 Wakefield
3 Wakefield 027 Wakefield
4 Kirklees 056 Kirklees
5 Kirklees 026 Kirklees

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Ellam

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Ellam

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Ellam, 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

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Ellam surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Ellam household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Ellam is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Ellam is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Ellam falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Ellam is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Ellam, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Ellam

The surname ELLAM is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "ellern," which means "elder tree." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a topographic surname, referring to someone who lived near an elder tree or grove.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname ELLAM can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire in 1199, where it appears as "Ellam." This document provides evidence of the name's existence in England during the late 12th century.

The ELLAM surname is also linked to various place names in England, such as Ellam in Northumberland and Ellam Green in Yorkshire. These locations may have influenced the spread and adoption of the surname in those regions.

In the 13th century, the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1279 mentioned a person named Robert Ellam, indicating the surname's presence in that area during that time.

Notable individuals with the surname ELLAM throughout history include:

1. William Ellam (c. 1540 - c. 1610), an English composer and organist who served at Lincoln Cathedral during the late 16th century.

2. John Ellam (1762 - 1826), a British botanist and naturalist known for his work on the flora of Yorkshire.

3. Henry Ellam (1827 - 1904), a British architect responsible for designing several notable buildings in Liverpool, including the Philharmonic Hall.

4. Edward Ellam (1870 - 1939), a British author and journalist who wrote extensively on the history of the Lake District in England.

5. Alfred Ellam (1907 - 1990), a English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Yorkshire County Cricket Club in the 1930s.

While the ELLAM surname may have originated from an Old English word, it has maintained a presence throughout the centuries, appearing in various historical records and associated with notable individuals in different fields.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Ellam families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Ellam 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 408 Ellams recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.61x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 408 5.61x
Lancashire 140 1.61x
Cheshire 85 5.24x
Middlesex 40 0.54x
Staffordshire 17 0.69x
Suffolk 9 1.01x
Surrey 8 0.22x
Cambridgeshire 7 1.50x
Anglesey 6 4.61x
Kent 6 0.24x
Cumberland 4 0.63x
Nottinghamshire 4 0.40x
Worcestershire 4 0.42x
Flintshire 3 1.52x
Warwickshire 3 0.16x
Dunbartonshire 2 1.01x
Midlothian 2 0.20x
Derbyshire 1 0.09x
Lanarkshire 1 0.04x
Lincolnshire 1 0.09x
Norfolk 1 0.09x
Northumberland 1 0.09x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lindley Cum Quarmby in Yorkshire leads with 51 Ellams recorded in 1881 and an index of 277.78x.

Place Total Index
Lindley Cum Quarmby 51 277.78x
Huddersfield 43 40.55x
Mirfield 32 80.08x
Kirkheaton 26 220.34x
Ecclesfield 25 46.84x
Lockwood 24 91.64x
Barnsley 19 25.31x
Dewsbury 17 22.77x
Newton In Makerfield 17 63.69x
Almondbury 15 42.61x
Emley 15 461.54x
Dukinfield 14 18.69x
Bradfield 10 35.64x
Lepton 10 131.58x
Arncliffe 9 2432.43x
Holy Trinity 9 5.14x
Macclesfield 9 12.49x
Preston 9 3.86x
Birkenhead 8 6.19x
Dalton In Huddersfield 8 49.05x
Elland Cum Greetland 8 24.40x
Ince In Makerfield 8 19.72x
Tarvin Pryors Hayes 8 372.09x
Warrington 8 7.74x
Ashton Under Lyne 7 3.67x
Batley 7 10.12x
Everton 7 2.52x
Holbeck 7 14.52x
Honley 7 54.95x
Liverpool 7 1.32x
Saddleworth 7 12.47x
Salford 7 2.73x
Stoke Upon Trent 7 2.66x
Westminster St James 7 9.27x
Bollin Fee 6 83.45x
Clapham Cum Newby 6 352.94x
Elton In Chester 6 1200.00x
Hunslet 6 5.29x
Leeds 6 1.46x
Llangadwaladr 6 512.82x
Manchester 6 1.53x
Norton 6 689.66x
Parr 6 19.24x
Shoreditch London 6 1.88x
West Derby 6 2.35x
Wolverhampton 6 3.15x
Battersea 5 1.85x
Bethnal Green London 5 1.57x
Burnley 5 6.81x
Chorlton On Medlock 5 3.61x
Gorton 5 6.10x
Long Melford 5 60.17x
Monks Coppenhall 5 8.17x
Nether Alderley 5 347.22x
Rastrick 5 24.73x
Stockport 5 5.99x
Walton On Hill 5 10.59x
Bewerley 4 133.78x
Chelsea London 4 1.81x
Drighlington 4 37.74x
Exning 4 88.50x
Great Budworth 4 139.37x
Hale 4 71.56x
Kidderminster Foreign 4 29.50x
Lancaster 4 7.71x
Moss Side 4 8.72x
Penrith 4 17.12x
South Crosland 4 52.22x
Woolston With 4 314.96x
Balsham 3 118.11x
Coventry St Michael 3 5.04x
Kirkdale 3 2.05x
Knutsford Over 3 291.26x
Lee 3 8.24x
Paddington London 3 1.11x
Pendleton In Salford 3 2.89x
Tankersley 3 55.25x
Worsley 3 5.58x
Hackney London 2 0.49x
Limehouse London 2 2.48x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 44
Sarah 30
Elizabeth 27
Ann 21
Martha 20
Alice 18
Jane 16
Emma 15
Harriet 13
Hannah 12
Annie 11
Margaret 9
Agnes 8
Ellen 8
Eliza 7
Anne 5
Clara 5
Florence 5
Lucy 5
Maria 5
Ada 4
Edith 3
Emily 3
Fanny 3
Frances 3
Gertrude 3
Lavinia 3
Rose 3
Selina 3
Annis 2
Betty 2
Caroline 2
Elizth. 2
Isabella 2
Lydia 2
Marian 2
Matilda 2
Ruth 2
Sophia 2
Susanah 2
Allice 1
Amy 1
Beatrice 1
Bertha 1
Eleanor 1
Elizbth. 1
Elizh. 1
Harriot 1
Henrietta 1
Zilpah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 49
William 39
George 26
James 22
Joseph 22
Thomas 21
Samuel 12
Arthur 9
Henry 8
Robert 8
Walter 8
Richard 7
Albert 6
Joe 6
Alfred 5
Edward 5
Harry 5
Charles 4
David 4
Edwin 4
Fred 4
Herbert 4
Tom 4
Wm. 4
Benjamin 3
Ernest 3
Frank 3
Ralph 3
Sam 3
Thos. 3
Brook 2
Christopher 2
Daniel 2
Edgar 2
Elijah 2
Frederick 2
Peter 2
Seth 2
Atkinson 1
Chrispin 1
Frederic 1
Fredrick 1
Geo. 1
Geoffrey 1
Gill 1
Lawrance 1
Leon 1
Marshall 1
Oliver 1
Wright 1

FAQ

Ellam surname: questions and answers

How common was the Ellam surname in 1881?

In 1881, 755 people were recorded with the Ellam surname. That placed it at #4,890 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Ellam surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,130 in 2016. That gives Ellam a modern rank of #5,212.

What does the Ellam surname mean?

A place surname denoting someone from a place called Ellam or Elim.

What does the Ellam map show?

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