NameCensus.

UK surname

Erlam

In the 1881 census there were 107 people recorded with the Erlam surname, ranking it #18,982 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 123, ranked #27,115, down from #18,982 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Paddington, Manchester and Prescot. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include St. Helens, Warrington and Cheshire East.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Erlam is 127 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 15.0%.

1881 census count

107

Ranked #18,982

Modern count

123

2016, ranked #27,115

Peak year

1911

127 bearers

Map years

6

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Erlam had 107 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,982 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 123 in 2016, ranked #27,115.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 127 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established Mature Families.

Erlam surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Erlam surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Erlam 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 83 #19,181
1861 historical 78 #23,836
1881 historical 107 #18,982
1891 historical 125 #20,713
1901 historical 109 #21,712
1911 historical 127 #19,749
1997 modern 118 #24,423
1998 modern 119 #24,918
1999 modern 116 #25,487
2000 modern 123 #24,585
2001 modern 116 #25,089
2002 modern 120 #25,110
2003 modern 112 #25,948
2004 modern 107 #26,899
2005 modern 108 #26,736
2006 modern 99 #28,453
2007 modern 104 #28,020
2008 modern 107 #27,844
2009 modern 115 #27,207
2010 modern 109 #28,831
2011 modern 110 #28,478
2012 modern 113 #28,016
2013 modern 116 #27,992
2014 modern 119 #27,813
2015 modern 120 #27,561
2016 modern 123 #27,115

Geography

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Where Erlams are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Paddington, Manchester, Prescot, Liverpool and West Derby. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to St. Helens, Warrington and Cheshire East. 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 Paddington London (West Districts)
2 Manchester Lancashire
3 Prescot Lancashire
4 Liverpool Lancashire
5 West Derby Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 St. Helens 019 St. Helens
2 Warrington 004 Warrington
3 Cheshire East 007 Cheshire East
4 Cheshire East 006 Cheshire East
5 St. Helens 004 St. Helens

Forenames

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First names often paired with Erlam

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Erlam

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

Established Mature Families

Nationally, the Erlam surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established Mature Families, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Erlam household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Married couples predominate, many with older dependent children. Detached housing is common. Homeownership rates are the highest within this Supergroup. The presence of some students suggests that households are towards the end of a child rearing phase. Many residents have degree level qualifications, and the occupational profile is heavily skewed towards managerial and professional occupations. Residential developments commonly occur on the periphery of major urban cities or conurbations.

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

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Erlam 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

Erlam is most concentrated in decile 2 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Erlam falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Erlam families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Erlam 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. Lancashire leads with 42 Erlams recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.39x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 42 3.39x
Cheshire 27 11.72x
Middlesex 20 1.92x
Midlothian 5 3.58x
Staffordshire 4 1.14x
Surrey 4 0.79x
Sussex 3 1.71x
Leicestershire 1 0.86x
Northamptonshire 1 1.02x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 13 Erlams recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.29x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 13 17.29x
Ashley 11 7857.14x
Eccleston In Prescot 11 176.85x
Partington 9 5625.00x
Paddington London 8 20.85x
Walmersley Cum 8 404.04x
Windle 7 100.43x
St Giles In Fields London 6 117.19x
South Leith 5 31.79x
Bow London 4 30.12x
Chester St Oswald 4 95.92x
Heaton 4 3333.33x
Kingston On Thames 4 32.76x
High Leigh 2 666.67x
Hove 2 25.91x
Aynho 1 500.00x
Broadwater 1 24.75x
Higher Bebington 1 68.03x
Hulme 1 3.87x
Loughborough 1 19.05x
Manchester 1 1.80x
Pendleton In Salford 1 6.78x
St Marylebone London 1 1.80x
St Paul Covent Garden 1 96.15x

Top female names

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

FAQ

Erlam surname: questions and answers

How common was the Erlam surname in 1881?

In 1881, 107 people were recorded with the Erlam surname. That placed it at #18,982 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Erlam surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 123 in 2016. That gives Erlam a modern rank of #27,115.

What does the Erlam map show?

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