NameCensus.

UK surname

Farnham

From an English place name meaning "fern homestead," referring to a settlement near a field of ferns.

In the 1881 census there were 577 people recorded with the Farnham surname, ranking it #6,036 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 900, ranked #6,303, down from #6,036 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Battersea and Perrott, South. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cardiff, Cotswold and Northumberland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Farnham is 951 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 56.0%.

1881 census count

577

Ranked #6,036

Modern count

900

2016, ranked #6,303

Peak year

1999

951 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Farnham had 577 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,036 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 900 in 2016, ranked #6,303.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 874 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Farnham surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Farnham surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Farnham 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 387 #6,204
1861 historical 470 #5,522
1881 historical 577 #6,036
1891 historical 632 #6,123
1901 historical 751 #5,937
1911 historical 874 #5,088
1997 modern 935 #5,793
1998 modern 949 #5,907
1999 modern 951 #5,943
2000 modern 929 #6,037
2001 modern 913 #6,021
2002 modern 936 #6,009
2003 modern 895 #6,112
2004 modern 892 #6,143
2005 modern 867 #6,206
2006 modern 886 #6,111
2007 modern 888 #6,146
2008 modern 865 #6,330
2009 modern 890 #6,323
2010 modern 923 #6,259
2011 modern 900 #6,322
2012 modern 894 #6,279
2013 modern 914 #6,274
2014 modern 917 #6,288
2015 modern 904 #6,309
2016 modern 900 #6,303

Geography

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Where Farnhams are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Battersea, Perrott, South, Lambeth and Cardiff St John and St Mary. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cardiff, Cotswold, Northumberland, Breckland and West Dorset. 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 3
2 Battersea London (South Districts)
3 Perrott, South Dorset
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 Cardiff St John and St Mary Glamorganshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cardiff 010 Cardiff
2 Cotswold 003 Cotswold
3 Northumberland 013 Northumberland
4 Breckland 004 Breckland
5 West Dorset 006 West Dorset

Forenames

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First names often paired with Farnham

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Farnham

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

Ageing Communities

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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, Farnham 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

Farnham 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

Farnham falls in decile 5 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.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Farnham

The surname Farnham has its origins in England, dating back to the Anglo-Saxon period. It is derived from the Old English words "fearn" meaning fern and "ham" meaning homestead or village. The name likely originated as a place name referring to a settlement near a fern-covered area.

Farnham is first mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, a record of landholdings and population across England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The entry refers to "Ferneham" in Surrey, indicating the presence of the name in its early form.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Farnham was Richard de Farnham, who was mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273. This document recorded landowners and their holdings in the county.

In the 14th century, a notable figure with the name Farnham was John Farnham, a wealthy merchant from London who served as an alderman and sheriff of the city in the 1360s.

During the 16th century, Nicholas Farnham (1508-1559) was a prominent Catholic priest and scholar who served as the Bishop of Rochester from 1554 until his death.

In the 18th century, Thomas Farnham (1701-1786) was an English clergyman and author who wrote several works on religious subjects, including a notable treatise on the doctrine of predestination.

Another notable bearer of the name was Thomas Erskine Farnham (1804-1848), an American explorer and soldier who led an expedition across the western United States in the 1830s and published a book about his travels.

The surname Farnham has also been linked to various place names in England, such as Farnham in Surrey, which has been in existence since Saxon times, and Farnham in Dorset, which was recorded in the Domesday Book as "Ferneham."

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Farnham families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Farnham 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. Surrey leads with 110 Farnhams recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.83x.

County Total Index
Surrey 110 3.83x
Middlesex 77 1.30x
Dorset 50 12.91x
Somerset 49 5.16x
Kent 47 2.33x
Essex 38 3.26x
Cambridgeshire 37 9.90x
Devon 36 2.93x
Channel Islands 29 16.58x
Hertfordshire 23 5.65x
Lancashire 14 0.20x
Nottinghamshire 13 1.63x
Angus 12 2.19x
Sussex 10 1.01x
Gloucestershire 8 0.69x
Durham 7 0.40x
Norfolk 7 0.77x
Leicestershire 6 0.92x
Northumberland 6 0.68x
Suffolk 5 0.70x
Hampshire 4 0.33x
Cheshire 3 0.23x
Lanarkshire 3 0.16x
Northamptonshire 3 0.54x
Royal Navy 2 2.84x
Wiltshire 2 0.38x
Lincolnshire 1 0.11x
Monmouthshire 1 0.23x
Warwickshire 1 0.07x
Worcestershire 1 0.13x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Lambeth in Surrey leads with 33 Farnhams recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.41x.

Place Total Index
Lambeth 33 6.41x
St Michaelinthe Vale 20 320.51x
West Ham 16 6.22x
Clapham 13 17.62x
Guilden Morden 13 653.27x
Meldreth 13 896.55x
Chelsea London 12 6.75x
Dundee 12 5.88x
Arkesden 11 1294.12x
Greenwich 11 11.71x
St Pancras London 11 2.32x
Battersea 10 4.61x
West Coker 10 518.13x
Hertford St Andrew 9 179.28x
Isleworth 9 34.30x
St Marylebone London 9 2.86x
Stapleford 9 796.46x
Teddington London 9 67.31x
Hardington Mandeville 8 625.00x
Misterton 8 592.59x
Newington 8 3.67x
Nottingham St Mary 8 3.89x
Orpington 8 129.66x
South Perrott 8 1311.48x
Topsham 8 137.93x
East Stonehouse 7 28.93x
Rotherhithe 7 9.60x
St Brelade 7 155.56x
Yeovil 7 36.27x
Addington 6 444.44x
Axmouth 6 434.78x
Bradpole 6 189.27x
Chideock 6 441.18x
Downham Market 6 96.31x
Kidbrooke 6 526.32x
Little Hadham 6 348.84x
Lyme Regis 6 129.31x
North Perrott 6 909.09x
Southwark St Saviour 6 19.78x
Stoke Abbott 6 540.54x
Stranton 6 10.15x
Warmwell 6 1621.62x
Widdington 6 789.47x
Bermondsey 5 2.85x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 5 4.59x
Deptford St Paul 5 3.22x
Ipswich St Mathew 5 24.83x
Longbenton 5 13.44x
Ormskirk 5 37.31x
Pendleton In Salford 5 5.99x
Southwark Christchurch 5 18.08x
Tottenham 5 5.32x
Uxbridge 5 74.18x
Burstock 4 1052.63x
Chislehurst 4 37.04x
Hastings St Mary 4 16.16x
Hucknall Torkard 4 19.83x
Islington London 4 0.70x
Mortlake 4 31.20x
Tonbridge 4 5.51x
Toxteth Park 4 1.69x
Barony 3 0.62x
Beckenham 3 11.40x
Bengeo 3 63.56x
Bethnal Green London 3 1.17x
Bow London 3 3.99x
Bramfield 3 588.24x
Camberwell 3 0.80x
Colyton 3 63.56x
Quorndon 3 81.74x
South Petherton 3 61.22x
Southwark St George Martyr 3 2.53x
Stonehouse 3 45.59x
Tavistock 3 21.44x
West Orchard 3 1304.35x
Brighton 2 1.00x
Dalwood 2 240.96x
Greens Norton 2 113.64x
Stockland 2 112.36x
Westminster St John 2 2.78x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 46
George 29
John 28
James 25
Thomas 24
Charles 20
Henry 14
Frederick 8
Joseph 8
Robert 7
Alfred 6
Arthur 5
Walter 5
Frank 4
Herbert 4
Isaac 4
Edward 3
Fredk. 3
Geo. 3
Harry 3
Samuel 3
Albert 2
Andrew 2
Edwin 2
Fred 2
Richard 2
Solomon 2
Thos. 2
Alexander 1
C. 1
Caleb 1
Cecil 1
Christopher 1
Daniel 1
Eli 1
Elias 1
Eugine 1
Ezekiel 1
Francis 1
Jana 1
Jno. 1
Jno.Thos. 1
Job 1
Jonathan 1
Mark 1
Nics. 1
Owen 1
Peter 1
Reginald 1
Wm.A. 1

FAQ

Farnham surname: questions and answers

How common was the Farnham surname in 1881?

In 1881, 577 people were recorded with the Farnham surname. That placed it at #6,036 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Farnham surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 900 in 2016. That gives Farnham a modern rank of #6,303.

What does the Farnham surname mean?

From an English place name meaning "fern homestead," referring to a settlement near a field of ferns.

What does the Farnham map show?

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