NameCensus.

UK surname

Fleetham

A locational surname originating from a place in Yorkshire, England.

In the 1881 census there were 133 people recorded with the Fleetham surname, ranking it #16,676 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 281, ranked #15,449, up from #16,676 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Dalton, North, Darlington and Hartlepool. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Hartlepool, Harrogate and Kingston upon Hull.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Fleetham is 297 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 111.3%.

1881 census count

133

Ranked #16,676

Modern count

281

2016, ranked #15,449

Peak year

2010

297 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Fleetham had 133 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,676 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 281 in 2016, ranked #15,449.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 229 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Fleetham surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Fleetham surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Fleetham 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 80 #19,558
1861 historical 87 #22,681
1881 historical 133 #16,676
1891 historical 207 #14,546
1901 historical 223 #14,134
1911 historical 229 #13,712
1997 modern 282 #14,072
1998 modern 289 #14,208
1999 modern 296 #14,081
2000 modern 291 #14,200
2001 modern 287 #14,131
2002 modern 282 #14,585
2003 modern 271 #14,787
2004 modern 282 #14,451
2005 modern 275 #14,624
2006 modern 289 #14,234
2007 modern 283 #14,579
2008 modern 289 #14,502
2009 modern 294 #14,628
2010 modern 297 #14,841
2011 modern 297 #14,698
2012 modern 289 #14,875
2013 modern 295 #14,918
2014 modern 293 #15,095
2015 modern 295 #14,935
2016 modern 281 #15,449

Geography

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Where Fleethams are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Dalton, North, Darlington, Hartlepool, Stranton and Driffield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Hartlepool, Harrogate, Kingston upon Hull and County Durham. 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 Dalton, North Yorkshire, East Riding
2 Darlington Durham
3 Hartlepool Durham
4 Stranton Durham
5 Driffield Yorkshire, East Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Hartlepool 001 Hartlepool
2 Harrogate 001 Harrogate
3 Kingston upon Hull 003 Kingston upon Hull, City of
4 Hartlepool 008 Hartlepool
5 County Durham 050 County Durham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Fleetham

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Fleetham

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Fleetham surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Fleetham household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Fleetham 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

Fleetham 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

Fleetham falls in decile 1 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.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Fleetham

The surname Fleetham originated in England, with the earliest records tracing back to the 11th century. It is believed to be a locational name, derived from the place name Fleetham in the East Riding of Yorkshire.

The name Fleetham itself is thought to be derived from the Old English words "fleot" meaning stream or tidal inlet, and "ham" meaning homestead or village. This suggests that the name likely referred to a homestead or settlement located near a stream or inlet.

One of the earliest known references to the name Fleetham can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is recorded as "Fleteham". This important historical record provides valuable insight into the distribution and prevalence of surnames in medieval England.

In the 13th century, records show a William de Fleteham who was a landowner in Holderness, Yorkshire. Another notable early bearer of the name was John de Fleteham, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1301.

As time passed, the name underwent various spelling variations, including Fleetham, Fleetem, Fleetam, and Fleetom. These variations likely arose due to regional dialects, scribal errors, and the evolution of the English language over time.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Fleetham was Richard Fleetham, who was born in Yorkshire in the late 16th century. Another noteworthy figure was Thomas Fleetham (1636-1690), an English clergyman and writer who published several theological works.

In the 18th century, John Fleetham (1701-1773) was a notable English merchant and landowner in York. His son, John Fleetham Jr. (1739-1808), followed in his footsteps and became a prominent figure in the business and political circles of Yorkshire.

Another significant bearer of the name was William Fleetham (1813-1891), an English surveyor and civil engineer who worked on several important infrastructure projects in the 19th century.

The Fleetham surname has also been associated with various place names throughout England, particularly in Yorkshire and the surrounding regions. Examples include Fleetham Moor, Fleetham Green, and Fleetham Bridge, all of which likely derived their names from the original settlement or homestead near a stream or inlet.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Fleetham families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Fleetham 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. Durham leads with 67 Fleethams recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.90x.

County Total Index
Durham 67 17.90x
Yorkshire 56 4.49x
Fife 4 5.37x
Midlothian 2 1.19x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Stranton in Durham leads with 30 Fleethams recorded in 1881 and an index of 238.10x.

Place Total Index
Stranton 30 238.10x
Darlington 16 110.73x
Great Driffield 15 585.94x
North Dalton 9 4285.71x
Langthorpe 8 5333.33x
Coxhoe 7 660.38x
Masham 7 1521.74x
Sculcoates 7 35.41x
Dunfermline 4 34.93x
Mordon 4 5714.29x
Coundon 3 197.37x
Eldon 3 508.47x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 2 2.95x
Great Little Preston 2 555.56x
Hartlepool 2 37.59x
Headingley Cum Burley 2 24.91x
Hook 2 72.99x
Ferryhill 1 76.34x
Gate Fulford 1 34.36x
Lanchester 1 144.93x
Lowthorpe 1 1250.00x
Wetwang 1 370.37x
Wortley In Bramley 1 10.12x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 5
Annie 4
Hannah 4
Jane 4
Alice 3
Ann 3
Elizabeth 3
Betsy 2
Dorothy 2
Kate 2
Villata 2
A.M. 1
Ada 1
Anne 1
Blanche 1
Daisy 1
E.E. 1
E.J. 1
Edith 1
Elizth.A. 1
Emily 1
Ethel 1
F. 1
Frances 1
Gillah 1
Isabella 1
Joseph 1
Lucy 1
M.A. 1
Margaret 1
Margaretta 1
Margret 1
Maria 1
Martha 1
Rachael 1
Rachel 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Thomas 9
William 7
George 5
John 5
Charles 3
Michael 3
Robert 3
Thos. 2
Wilson 2
Alf 1
Anthony 1
Christopher 1
Edwin 1
Florence 1
Frederic 1
Geo 1
Harry 1
Henry 1
Hy. 1
Jas. 1
Joseph 1
Kirby 1
Marthew 1
Mathew 1
Matthew 1
Matthias 1
Miles 1
N. 1
Oscar 1
Richard 1
T. 1
W. 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Fleetham surname: questions and answers

How common was the Fleetham surname in 1881?

In 1881, 133 people were recorded with the Fleetham surname. That placed it at #16,676 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Fleetham surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 281 in 2016. That gives Fleetham a modern rank of #15,449.

What does the Fleetham surname mean?

A locational surname originating from a place in Yorkshire, England.

What does the Fleetham map show?

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