NameCensus.

UK surname

Fulham

A place name referring to a town located in London, England.

In the 1881 census there were 132 people recorded with the Fulham surname, ranking it #16,744 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 251, also still ranked #16,744.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Manchester and Dalton-in-Furness. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Oxford, Cheshire East and Mid Sussex.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Fulham is 261 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 90.2%.

1881 census count

132

Ranked #16,744

Modern count

251

2016, ranked #16,744

Peak year

2010

261 bearers

Map years

8

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Fulham had 132 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,744 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 251 in 2016, ranked #16,744.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 236 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Fulham surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Fulham surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Fulham 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 82 #19,317
1861 historical 127 #17,469
1881 historical 132 #16,744
1891 historical 184 #15,869
1901 historical 171 #16,689
1911 historical 236 #13,452
1997 modern 215 #16,844
1998 modern 242 #16,037
1999 modern 241 #16,179
2000 modern 239 #16,239
2001 modern 235 #16,147
2002 modern 242 #16,186
2003 modern 237 #16,191
2004 modern 238 #16,242
2005 modern 232 #16,480
2006 modern 230 #16,690
2007 modern 230 #16,890
2008 modern 247 #16,205
2009 modern 258 #16,050
2010 modern 261 #16,294
2011 modern 254 #16,458
2012 modern 234 #17,291
2013 modern 239 #17,307
2014 modern 252 #16,822
2015 modern 252 #16,705
2016 modern 251 #16,744

Geography

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Where Fulhams are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Manchester, Dalton-in-Furness, West Derby and St Giles Camberwell. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Oxford, Cheshire East, Mid Sussex and Newcastle upon Tyne. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 Manchester Lancashire
3 Dalton-in-Furness Lancashire
4 West Derby Lancashire
5 St Giles Camberwell London (South Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Oxford 005 Oxford
2 Cheshire East 036 Cheshire East
3 Cheshire East 040 Cheshire East
4 Mid Sussex 004 Mid Sussex
5 Newcastle upon Tyne 012 Newcastle upon Tyne

Forenames

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First names often paired with Fulham

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Fulham

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

Established but Challenged

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

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

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Fulham is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Fulham 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

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

Meaning and origin of Fulham

The surname Fulham originates from the area of Fulham in London, England, dating back to the Anglo-Saxon period. It is derived from the Old English words "fulle" meaning "muddy" and "ham" meaning "homestead" or "village," referring to the muddy location along the River Thames where the settlement was established.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Fulham can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive record of landholdings and population commissioned by William the Conqueror. The entry lists "Fuleham" as a manor belonging to the Bishop of London.

In the 13th century, a notable figure bearing the surname Fulham was Sir William de Fulham, a knight who served under King Edward I and fought in the Wars of Scottish Independence. He was born around 1260 and lived in the village of Fulham, which was then a rural area outside of London.

Another early example of the name is found in the 14th century with John de Fulham, a wealthy merchant and landowner who was born in Fulham around 1320. He was a prominent figure in the city of London and served as an alderman and sheriff during his lifetime.

In the 16th century, the name Fulham appeared in historical records with Thomas Fulham, a clergyman and scholar who was born in Fulham in 1555. He was educated at the University of Cambridge and later became the Bishop of Peterborough, serving from 1619 until his death in 1626.

During the 17th century, a notable figure with the surname Fulham was Sir Roger Fulham, a successful businessman and politician who was born in Fulham in 1630. He served as a member of Parliament and was involved in the East India Company, amassing a considerable fortune through his commercial ventures.

Another prominent individual with the name Fulham was William Fulham, a 19th-century architect who was born in Fulham in 1810. He designed several notable buildings in London, including the former Royal Mint on Tower Hill and the Church of St. Barnabas in Pimlico.

These examples illustrate the long history and geographic origins of the surname Fulham, which has been associated with individuals from various walks of life throughout the centuries, reflecting the diverse backgrounds of those who have borne this name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Fulham families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Fulham 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 61 Fulhams recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.99x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 61 3.99x
Middlesex 17 1.32x
Gloucestershire 9 3.56x
Kent 8 1.82x
Northumberland 8 4.18x
Cheshire 7 2.46x
Warwickshire 6 1.85x
Hertfordshire 5 5.63x
Surrey 3 0.48x
Yorkshire 3 0.24x
Durham 2 0.52x
Cornwall 1 0.69x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.58x
Sussex 1 0.46x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Salford in Lancashire leads with 12 Fulhams recorded in 1881 and an index of 26.71x.

Place Total Index
Salford 12 26.71x
Barrow In Furness 8 38.50x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 8 33.66x
Manchester 8 11.64x
Enfield 7 82.84x
Birmingham 6 5.54x
Hackney London 6 8.31x
Bushey 5 236.97x
Newcastle On Tyne St 5 50.35x
Ashton In Makerfield 4 91.95x
Gorton 4 27.86x
Kirkdale 4 15.56x
Newton 4 33.98x
Chorley 3 35.01x
Greenwich 3 14.63x
Leeds 3 4.16x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 3 26.22x
Richmond 3 34.13x
Ashton Under Lyne 2 5.99x
Dukinfield 2 15.23x
Everton 2 4.11x
Great Bolton 2 9.88x
Liverpool 2 2.16x
Macclesfield 2 15.84x
Much Woolton 2 96.62x
Shoreditch London 2 3.58x
Sunderland 2 29.59x
Tonbridge 2 12.63x
Tranmere 2 19.16x
Brighton 1 2.28x
Bristol St Augustine 1 24.57x
Chorlton On Medlock 1 4.12x
Congleton 1 20.37x
Crumpsall 1 27.78x
Falmouth 1 19.38x
Kensington London 1 1.40x
Lewisham 1 4.27x
Maidstone 1 7.65x
Margate St John Baptist 1 12.44x
Nottingham St Mary 1 2.23x
Paddington London 1 2.11x
Reddish 1 47.62x
Toxteth Park 1 1.93x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 15
Elizabeth 6
Catherine 5
Ann 4
Agnes 3
Jane 3
Annie 2
Ellen 2
Emily 2
Julia 2
Sarah 2
Alice 1
Amelia 1
Celia 1
Celina 1
Charlott 1
Charlotte 1
Eliza 1
Elizabth. 1
Emma 1
Fanny 1
Georgina 1
Harline 1
Harriet 1
Harriett 1
Josephine 1
Letitia 1
Lily 1
Margaret 1
Margarete 1
Martha 1
Rachael 1
Rosa 1
Sininia 1
Sophia 1
Susan 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Fulham surname: questions and answers

How common was the Fulham surname in 1881?

In 1881, 132 people were recorded with the Fulham surname. That placed it at #16,744 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Fulham surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 251 in 2016. That gives Fulham a modern rank of #16,744.

What does the Fulham surname mean?

A place name referring to a town located in London, England.

What does the Fulham map show?

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