NameCensus.

UK surname

Goreham

A surname derived from a place name, likely referring to someone from Gorham, a town in England.

In the 1881 census there were 138 people recorded with the Goreham surname, ranking it #16,292 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 231, ranked #17,764, down from #16,292 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Swanscombe and St Paul, St Saviour, St Edmund, St Simon and Jude, St Peter Hungate, St Michael at Plea, St Martin a. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sandwell, Great Yarmouth and South Norfolk.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Goreham is 279 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 67.4%.

1881 census count

138

Ranked #16,292

Modern count

231

2016, ranked #17,764

Peak year

1998

279 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Goreham had 138 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,292 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 231 in 2016, ranked #17,764.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 238 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Goreham surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Goreham surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Goreham 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 56 #23,235
1861 historical 99 #21,294
1881 historical 138 #16,292
1891 historical 138 #19,411
1901 historical 190 #15,634
1911 historical 238 #13,356
1997 modern 268 #14,585
1998 modern 279 #14,592
1999 modern 278 #14,705
2000 modern 271 #14,910
2001 modern 267 #14,839
2002 modern 270 #15,010
2003 modern 253 #15,493
2004 modern 247 #15,821
2005 modern 238 #16,198
2006 modern 245 #15,956
2007 modern 242 #16,296
2008 modern 241 #16,481
2009 modern 246 #16,597
2010 modern 250 #16,791
2011 modern 240 #17,093
2012 modern 231 #17,448
2013 modern 242 #17,158
2014 modern 241 #17,338
2015 modern 235 #17,530
2016 modern 231 #17,764

Geography

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Where Gorehams are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Swanscombe, St Paul, St Saviour, St Edmund, St Simon and Jude, St Peter Hungate, St Michael at Plea, St Martin a, Lakenham , Eaton St Andrew, Town Close, St Stephen, St Peter Mancroft, St Giles, St Andrew, St John and Hellesdon, St Mary in the Marsh, St Clement, St Martin at Oak, St Mary at Coslany, St Michael at Cos. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Sandwell, Great Yarmouth, South Norfolk and Norwich. 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 Swanscombe Kent
3 St Paul, St Saviour, St Edmund, St Simon and Jude, St Peter Hungate, St Michael at Plea, St Martin a Norfolk
4 Lakenham , Eaton St Andrew, Town Close, St Stephen, St Peter Mancroft, St Giles, St Andrew, St John Norfolk
5 Hellesdon, St Mary in the Marsh, St Clement, St Martin at Oak, St Mary at Coslany, St Michael at Cos Norfolk

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sandwell 024 Sandwell
2 Great Yarmouth 012 Great Yarmouth
3 South Norfolk 011 South Norfolk
4 Norwich 004 Norwich
5 Norwich 013 Norwich

Forenames

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First names often paired with Goreham

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Goreham

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Goreham surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Goreham household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Goreham 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

Goreham is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Goreham falls in decile 6 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.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Goreham is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Goreham

The surname Goreham is of English origin, with its roots traced back to the medieval period. It is believed to be a locational name derived from the village of Goreham, located in the county of Wiltshire. This place name is thought to be derived from the Old English words "gor" and "ham," meaning "muddy" and "homestead" or "village," respectively, suggesting that the name referred to a settlement located in a marshy or muddy area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Goreham can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which documented landowners and their holdings in England after the Norman Conquest. The entry mentions a landowner named "Godricus de Goreham," indicating that the surname was already in use during that time.

In the 13th century, records show a Walter de Goreham who was a prominent landowner in Wiltshire. He is mentioned in several medieval charters and documents related to land transactions and disputes in the region.

During the 14th century, a notable figure named John Goreham lived in the village of the same name. He was a respected member of the local community and served as a churchwarden for the parish church of St. Mary's in Goreham.

In the 16th century, a merchant named William Goreham (born c. 1520 - died 1586) made a name for himself in the city of Bristol. He was a successful trader and played an influential role in the local guild system.

Another notable individual with the surname Goreham was Sir Thomas Goreham (1585-1647), a member of the English gentry who served as a Member of Parliament for Wiltshire during the reign of King Charles I. He was a staunch Royalist and fought for the king's cause during the English Civil War.

Throughout history, variations of the spelling of the surname have been recorded, including Goreham, Gorham, Gooram, and Goram. Additionally, some families with the surname may have derived their lineage from other locations with similar place names, such as Gorhambury in Hertfordshire or Gorran in Cornwall.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Goreham families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Goreham 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. Norfolk leads with 89 Gorehams recorded in 1881 and an index of 42.69x.

County Total Index
Norfolk 89 42.69x
Essex 14 5.23x
Kent 12 2.59x
Middlesex 9 0.66x
Yorkshire 8 0.60x
Suffolk 5 3.03x
Lancashire 1 0.06x
Surrey 1 0.15x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Heigham in Norfolk leads with 32 Gorehams recorded in 1881 and an index of 285.97x.

Place Total Index
Heigham 32 285.97x
Norwich St Gregory 12 3243.24x
Norwich St Etheldred 9 3103.45x
Manningham 7 42.30x
Norwich St George Colegate 7 921.05x
St Pancras London 7 6.41x
Great Yarmouth 6 34.74x
Lakenham 6 202.70x
Norwich St Benedict 6 645.16x
Swanscombe 6 288.46x
West Ham 5 8.46x
Ipswich St Clement 4 95.24x
Stalisfield 4 2500.00x
Thorpe Next Norwich 4 181.00x
Colchester St Botolph 3 131.58x
Colchester St Giles 3 113.64x
Walsoken 3 240.00x
Brightlingsea 2 130.72x
Minster In Thanet 2 208.33x
Bylaugh 1 2000.00x
Chelsea London 1 2.45x
Ipswich St Margaret 1 17.86x
Kew 1 263.16x
Kingstonupon Hull 1 92.59x
Leyton Low 1 18.38x
Lower Booths 1 34.72x
Norwich St Augustine 1 119.05x
Norwich St John 1 526.32x
Norwich St John Timberhill 1 178.57x
St Marylebone London 1 1.38x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 17
John 9
Edward 7
James 6
Joseph 5
Henry 4
Charles 3
George 3
Benjamin 2
Christmas 2
Albert 1
Alexander 1
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
Clare 1
Edwin 1
Ernest 1
Feargus 1
H... 1
Josaph 1
Martin 1
Samuel 1
Stephen 1
Thomas 1
Wm. 1
Woolvett 1

FAQ

Goreham surname: questions and answers

How common was the Goreham surname in 1881?

In 1881, 138 people were recorded with the Goreham surname. That placed it at #16,292 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Goreham surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 231 in 2016. That gives Goreham a modern rank of #17,764.

What does the Goreham surname mean?

A surname derived from a place name, likely referring to someone from Gorham, a town in England.

What does the Goreham map show?

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