NameCensus.

UK surname

Ham

An English topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a meadow, from the Old English "hamm."

In the 1881 census there were 2,252 people recorded with the Ham surname, ranking it #1,979 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,039, ranked #3,163, down from #1,979 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Cheddar, Nyland with Batcombe, Rodney Stoke. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sedgemoor.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Ham is 2,518 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 9.5%.

1881 census count

2,252

Ranked #1,979

Modern count

2,039

2016, ranked #3,163

Peak year

1901

2,518 bearers

Map years

6

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Ham had 2,252 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,979 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,039 in 2016, ranked #3,163.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,518 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Ham surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Ham surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Ham 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 1,677 #1,716
1881 historical 2,252 #1,979
1891 historical 18 #32,706
1901 historical 2,518 #2,180
1997 modern 2,066 #2,976
1998 modern 2,131 #3,001
1999 modern 2,121 #3,035
2000 modern 2,101 #3,041
2001 modern 2,039 #3,067
2002 modern 2,098 #3,050
2003 modern 2,004 #3,112
2004 modern 1,956 #3,174
2005 modern 1,947 #3,160
2006 modern 1,933 #3,187
2007 modern 1,974 #3,160
2008 modern 1,965 #3,184
2009 modern 2,014 #3,195
2010 modern 2,034 #3,231
2011 modern 2,015 #3,219
2012 modern 2,026 #3,159
2013 modern 2,029 #3,201
2014 modern 2,038 #3,217
2015 modern 2,018 #3,213
2016 modern 2,039 #3,163

Geography

Back to top

Where Hams are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, Cheddar, Nyland with Batcombe, Rodney Stoke and Mark, Chapel Allerton, Weare, East Brent, South Brent. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Sedgemoor. 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 London parishes London 1
3 Cheddar, Nyland with Batcombe, Rodney Stoke Somerset
4 London parishes London 3
5 Mark, Chapel Allerton, Weare, East Brent, South Brent Somerset

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sedgemoor 003 Sedgemoor
2 Sedgemoor 002 Sedgemoor
3 Sedgemoor 001 Sedgemoor
4 Sedgemoor 004 Sedgemoor
5 Sedgemoor 005 Sedgemoor

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Ham

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Ham

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

Rural Amenity

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Ham 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

Ham 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

Ham falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Ham

The surname "Ham" is of English origin and is believed to have derived from the Old English word "ham," which means a homestead or a village. This word is thought to have originated from the Proto-Germanic word "haimaz," meaning home or dwelling.

The name "Ham" is found in various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Kent, Surrey, and Sussex, where it was commonly used as a place name suffix. It was often combined with other words to form place names like Hammersmith, Hampstead, and Hambledon.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "Ham" can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land and property in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The book mentions several places with the name "Ham," indicating the surname's early origins.

In the 13th century, a notable figure named William de Ham was recorded as a landowner in the county of Kent. Another early bearer of the name was John Ham, who was mentioned in the Feet of Fines for Sussex in 1292, a legal document related to land transactions.

During the 16th century, the surname "Ham" appeared in various records, including parish registers and tax rolls. One notable individual was William Ham, a merchant from Bristol, who lived from around 1515 to 1580.

In the 17th century, the name "Ham" gained prominence with several individuals leaving their mark. John Ham (1557-1636) was an English composer and organist who served as the organist at Gloucester Cathedral. Another notable figure was Thomas Ham (1620-1688), a member of the British Parliament who represented the borough of Windsor.

The 18th century saw the rise of James Ham (1712-1783), an English Baptist minister and author who wrote several theological works. Additionally, John Ham (1730-1808) was a British naval captain who served during the American Revolutionary War and is known for his role in the Battle of the Virginia Capes.

In the 19th century, one of the most prominent individuals with the surname "Ham" was Sir John Ham (1833-1910), a British lawyer and judge who served as the Chief Justice of the Straits Settlements (now part of Malaysia and Singapore) from 1891 to 1904.

These examples demonstrate the long history and widespread use of the surname "Ham" across various professions and regions, reflecting its English origins and the significance of place names in the development of surnames.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Ham families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Ham 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. Somerset leads with 396 Hams recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.21x.

County Total Index
Somerset 396 11.21x
Cornwall 372 14.98x
Devon 332 7.27x
Middlesex 223 1.02x
Surrey 144 1.35x
Hampshire 139 3.09x
Essex 109 2.52x
Gloucestershire 89 2.07x
Lancashire 59 0.23x
Oxfordshire 55 4.06x
Glamorgan 51 1.34x
Kent 51 0.68x
Yorkshire 40 0.18x
Warwickshire 24 0.43x
Berkshire 20 1.21x
Dorset 18 1.25x
Durham 15 0.23x
Caithness 13 4.33x
Wiltshire 13 0.67x
Bedfordshire 10 0.88x
Norfolk 10 0.30x
Shropshire 10 0.53x
Cheshire 8 0.17x
Sussex 8 0.22x
Monmouthshire 7 0.44x
Buckinghamshire 6 0.45x
Lincolnshire 6 0.17x
Northumberland 5 0.15x
Channel Islands 3 0.46x
Denbighshire 3 0.36x
Huntingdonshire 2 0.46x
Northamptonshire 2 0.10x
Royal Navy 2 0.77x
Suffolk 2 0.07x
Derbyshire 1 0.03x
Hertfordshire 1 0.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Weare in Somerset leads with 60 Hams recorded in 1881 and an index of 1224.49x.

Place Total Index
Weare 60 1224.49x
Plymouth Charles The 38 18.89x
St Austell 32 37.69x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 31 7.65x
Cheddar 29 163.20x
Kensington London 29 2.38x
Wivenhoe 29 168.60x
Milborne Port 28 198.16x
Stoke Damerel 27 8.45x
Aylesbeare 25 378.21x
Bramley 25 741.84x
Liskeard 22 52.94x
St Mary Magdalene 22 120.48x
Chapel Allerton 21 1122.99x
Kenwyn 20 30.79x
Lambeth 20 1.05x
Plumstead 20 8.02x
East Brent 19 355.81x
Islington London 19 0.89x
Camberwell 18 1.28x
Froyle 18 313.59x
Bodmin 17 41.37x
East Worldham 17 854.27x
Bermondsey 16 2.45x
Birmingham 16 0.87x
Illogan 16 24.33x
S Stoke 16 252.37x
Davidstow 15 490.20x
Gwennap 15 32.02x
Shoreditch London 15 1.58x
St Blazey 15 68.78x
Exeter St Sidwell 14 13.39x
Canisbay 13 65.92x
Honiton 13 51.44x
Lifton 13 118.29x
Morwenstow 13 213.46x
Stone Easton 13 485.07x
Weston Super Mare 13 14.58x
Barnstaple 12 16.74x
Basingstoke 12 23.20x
Berrow 12 361.45x
Bradworthy 12 180.18x
Camborne 12 11.73x
Mark 12 145.63x
Mile End Old Town London 12 2.57x
Newington 12 1.48x
Southwark St George Martyr 12 2.72x
St Stephen 12 136.21x
Aberdare 11 4.19x
Eye Dunsden 11 168.20x
Long Ashton 11 62.82x
Portsea 11 1.25x
Richmond 11 7.34x
Sculcoates 11 3.19x
Tintagel 11 162.72x
Chelsea London 10 1.51x
Everton 10 1.21x
Manchester 10 0.85x
Montford 10 266.67x
Plymouth St Andrew 10 2.84x
Redruth 10 14.23x
Rotherhithe 10 3.69x
Silchester 10 282.49x
St John Near Swansea 10 21.17x
Walcot 10 5.32x
West Looe 10 152.91x
Westbury 10 222.22x
Ashburton 9 41.23x
Bridgewater 9 9.39x
Broad Clist 9 57.11x
Croydon 9 1.52x
Deptford St Paul 9 1.56x
Hampstead London 9 2.63x
Kilkhampton 9 122.95x
Liverpool 9 0.57x
Poplar London 9 2.17x
Stapleton 9 11.03x
Tottenham 9 2.58x
Twerton 9 24.72x
Wrabness 9 523.26x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 160
Elizabeth 110
Sarah 61
Jane 54
Ann 51
Ellen 41
Emma 36
Alice 29
Eliza 29
Emily 29
Annie 24
Louisa 23
Kate 21
Hannah 19
Caroline 18
Florence 17
Maria 15
Charlotte 14
Harriet 14
Ada 13
Susan 13
Martha 12
Bessie 10
Fanny 9
Frances 9
Gertrude 9
Amelia 8
Edith 8
Elizth. 8
Isabella 8
Rebecca 8
Agnes 7
Anne 7
Grace 7
Margaret 7
Catherine 6
Clara 6
Jessie 6
Ethel 5
Laura 5
Lucy 5
Matilda 5
Maud 5
Minnie 5
Selina 5
Sophia 5
Anna 4
Harriett 4
Henrietta 4
Julia 4

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 153
John 116
James 75
George 62
Henry 56
Charles 52
Thomas 45
Richard 29
Robert 25
Joseph 24
Alfred 23
Arthur 22
Albert 21
Frederick 21
Francis 18
Samuel 18
Ernest 16
Edward 14
Walter 14
Harry 13
Edwin 12
Daniel 10
Chas. 8
Wm. 8
Abraham 6
Edmund 6
Isaac 6
David 5
Frank 5
Fredrick 5
Herbert 5
Fred 4
Peter 4
Sidney 4
Jabez 3
Oliver 3
Percy 3
Philip 3
Rowland 3
Thos. 3
Willie 3
Jeffery 2
Jesse 2
Joel 2
Mark 2
Martin 2
Maurice 2
Reuben 2
Rupert 2
Rutherford 2

FAQ

Ham surname: questions and answers

How common was the Ham surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,252 people were recorded with the Ham surname. That placed it at #1,979 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Ham surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,039 in 2016. That gives Ham a modern rank of #3,163.

What does the Ham surname mean?

An English topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a meadow, from the Old English "hamm."

What does the Ham map show?

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