NameCensus.

UK surname

Langham

Derived from a place name meaning "long homestead" in Old English, referring to someone who lived there.

In the 1881 census there were 1,308 people recorded with the Langham surname, ranking it #3,130 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,720, ranked #3,629, down from #3,130 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard and Nottingham St Mary. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Doncaster, Bolsover and Hinckley and Bosworth.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Langham is 1,900 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 31.5%.

1881 census count

1,308

Ranked #3,130

Modern count

1,720

2016, ranked #3,629

Peak year

2002

1,900 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Langham had 1,308 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,130 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,720 in 2016, ranked #3,629.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,724 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Langham surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Langham surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Langham 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 989 #2,821
1861 historical 1,075 #2,619
1881 historical 1,308 #3,130
1891 historical 1,495 #2,947
1901 historical 1,662 #3,097
1911 historical 1,724 #2,843
1997 modern 1,811 #3,315
1998 modern 1,864 #3,355
1999 modern 1,893 #3,332
2000 modern 1,858 #3,365
2001 modern 1,826 #3,353
2002 modern 1,900 #3,313
2003 modern 1,816 #3,371
2004 modern 1,792 #3,408
2005 modern 1,765 #3,431
2006 modern 1,766 #3,432
2007 modern 1,780 #3,443
2008 modern 1,766 #3,493
2009 modern 1,827 #3,463
2010 modern 1,856 #3,485
2011 modern 1,819 #3,502
2012 modern 1,724 #3,604
2013 modern 1,751 #3,607
2014 modern 1,749 #3,628
2015 modern 1,743 #3,605
2016 modern 1,720 #3,629

Geography

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Where Langhams are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Nottingham St Mary and Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Doncaster, Bolsover, Hinckley and Bosworth, Reading and Rugby. 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 1
2 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Nottingham St Mary Nottinghamshire
5 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Doncaster 005 Doncaster
2 Bolsover 009 Bolsover
3 Hinckley and Bosworth 009 Hinckley and Bosworth
4 Reading 018 Reading
5 Rugby 007 Rugby

Forenames

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First names often paired with Langham

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Langham

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Langham, 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 Langham surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Langham 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, Langham 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

Langham 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

Langham falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Langham

The surname Langham originated in England. It is a locational name, derived from the Old English words 'lang' meaning long and 'ham' meaning homestead or village. The name refers to one of the several places in England called Langham, with the oldest record dating back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it was mentioned as Langeham.

The earliest recorded bearer of the name was William de Langham, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire in 1195. Another early record is of Roger de Langham, who was listed in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1285.

In Norfolk, the surname can be traced back to the village of Langham, which was recorded as Langeham in the Domesday Book. This place name is believed to have originated from the Old English 'lang' and 'ham', referring to a long-shaped village or homestead.

One notable bearer of the name was Simon Langham (c. 1310-1376), an English clergyman who served as Archbishop of Canterbury from 1366 until his death. He was a significant figure in the church during the latter part of the 14th century.

Another prominent individual with the surname was Sir John Langham (c. 1485-1561), an English soldier and courtier who served under King Henry VIII. He was involved in various military campaigns and held several important positions during his lifetime.

In the world of literature, Nathaniel Langham (1604-1675) was an English author and clergyman who wrote several religious works, including "The Garden of the Soul" and "The Practical Divinity."

John Langham (1679-1756) was an English architect who designed several notable buildings, including Shugborough Hall in Staffordshire and the Church of St. Mary the Virgin in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire.

Finally, James Langham (1771-1852) was a British Army officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars and later became a Member of Parliament for Beverley in Yorkshire.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Langham families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Langham 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. Middlesex leads with 198 Langhams recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.55x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 198 1.55x
Leicestershire 179 12.60x
Nottinghamshire 138 7.99x
Kent 65 1.49x
Lancashire 57 0.38x
Yorkshire 52 0.41x
Hertfordshire 48 5.44x
Suffolk 47 3.01x
Norfolk 46 2.34x
Surrey 46 0.74x
Cambridgeshire 45 5.55x
Durham 41 1.08x
Sussex 35 1.62x
Northamptonshire 31 2.57x
Warwickshire 31 0.96x
Essex 28 1.11x
Berkshire 27 2.81x
Derbyshire 24 1.20x
Staffordshire 24 0.56x
Buckinghamshire 21 2.71x
Oxfordshire 19 2.40x
Somerset 19 0.92x
Hampshire 18 0.69x
Monmouthshire 14 1.51x
Bedfordshire 8 1.21x
Gloucestershire 8 0.32x
Lincolnshire 7 0.34x
Westmorland 7 2.49x
Wiltshire 6 0.53x
Worcestershire 5 0.30x
Cheshire 3 0.11x
Devon 3 0.11x
Dorset 3 0.36x
Northumberland 3 0.16x
Glamorgan 2 0.09x
Royal Navy 2 1.31x
Brecknockshire 1 0.39x
Huntingdonshire 1 0.39x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.25x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Leicester St Margaret in Leicestershire leads with 51 Langhams recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.73x.

Place Total Index
Leicester St Margaret 51 14.73x
Leicester St Mary 45 39.22x
Nottingham St Mary 44 9.85x
St Pancras London 38 3.69x
Islington London 24 1.93x
Hinxworth 20 1538.46x
Accrington 19 13.75x
Lenton 19 46.73x
Auckland St Andrew 18 178.93x
Woolwich 16 9.91x
Wellington 14 50.09x
Bunny 12 1043.48x
Hackney London 12 1.67x
Reading St Giles 12 12.72x
St Marylebone London 12 1.75x
St Albans St Peter 11 36.93x
St Andrewthe Less 11 11.87x
Alfreton 10 16.42x
Belgrave 10 31.20x
Clerkenwell London 10 3.31x
Manchester 10 1.46x
Norwich St Mary At Coslany 10 177.62x
Nottingham St Nicholas 10 42.54x
Paddington London 10 2.12x
Selby 10 37.69x
Wandsworth 10 8.11x
Weston 10 235.29x
Aston 9 1.01x
Birmingham 9 0.84x
Hastings St Mary In The 9 19.54x
Heigham 9 8.51x
Hinckley 9 26.72x
Leicester All Sts 9 32.27x
Radford 9 10.26x
Snenton 9 13.27x
Upper Llanvrechva 9 62.59x
West Ham 9 1.61x
Willenhall 9 11.11x
Bradmore 8 655.74x
Bulwell 8 21.32x
Elm 8 100.76x
Little Billing 8 2352.94x
Loughborough 8 12.41x
Newmarket St Mary 8 66.83x
Overton 8 127.39x
Plumstead 8 5.49x
Sapcote 8 263.16x
St George Hanover Square 8 3.55x
Bow London 7 4.29x
Catthorpe 7 1147.54x
Darlington 7 4.76x
Humberstone 7 59.98x
Keighley 7 5.17x
Kennett 7 921.05x
Mildenhall 7 42.22x
Newland 7 33.16x
Taplow 7 150.21x
Wing 7 97.49x
Worlington 7 546.88x
Battersea 6 1.27x
Chatham 6 4.99x
Cheveley 6 216.61x
Costock 6 441.18x
Downton 6 40.49x
Fornham St Martin 6 441.18x
Fulham London 6 3.23x
Lambeth 6 0.54x
Liverpool 6 0.65x
Norwich St Julian 6 72.29x
Ore 6 37.34x
Springfield 6 54.15x
St Andrew Holborn London 6 10.82x
St George Bloomsbury 6 8.16x
Upton Cum Chalvey 6 19.44x
Westminster St Margaret 6 9.71x
Cheriton 5 28.07x
Litchurch 5 6.20x
Shoreham 5 80.39x
Snave 5 1000.00x
St Luke London 5 2.43x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 83
John 76
Thomas 45
George 39
James 34
Henry 29
Charles 27
Joseph 24
Edward 18
Harry 15
Samuel 15
Arthur 14
Frederick 12
Albert 11
Richard 10
Alfred 9
David 9
Robert 9
Ernest 8
Daniel 7
Edwin 6
Walter 6
Wm. 6
Herbert 5
Francis 4
Frank 4
Abraham 3
Alexander 3
Fred 3
Isaac 3
Josiah 3
Stephen 3
Fredk. 2
Geo. 2
Jackson 2
Jas. 2
Lewis 2
Louis 2
Martin 2
Michael 2
Owen 2
Peter 2
Thos. 2
Willie 2
Willm. 2
Alonzo 1
Claude 1
Clement 1
F.T. 1
Faze 1

FAQ

Langham surname: questions and answers

How common was the Langham surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,308 people were recorded with the Langham surname. That placed it at #3,130 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Langham surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,720 in 2016. That gives Langham a modern rank of #3,629.

What does the Langham surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "long homestead" in Old English, referring to someone who lived there.

What does the Langham map show?

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