NameCensus.

UK surname

Lanham

A habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "long homestead" in Old English.

In the 1881 census there were 758 people recorded with the Lanham surname, ranking it #4,871 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 758, ranked #7,224, down from #4,871 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wimbish with Thunderley, Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Great Yarmouth, East Riding of Yorkshire and Southampton.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Lanham is 1,015 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 0.0%.

1881 census count

758

Ranked #4,871

Modern count

758

2016, ranked #7,224

Peak year

1911

1,015 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Lanham had 758 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,871 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 758 in 2016, ranked #7,224.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,015 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Lanham surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Lanham surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Lanham 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 572 #4,447
1861 historical 558 #4,724
1881 historical 758 #4,871
1891 historical 856 #4,786
1901 historical 904 #5,134
1911 historical 1,015 #4,487
1997 modern 794 #6,573
1998 modern 817 #6,648
1999 modern 812 #6,717
2000 modern 807 #6,721
2001 modern 786 #6,738
2002 modern 790 #6,849
2003 modern 770 #6,859
2004 modern 747 #7,040
2005 modern 729 #7,107
2006 modern 719 #7,210
2007 modern 730 #7,213
2008 modern 743 #7,152
2009 modern 745 #7,289
2010 modern 752 #7,367
2011 modern 753 #7,293
2012 modern 742 #7,288
2013 modern 765 #7,230
2014 modern 770 #7,213
2015 modern 764 #7,196
2016 modern 758 #7,224

Geography

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Where Lanhams are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wimbish with Thunderley, Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, St Pancras and Bishopston. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Great Yarmouth, East Riding of Yorkshire, Southampton and Pembrokeshire. 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 Wimbish with Thunderley Essex
2 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
3 London parishes London 3
4 St Pancras London (North Districts)
5 Bishopston Wiltshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Great Yarmouth 001 Great Yarmouth
2 East Riding of Yorkshire 031 East Riding of Yorkshire
3 East Riding of Yorkshire 033 East Riding of Yorkshire
4 Southampton 012 Southampton
5 Pembrokeshire 002 Pembrokeshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Lanham

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Lanham

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Lanham, 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 Lanham surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Lanham 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, Lanham 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

Lanham 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

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

Meaning and origin of Lanham

The surname Lanham has its origins in England and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "lan" meaning "lane" and "ham" meaning "homestead" or "village". The name likely referred to someone who lived near a lane or a settlement located along a lane.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Lanham can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Northamptonshire from 1195, where it is spelled as "Laneham". The Pipe Rolls were administrative records maintained by the English Exchequer during the reign of King Richard I.

The Lanham surname is also mentioned in the Hundred Rolls, a census-like survey conducted in England between 1274 and 1279. The Hundred Rolls contain references to individuals with the surname Lanham in various counties, including Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and Cambridgeshire.

In the 14th century, the surname appeared in the form "Lanhame" in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327. The Subsidy Rolls were tax records used to collect subsidies from the population for military campaigns.

One notable historical figure with the surname Lanham was Sir John Lanham, a 15th-century English landowner and Member of Parliament for Oxfordshire. He lived from around 1410 to 1474 and served as Sheriff of Oxfordshire and Berkshire in 1451.

Another prominent individual was William Lanham, an English clergyman who lived in the 16th century. He was appointed as the Canon of Windsor in 1553 and held various other ecclesiastical positions during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

In the 17th century, Sampson Lanham, born in 1593, was an English puritan minister and theologian. He served as the rector of St. Edmund's Church in Lombard Street, London, and was known for his sermons and religious writings.

The surname Lanham also has associations with place names in England. For example, the village of Lanham in Nottinghamshire was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Laneham". Similarly, the hamlet of Lanham in Suffolk was mentioned in the Domesday Book under the name "Laneham".

Throughout history, the surname Lanham has undergone various spelling variations, such as Laneham, Lanehame, Lanhame, and Lanaham, reflecting regional dialects and changes in spelling conventions over time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Lanham families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Lanham 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 116 Lanhams recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.57x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 116 1.57x
Hampshire 100 6.60x
Suffolk 95 10.55x
Essex 89 6.10x
Surrey 63 1.75x
Wiltshire 61 9.33x
Norfolk 38 3.34x
Somerset 38 3.19x
Gloucestershire 31 2.14x
Cambridgeshire 19 4.06x
Glamorgan 14 1.09x
Yorkshire 13 0.18x
Kent 11 0.44x
Lancashire 10 0.11x
Warwickshire 10 0.54x
Worcestershire 9 0.93x
Buckinghamshire 6 1.34x
Dorset 6 1.24x
Leicestershire 6 0.73x
Sussex 6 0.48x
Berkshire 5 0.90x
Cornwall 4 0.48x
Devon 3 0.19x
Cheshire 1 0.06x
Derbyshire 1 0.09x
Hertfordshire 1 0.20x
Northumberland 1 0.09x
Wigtownshire 1 1.02x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Felstead in Essex leads with 29 Lanhams recorded in 1881 and an index of 580.00x.

Place Total Index
Felstead 29 580.00x
Islington London 24 3.35x
Southampton St Mary 24 25.18x
St Marylebone London 19 4.81x
Wimbish 16 744.19x
Bishopstone 15 480.77x
St Andrewthe Less 15 28.03x
Norwich St Peter 14 187.67x
Lyncombe Widcombe 13 41.72x
Millbrook 13 34.06x
South Stoneham 13 39.54x
St Pancras London 13 2.18x
Bath St James 11 88.64x
Chelmsford 11 43.93x
Holy Rood 11 358.31x
Market Lavington 11 310.73x
Dorking 10 41.34x
Eling 10 65.15x
Battersea 9 3.31x
Bermondsey 9 4.09x
Kingston On Thames 9 10.40x
Bredfield 8 733.95x
Bunwell 8 366.97x
Claines 8 30.19x
Clifton 8 10.91x
Newington 8 2.93x
Portsea 8 2.69x
Shottisham 8 1142.86x
St George Hanover Square 8 6.14x
Sutton 8 555.56x
West Ham 8 2.48x
Bristol St James St Paul 7 14.48x
Fisherton Anger 7 57.85x
Lambeth 7 1.09x
Mendlesham 7 245.61x
Mile End Old Town London 7 4.45x
South Elmham St Cross 7 1272.73x
Yeovil 7 28.95x
Aberdare 6 6.79x
Aston 6 1.17x
Bury St Edmunds St Mary 6 35.50x
Finchley 6 21.16x
Hackney London 6 1.45x
Leicester St Margaret 6 3.00x
Minstead 6 275.23x
Ratcliffe London 6 14.70x
Westminster St James 6 7.89x
Wycombe 6 18.01x
Acton Turville 5 675.68x
Cheetham 5 7.64x
Great Easton 5 252.53x
Holton 5 431.03x
Llantrisant 5 15.41x
Shoreditch London 5 1.56x
South Newton 5 292.40x
Southampton St Michael 5 100.20x
Titchfield 5 43.78x
Topcroft 5 555.56x
Westbury On Trym 5 10.18x
Woodbridge 5 43.44x
Alderton 4 296.30x
Bexley 4 17.94x
Braintree 4 30.51x
Canewdon 4 219.78x
Damerham 4 256.41x
Dorchester Holy Trinity 4 101.78x
Hatfield Broad Oak 4 81.14x
Idmiston 4 273.97x
Roos 4 296.30x
Southcoates 4 9.83x
St Ives 4 24.42x
Stoughton 4 253.16x
Walcot 4 6.31x
Blyford 3 666.67x
Bristol St Paul In 3 7.77x
Camberwell 3 0.64x
Corsham 3 31.45x
Ipswich St Stephen 3 193.55x
Rotherhithe 3 3.28x
South Elmham St Margaret 3 810.81x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 39
Elizabeth 34
Sarah 19
Emma 17
Jane 17
Eliza 16
Alice 15
Ellen 15
Martha 14
Annie 13
Harriet 11
Kate 11
Ann 10
Maria 10
Florence 9
Louisa 8
Charlotte 7
Emily 7
Fanny 6
Amelia 5
Caroline 5
Hannah 5
Anna 4
Anne 4
Julia 4
Lucy 4
Ada 3
Bessie 3
Frances 3
Harriett 3
Laura 3
Margaret 3
Minnie 3
Ruth 3
Susan 3
Susannah 3
Amy 2
Beatrice 2
Clara 2
Esther 2
Ethel 2
Gertrude 2
Matilda 2
Rebecca 2
Rhoda 2
Rosina 2
Flora 1
Lavinia 1
Levernia 1
Timrza 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
George 41
William 40
Charles 28
John 28
James 22
Henry 16
Arthur 14
Robert 13
Thomas 13
Ernest 10
Harry 10
Walter 9
Herbert 8
Joseph 8
Albert 6
Edward 6
Frederick 6
Alfred 5
Frank 4
Isaac 4
Samuel 4
Edwin 3
Francis 3
Geo. 3
Alexander 2
Chas. 2
Edgar 2
Gilbert 2
Nelson 2
Stephen 2
Andrew 1
Archibald 1
Boyce 1
Cecil 1
Chas.H. 1
Clasby 1
Fred 1
Geo.W. 1
Harold 1
Harrold 1
Isaiah 1
Jacob 1
Jasper 1
Jno. 1
Jonathan 1
Laurence 1
Leonard 1
Lewis 1
Nathaniel 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Lanham surname: questions and answers

How common was the Lanham surname in 1881?

In 1881, 758 people were recorded with the Lanham surname. That placed it at #4,871 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Lanham surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 758 in 2016. That gives Lanham a modern rank of #7,224.

What does the Lanham surname mean?

A habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "long homestead" in Old English.

What does the Lanham map show?

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