NameCensus.

UK surname

Letham

An English surname derived from a place name meaning "the homestead on the hill".

In the 1881 census there were 320 people recorded with the Letham surname, ranking it #9,298 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 551, ranked #9,266, up from #9,298 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Stonehouse, Govan Combination and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Coldstream and Area, Paisley West and Old Town, Princes Street and Leith Street.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Letham is 551 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 72.2%.

1881 census count

320

Ranked #9,298

Modern count

551

2016, ranked #9,266

Peak year

2016

551 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Letham had 320 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,298 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 551 in 2016, ranked #9,266.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 431 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Letham surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Letham surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Letham 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 248 #8,840
1861 historical 261 #9,481
1881 historical 320 #9,298
1891 historical 396 #8,945
1901 historical 431 #8,982
1911 historical 90 #23,797
1997 modern 489 #9,453
1998 modern 513 #9,404
1999 modern 513 #9,478
2000 modern 537 #9,118
2001 modern 522 #9,162
2002 modern 545 #9,038
2003 modern 523 #9,192
2004 modern 500 #9,529
2005 modern 498 #9,467
2006 modern 502 #9,463
2007 modern 511 #9,422
2008 modern 515 #9,430
2009 modern 521 #9,554
2010 modern 550 #9,368
2011 modern 539 #9,428
2012 modern 521 #9,589
2013 modern 543 #9,432
2014 modern 542 #9,508
2015 modern 537 #9,505
2016 modern 551 #9,266

Geography

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Where Lethams are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Stonehouse, Govan Combination, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Boughton Monchelsea, Langley. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Coldstream and Area, Paisley West, Old Town, Princes Street and Leith Street, Braidfauld and Falkirk - Camelon West. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Stonehouse Lanark
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Glasgow Lanark
5 Boughton Monchelsea, Langley Kent

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Coldstream and Area Scottish Borders
2 Paisley West Renfrewshire
3 Old Town, Princes Street and Leith Street City of Edinburgh
4 Braidfauld Glasgow City
5 Falkirk - Camelon West Falkirk

Forenames

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First names often paired with Letham

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Letham

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

Legacy Communities

Group

Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities

Nationally, the Letham surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Letham household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Households in these areas often include divorced or separated parents and commonly include children and young adults. The age structure is heavily skewed towards the most advanced age groups. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are not present in large numbers. Flats predominate, with some terraced, semi-detached, and detached units. Multiple car ownership is low, and housing is predominantly in the private and social rented sectors. Employment is less skewed towards traditional routine industrial occupations. Levels of educational attainment are generally low. The Group occurs principally in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and other Scottish towns.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Letham is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Letham is most concentrated in decile 2 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Letham 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 Letham is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Letham

The surname Letham is believed to have originated in England, specifically in the county of Yorkshire. It is a locational name, derived from the place name Letham, which itself is derived from the Old English words "lede" meaning "a people" and "ham" meaning "homestead" or "village". This suggests that the name originally referred to a settlement or village belonging to a particular group of people.

The earliest known record of the name Letham dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is mentioned as "Ledham" in the county of Yorkshire. This indicates that the name has been in existence since at least the 11th century.

In the 13th century, records show the name spelled as "Letham" in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. This spelling has remained relatively consistent throughout the centuries, although variations such as "Lethem" and "Leatham" have also been documented.

One notable bearer of the surname Letham was Sir John Letham (c.1470-1547), an English politician and member of the Parliament of England during the reign of Henry VIII. He served as the High Sheriff of Yorkshire in 1532.

Another significant figure with the surname Letham was William Letham (1534-1611), an English clergyman and scholar who served as the Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge, from 1589 to 1611.

In the 17th century, the name Letham appeared in various parish records and court rolls in Yorkshire and neighboring counties. One example is John Letham (1632-1701), a landowner and justice of the peace in the West Riding of Yorkshire.

Moving forward to the 18th century, there is a record of a James Letham (1718-1789) who was a successful merchant and ship owner based in the port city of Hull, England.

Another notable bearer of the surname was Sir Ralph Letham (1788-1854), a British naval officer who served with distinction during the Napoleonic Wars and was later appointed as the Governor of the Royal Naval Hospital in Plymouth.

The surname Letham has been associated with various places in England, particularly in Yorkshire, where it originated. Some examples include the village of Letham, near Beverley, and the hamlet of Letham, near Pickering.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Letham families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Letham 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. Lanarkshire leads with 196 Lethams recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.72x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 196 19.72x
Middlesex 13 0.42x
Kent 11 1.05x
Stirlingshire 11 9.71x
Dunbartonshire 10 12.11x
Lancashire 10 0.27x
Renfrewshire 10 4.20x
Fife 9 4.95x
Flintshire 9 10.90x
Midlothian 9 2.19x
Ayrshire 7 3.04x
Staffordshire 6 0.58x
Perthshire 4 2.90x
Dumfriesshire 3 4.42x
Buteshire 2 10.74x
Yorkshire 2 0.07x
Argyllshire 1 1.17x
Dorset 1 0.50x
Hampshire 1 0.16x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Glasgow in Lanarkshire leads with 44 Lethams recorded in 1881 and an index of 24.93x.

Place Total Index
Glasgow 44 24.93x
Barony 30 11.93x
Govan 23 9.36x
Lesmahagow 21 199.81x
Old Monkland 17 43.10x
Hamilton 12 43.29x
Stonehouse 11 326.41x
Boughton Monchelsea 10 862.07x
Cadder 10 136.24x
New Monkland 10 34.05x
Oldham 10 8.50x
Hawarden 9 138.67x
Bromley London 8 11.83x
Kilmarnock 7 25.58x
Shettleston 7 78.65x
Glassford 5 326.80x
Kirkintilloch 5 44.56x
Old Kilpatrick 5 51.23x
Stirling 5 34.99x
Cambuslang 4 39.92x
Dunfermline 4 14.30x
Friern Barnet 4 59.08x
Inverkeithing 4 145.99x
Inverkip 4 71.30x
West Greenock 4 9.36x
Durrisdeer 3 258.62x
Edinburgh St Andrews 3 88.24x
Muiravonside 3 104.17x
South Leith 3 6.48x
Tamworth 3 54.05x
West Bromwich 3 5.05x
Blantyre 2 19.32x
Cumbrae 2 102.04x
Dunipace 2 101.01x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 2 1.21x
Kincardine 2 140.85x
Moneydie 2 800.00x
Cathcart 1 7.76x
Denny 1 16.58x
Dunoon 1 56.82x
Holdenhurst 1 6.05x
Inveresk 1 8.98x
Largo 1 42.37x
Loose 1 64.94x
Neilston 1 8.37x
Norton In Malton 1 27.10x
Poplar London 1 1.72x
Portland 1 9.23x
Sculcoates 1 2.07x

Top female names

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

FAQ

Letham surname: questions and answers

How common was the Letham surname in 1881?

In 1881, 320 people were recorded with the Letham surname. That placed it at #9,298 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Letham surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 551 in 2016. That gives Letham a modern rank of #9,266.

What does the Letham surname mean?

An English surname derived from a place name meaning "the homestead on the hill".

What does the Letham map show?

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