NameCensus.

UK surname

Massam

In the 1881 census there were 237 people recorded with the Massam surname, ranking it #11,509 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 508, ranked #9,877, up from #11,509 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to North Meols, Ormskirk and St Michael-le-Belfry, St Giles. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include West Lancashire, Boston and South Ribble.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Massam is 592 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 114.3%.

1881 census count

237

Ranked #11,509

Modern count

508

2016, ranked #9,877

Peak year

1998

592 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Massam had 237 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,509 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 508 in 2016, ranked #9,877.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 496 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Massam surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Massam surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Massam 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 199 #10,441
1861 historical 115 #18,880
1881 historical 237 #11,509
1891 historical 296 #11,215
1901 historical 346 #10,516
1911 historical 496 #7,867
1997 modern 579 #8,354
1998 modern 592 #8,470
1999 modern 586 #8,580
2000 modern 579 #8,611
2001 modern 571 #8,575
2002 modern 574 #8,697
2003 modern 537 #8,997
2004 modern 545 #8,919
2005 modern 528 #9,081
2006 modern 542 #8,918
2007 modern 559 #8,789
2008 modern 557 #8,876
2009 modern 562 #9,013
2010 modern 577 #9,028
2011 modern 560 #9,130
2012 modern 527 #9,497
2013 modern 515 #9,804
2014 modern 520 #9,803
2015 modern 506 #9,916
2016 modern 508 #9,877

Geography

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Where Massams are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around North Meols, Ormskirk, St Michael-le-Belfry, St Giles, Selby, Hemingborough (Barlby) and West Ham,Wanstead. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to West Lancashire, Boston and South Ribble. 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 North Meols Lancashire
2 Ormskirk Lancashire
3 St Michael-le-Belfry, St Giles Yorkshire, East Riding
4 Selby, Hemingborough (Barlby) Yorkshire, West Riding
5 West Ham,Wanstead Essex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 West Lancashire 003 West Lancashire
2 Boston 004 Boston
3 Boston 007 Boston
4 South Ribble 015 South Ribble
5 West Lancashire 014 West Lancashire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Massam

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Massam

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Massam is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Massam 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

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

1881 census detail

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Massam families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Massam 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. Lancashire leads with 94 Massams recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.50x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 94 3.50x
Yorkshire 55 2.45x
Lincolnshire 33 9.12x
Durham 18 2.67x
Middlesex 16 0.71x
Cambridgeshire 6 4.19x
Hampshire 3 0.65x
Glamorgan 2 0.51x
Angus 1 0.48x
Cheshire 1 0.20x
Northumberland 1 0.30x
Staffordshire 1 0.13x
Wiltshire 1 0.50x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Scarisbrick in Lancashire leads with 22 Massams recorded in 1881 and an index of 705.13x.

Place Total Index
Scarisbrick 22 705.13x
Little Crosby 14 3255.81x
Bishopwearmouth 11 19.03x
Melling 11 1774.19x
Wyberton 10 2000.00x
Barlby 9 2250.00x
Mile End Old Town 9 25.20x
Formby 8 263.16x
Ince Blundell 7 1707.32x
North Meols 7 26.64x
Stranton 7 30.89x
Birkdale 6 88.37x
Sutterton 6 833.33x
Wisbech St Mary 6 363.64x
Fosdyke 5 1351.35x
Gate Fulford 5 95.42x
Holy Trinity 5 9.27x
Ripon 5 96.15x
Boston 4 36.43x
Dalton In Huddersfield 4 79.68x
Kirkdale 4 8.86x
Liverpool 4 2.45x
Sandal Magna 4 120.48x
Sculcoates 4 11.25x
Selby 4 85.29x
Skirbeck Quarter 4 606.06x
St Luke London 4 11.02x
Great Crosby 3 40.98x
Hackforth 3 2500.00x
Litherland 3 53.48x
Nether Poppleton 3 1304.35x
Portsea 3 3.30x
Burnley 2 8.85x
Cardiff St Mary 2 9.22x
Everton 2 2.34x
Normanby By Spital 2 645.16x
Shipton In Great 2 606.06x
Bradford 1 1.84x
Dunston 1 166.67x
Falsgrave 1 30.30x
Hackney London 1 0.79x
Langthorne 1 1000.00x
Latchford 1 30.12x
Monifieth 1 13.50x
Monkton Moor 1 526.32x
Newcastle On Tyne St 1 5.73x
Sheffield 1 1.40x
Southcoates 1 8.03x
St George In East 1 6.50x
St Pancras London 1 0.55x
Stoke Upon Trent 1 1.23x
Swindon 1 6.44x
Welburn In Malton 1 232.56x
Westleigh 1 16.39x
Wildmore 1 212.77x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 20
Elizabeth 12
Jane 11
Ann 10
Margaret 7
Sarah 6
Alice 5
Ellen 4
Eliza 3
Ada 2
Annie 2
Bertha 2
Frances 2
Abigail 1
Adelaide 1
Agnes 1
Angelina 1
Betsey 1
Catherine 1
Celia 1
Charlotte 1
Eleanor 1
Elizh. 1
Elizth. 1
Emily 1
Gertrude 1
Hannah 1
Harriet 1
Hester 1
Honora 1
Isabella 1
Janey 1
Kate 1
Lamentina 1
Lizzie 1
Margret 1
Maria 1
Minnie 1
Rebecca 1
Rosa 1
Rose 1
Ruth 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 26
William 19
Thomas 14
James 11
Robert 9
George 6
Henry 6
Charles 2
Chas. 2
Frederick 2
Jacques 2
Richard 2
Wm. 2
Adam 1
Albert 1
Christopher 1
David 1
Fred 1
Hardy 1
Joseph 1
Mark 1
Maximilian 1
Samuel 1
Thos. 1
Walter 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Massam surname: questions and answers

How common was the Massam surname in 1881?

In 1881, 237 people were recorded with the Massam surname. That placed it at #11,509 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Massam surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 508 in 2016. That gives Massam a modern rank of #9,877.

What does the Massam map show?

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