NameCensus.

UK surname

Medlam

In the 1881 census there were 115 people recorded with the Medlam surname, ranking it #18,230 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 221, ranked #18,321, down from #18,230 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, Silkstone and Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Barnsley, Bassetlaw and Bolsover.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Medlam is 231 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 92.2%.

1881 census count

115

Ranked #18,230

Modern count

221

2016, ranked #18,321

Peak year

1999

231 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Medlam had 115 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #18,230 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 221 in 2016, ranked #18,321.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 162 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Medlam surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Medlam surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Medlam 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 77 #19,998
1861 historical 60 #26,313
1881 historical 115 #18,230
1891 historical 106 #23,105
1901 historical 141 #18,718
1911 historical 162 #17,003
1997 modern 221 #16,565
1998 modern 226 #16,800
1999 modern 231 #16,646
2000 modern 231 #16,610
2001 modern 212 #17,324
2002 modern 222 #17,147
2003 modern 220 #17,033
2004 modern 228 #16,723
2005 modern 227 #16,730
2006 modern 223 #17,036
2007 modern 231 #16,835
2008 modern 224 #17,337
2009 modern 218 #18,015
2010 modern 224 #18,047
2011 modern 225 #17,841
2012 modern 225 #17,733
2013 modern 225 #18,027
2014 modern 227 #18,029
2015 modern 230 #17,795
2016 modern 221 #18,321

Geography

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Where Medlams are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, Silkstone, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Sutton Coldfield and Halesowen (all except Hunnington, Romsley; partly in Halesowen, Worcestershire). These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Barnsley, Bassetlaw and Bolsover. 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 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
2 Silkstone Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
4 Sutton Coldfield Warwickshire
5 Halesowen (all except Hunnington, Romsley; partly in Halesowen, Worcestershire) Staffordshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Barnsley 021 Barnsley
2 Barnsley 012 Barnsley
3 Bassetlaw 004 Bassetlaw
4 Bolsover 002 Bolsover
5 Bassetlaw 016 Bassetlaw

Forenames

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First names often paired with Medlam

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Medlam

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Medlam is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Medlam is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Medlam falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Medlam families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Medlam 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. Warwickshire leads with 45 Medlams recorded in 1881 and an index of 15.91x.

County Total Index
Warwickshire 45 15.91x
Yorkshire 18 1.62x
Somerset 15 8.31x
Worcestershire 9 6.14x
Surrey 7 1.28x
Gloucestershire 6 2.73x
Nottinghamshire 6 3.97x
Staffordshire 6 1.58x
Middlesex 2 0.18x
Lancashire 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Aston in Warwickshire leads with 34 Medlams recorded in 1881 and an index of 43.65x.

Place Total Index
Aston 34 43.65x
Barnsley 12 104.62x
Oldbury 9 124.83x
Battersea 7 16.96x
Basford 6 86.08x
Birmingham 6 6.36x
Compton Bishop 6 2857.14x
Handsworth 6 64.31x
Curdworth 5 1923.08x
Evercreech 4 909.09x
Bristol St James In 3 92.59x
South Brewham 3 2307.69x
Balby Cum Hexthorpe 2 150.38x
Ecclesfield 2 24.54x
Gildingwells 2 6666.67x
Kensington London 2 3.21x
Stapleton 2 47.96x
Taunton St Mary 2 60.42x
Bristol St Paul In 1 17.06x
Manchester 1 1.67x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Sarah 8
Mary 7
Elizabeth 6
Ann 3
Annie 3
Eliza 3
Clara 2
Emma 2
Martha 2
Ada 1
Alice 1
Anna 1
Bessie 1
Charlott 1
Charlotte 1
Ellen 1
Fanny 1
Florance 1
Florence 1
Harriet 1
Lavinia 1
Lette 1
Lillian 1
Lily 1
Louisa 1
Lucy 1
Margaret 1
Matilda 1
Rachel 1
Rosy 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Medlam surname: questions and answers

How common was the Medlam surname in 1881?

In 1881, 115 people were recorded with the Medlam surname. That placed it at #18,230 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Medlam surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 221 in 2016. That gives Medlam a modern rank of #18,321.

What does the Medlam map show?

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