NameCensus.

UK surname

Messam

Of French origin, potentially designating someone from the village of Messam.

In the 1881 census there were 94 people recorded with the Messam surname, ranking it #20,467 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 308, ranked #14,479, up from #20,467 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Greetham, Hendon and Benefield. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Herefordshire, Cheshire East and Amber Valley.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Messam is 317 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 227.7%.

1881 census count

94

Ranked #20,467

Modern count

308

2016, ranked #14,479

Peak year

2010

317 bearers

Map years

6

1891 to 2016

Key insights

  • Messam had 94 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #20,467 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 308 in 2016, ranked #14,479.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 145 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Messam surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Messam surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Messam 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 51 #24,096
1861 historical 61 #26,170
1881 historical 94 #20,467
1891 historical 104 #23,388
1901 historical 118 #20,721
1911 historical 145 #18,255
1997 modern 256 #15,034
1998 modern 273 #14,803
1999 modern 281 #14,578
2000 modern 287 #14,345
2001 modern 286 #14,160
2002 modern 291 #14,275
2003 modern 295 #13,964
2004 modern 299 #13,904
2005 modern 279 #14,480
2006 modern 279 #14,577
2007 modern 299 #14,077
2008 modern 311 #13,800
2009 modern 310 #14,113
2010 modern 317 #14,166
2011 modern 308 #14,356
2012 modern 293 #14,742
2013 modern 315 #14,245
2014 modern 317 #14,269
2015 modern 312 #14,347
2016 modern 308 #14,479

Geography

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Where Messams are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Greetham, Hendon, Benefield, Havant and Soberton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Herefordshire, Cheshire East, Amber Valley, Lambeth and Trafford. 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 Greetham Rutland
2 Hendon Middlesex (Exclusive Of London Districts)
3 Benefield Northamptonshire
4 Havant Hampshire
5 Soberton Hampshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Herefordshire 019 Herefordshire, County of
2 Cheshire East 035 Cheshire East
3 Amber Valley 012 Amber Valley
4 Lambeth 015 Lambeth
5 Trafford 001 Trafford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Messam

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Messam

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

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations

Nationally, the Messam surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Messam 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 is often found in less central parts of London and other major towns and cities. Adults are more likely than the Supergroup average to have never been married and are typically aged less than 45 years. Many have young dependent children and individuals may have been born in Africa. There are many members identifying with a Black ethnic group, with the other ethnic groups (as listed in the glossary) also represented, though Chinese less so. Accommodation in flats, frequently socially rented, is common in these neighbourhoods. Part time employment is also common, and work is often in elementary occupations, while unemployment is also the highest within this Supergroup.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Messam is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Messam is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Messam 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 Messam is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Messam

The surname Messam has its origins in the Middle English word "messam", which means "harvest" or "the act of reaping crops". It is believed to have originated in the northern counties of England, particularly in Yorkshire and Northumberland, during the 13th and 14th centuries.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Messam can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the year 1301, where a certain John Messam is mentioned as a tenant farmer. This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname, referring to those who worked as harvesters or reapers during the agricultural seasons.

In the 15th century, the name appears in various historical records, such as the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire, where a Thomas Messam is mentioned in 1456. This indicates that the name had spread and become established in the local communities of the region.

The surname Messam also has connections to place names, as evidenced by the existence of a hamlet called Messam Green in Lincolnshire. This small settlement likely derived its name from the Messam family who may have been landowners or prominent residents in the area.

Notable individuals with the surname Messam include Sir John Messam (1585-1649), an English lawyer and Member of Parliament for Southwark during the reign of King Charles I. Another prominent figure was Robert Messam (1712-1781), a successful merchant and landowner from Lincolnshire, who amassed significant wealth through his business ventures.

In the 18th century, the name Messam appears in the parish records of several English counties, including Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Nottinghamshire. This suggests that the surname had become well-established across various regions of northern England.

Other individuals of note include William Messam (1810-1888), a renowned architect from Yorkshire who designed several notable buildings in the region, and James Messam (1865-1944), a British engineer and inventor who held several patents for agricultural machinery.

As the centuries progressed, the Messam surname continued to be found in various parts of England, with some families migrating to other parts of the British Isles and eventually to other parts of the world, carrying their surname with them.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Messam families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Messam 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. Hampshire leads with 32 Messams recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.03x.

County Total Index
Hampshire 32 17.03x
Wiltshire 18 22.20x
Middlesex 11 1.20x
Rutland 10 148.59x
Northamptonshire 9 10.44x
Surrey 5 1.12x
Lancashire 2 0.18x
Leicestershire 2 1.97x
Lincolnshire 2 1.36x
Cambridgeshire 1 1.72x
Kent 1 0.32x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.81x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Soberton in Hampshire leads with 26 Messams recorded in 1881 and an index of 7428.57x.

Place Total Index
Soberton 26 7428.57x
Benefield 9 6000.00x
Greetham 9 5000.00x
Swindon 9 143.08x
West Overton 9 4285.71x
Hendon 5 151.52x
Hampstead London 3 21.01x
Lambeth 3 3.75x
Basingstoke 2 92.59x
Ealing 2 24.42x
Leatherhead 2 178.57x
Thurlby Obthorpe 2 1000.00x
West Derby 2 6.29x
Barkby 1 500.00x
Chislehurst 1 59.52x
Hawton 1 1111.11x
Leicester St Mary 1 12.18x
Liss 1 263.16x
New Alresford 1 204.08x
St Botolph Cambridge 1 666.67x
Stretton 1 1666.67x
Warblington 1 133.33x
Westminster St 1 29.59x
Widley 1 294.12x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 11
Elizabeth 4
Sarah 3
Alice 2
Ann 2
Annie 2
Caroline 2
Eliza 2
Emma 2
Fanny 2
Frances 2
Harriet 2
Louisa 2
Rebecka 2
Charlotte 1
Clara 1
Edith 1
Eleanor 1
Elizth. 1
Flora 1
Kate 1
Lucy 1
Margaret 1
Martha 1
Sabena 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 6
William 6
Henry 5
John 4
Thomas 4
Francis 3
George 2
Peter 2
Abreham 1
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Bertram 1
Charles 1
Edward 1
Harold 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Oliver 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Messam surname: questions and answers

How common was the Messam surname in 1881?

In 1881, 94 people were recorded with the Messam surname. That placed it at #20,467 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Messam surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 308 in 2016. That gives Messam a modern rank of #14,479.

What does the Messam surname mean?

Of French origin, potentially designating someone from the village of Messam.

What does the Messam map show?

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