NameCensus.

UK surname

Milham

A surname derived from a habitation name of Middle English origins, possibly meaning "mill home."

In the 1881 census there were 140 people recorded with the Milham surname, ranking it #16,151 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 243, ranked #17,131, down from #16,151 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Sedlescomb, Ewhurst and Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Crawley, Tunbridge Wells and Thanet.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Milham is 279 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 73.6%.

1881 census count

140

Ranked #16,151

Modern count

243

2016, ranked #17,131

Peak year

2002

279 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Milham had 140 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #16,151 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 243 in 2016, ranked #17,131.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 235 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities.

Milham surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Milham surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Milham 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 90 #18,317
1861 historical 99 #21,294
1881 historical 140 #16,151
1891 historical 147 #18,592
1901 historical 212 #14,611
1911 historical 235 #13,484
1997 modern 251 #15,236
1998 modern 265 #15,087
1999 modern 260 #15,390
2000 modern 258 #15,427
2001 modern 251 #15,483
2002 modern 279 #14,693
2003 modern 264 #15,071
2004 modern 269 #14,955
2005 modern 257 #15,365
2006 modern 239 #16,224
2007 modern 240 #16,392
2008 modern 249 #16,111
2009 modern 261 #15,926
2010 modern 263 #16,205
2011 modern 258 #16,284
2012 modern 236 #17,187
2013 modern 253 #16,642
2014 modern 252 #16,822
2015 modern 245 #17,040
2016 modern 243 #17,131

Geography

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Where Milhams are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Sedlescomb, Ewhurst, Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew, Lewes St John-under-the-Castle and London parishes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Crawley, Tunbridge Wells, Thanet, East Dorset and Wealden. 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 Sedlescomb Sussex
2 Ewhurst Sussex
3 Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew Sussex
4 Lewes St John-under-the-Castle Sussex
5 London parishes London 3

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Crawley 008 Crawley
2 Tunbridge Wells 011 Tunbridge Wells
3 Thanet 017 Thanet
4 East Dorset 012 East Dorset
5 Wealden 011 Wealden

Forenames

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First names often paired with Milham

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Milham

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

Baseline UK

Group

Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Single-person households are common in these neighbourhoods, and these residents are typically divorced rather than never married. A high proportion of residents were born outside the UK in the EU. There are many young adults, some with young children, but relatively few residents are of normal retirement age or over. Although levels of identification with ethnic minorities are in line with the Supergroup average, individuals identifying with Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is more common than average. High long-term disability rates are observed, and unpaid care is more common than in the rest of the Group. The predominant housing types are terraced houses and flats, which are typically part of the social rented sector. This Group is commonly found in coastal areas and (present-day or former) industrial towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Milham 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

Milham is most concentrated in decile 3 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Milham

The surname Milham originates from England and is believed to have derived from the Old English words "myln" and "ham," meaning "mill" and "homestead" or "village," respectively. This suggests that the name was likely associated with individuals who lived near a mill or were involved in mill-related activities.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Milham name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land ownership commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name was spelled "Milneham" in this record, indicating its connection to a mill settlement.

In the 13th century, the surname appeared in various legal documents and records from counties such as Sussex and Surrey. One notable mention was in the Feet of Fines for Sussex in 1235, where a William de Milham was listed as a landowner.

During the medieval period, the Milham family held properties in various regions of England, including Milham in Norfolk and Milham in Suffolk. These place names likely influenced the spelling variations of the surname, such as Mylham and Milnham.

Notable individuals with the Milham surname throughout history include:

1. Sir John Milham (c. 1390-1462), a prominent English soldier who fought in the Hundred Years' War and served as the Lieutenant of the Tower of London. 2. Robert Milham (c. 1540-1615), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works. 3. Thomas Milham (1620-1690), a Puritan settler who emigrated to Massachusetts Bay Colony and served as a town officer in Ipswich. 4. William Milham (1701-1776), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Essex, England, who was involved in the tobacco trade. 5. Mary Milham (1842-1920), an English writer and poet who published several works, including "Songs of the Solitudes" and "The Flowers of the Month."

The Milham name has been present in various regions of England for centuries, with branches of the family establishing themselves in counties such as Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, and Surrey. The origins of the name and its connection to mills and mill settlements have been preserved through centuries of use and documentation.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Milham families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Milham 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. Sussex leads with 75 Milhams recorded in 1881 and an index of 32.58x.

County Total Index
Sussex 75 32.58x
Surrey 21 3.16x
Hampshire 18 6.43x
Northumberland 7 3.45x
Berkshire 6 5.85x
Middlesex 6 0.44x
Kent 2 0.43x
Norfolk 2 0.95x
Buckinghamshire 1 1.21x
Lancashire 1 0.06x
Yorkshire 1 0.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Sedlescombe in Sussex leads with 17 Milhams recorded in 1881 and an index of 5666.67x.

Place Total Index
Sedlescombe 17 5666.67x
Chiddingly 9 2195.12x
Odiham 9 731.71x
Thames Ditton 9 652.17x
Long Sutton 8 5333.33x
Hailsham 7 503.60x
Lewes All Sts 7 760.87x
Newbiggin In Morpeth 7 1076.92x
Lewes St John Southover 6 387.10x
Buxted 5 555.56x
Chobham 5 427.35x
Hastings St Leonards 5 147.93x
Peasmarsh 5 1282.05x
Wokingham 5 213.68x
Brede 3 625.00x
Ewhurst 3 588.24x
Kensington London 3 3.95x
Lambeth 3 2.52x
Battersea 2 3.98x
Hastings St Mary 2 34.90x
Hastings St Mary In The 2 40.73x
Horley 2 178.57x
Norwich St Andrew 2 555.56x
Aylesford 1 77.52x
Bexhill 1 86.96x
Broadwater 1 18.94x
Burwash 1 93.46x
Castleton 1 6.18x
Eastbourne 1 9.44x
Ecclesfield 1 10.08x
Froyle 1 277.78x
Hawkhurst 1 68.97x
Maids Moreton 1 476.19x
Sandhurst 1 50.25x
Shoreditch London 1 1.69x
St Marylebone London 1 1.37x
Westminster St 1 19.88x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 8
Ann 4
Fanny 4
Alice 3
Anne 3
Eliza 3
Elizabeth 3
Jane 3
Sarah 3
Annie 2
Charlott 2
Edith 2
Emily 2
Emma 2
Flora 2
Kate 2
Martha 2
Rebecca 2
Agnes 1
Angelina 1
Anna 1
Charlotte 1
Elisabeth 1
Elizth. 1
Ellen 1
Emilly 1
Florence 1
Frorence 1
Georgeena 1
Harriet 1
Julia 1
Lala 1
Margrate 1
Naomi 1
Poley 1
Rosa 1
Sally 1
Selina 1
Silvester 1
Susan 1
Winnifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Thomas 9
George 7
Henry 5
William 5
James 4
John 3
Joseph 3
Charles 2
Frank 2
Richard 2
Sidney 2
Willm. 2
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
Clement 1
David 1
Edmond 1
Edward 1
Ernest 1
Geo. 1
Harod 1
Harry 1
Jesse 1
Job 1
Louis 1
Robert 1
Rowlan 1
Stanley 1
Thos.B. 1
Tom 1

FAQ

Milham surname: questions and answers

How common was the Milham surname in 1881?

In 1881, 140 people were recorded with the Milham surname. That placed it at #16,151 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Milham surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 243 in 2016. That gives Milham a modern rank of #17,131.

What does the Milham surname mean?

A surname derived from a habitation name of Middle English origins, possibly meaning "mill home."

What does the Milham map show?

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