NameCensus.

UK surname

Popham

From a place name meaning "Poppa's homestead" in Old English, derived from the given name Poppa and "ham" meaning home.

In the 1881 census there were 693 people recorded with the Popham surname, ranking it #5,229 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 713, ranked #7,611, down from #5,229 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Barnstaple, Bishops Tawton. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sedgemoor, Bridgend and Mendip.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Popham is 904 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 2.9%.

1881 census count

693

Ranked #5,229

Modern count

713

2016, ranked #7,611

Peak year

1911

904 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Popham had 693 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,229 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 713 in 2016, ranked #7,611.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 904 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Popham surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Popham surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Popham 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 418 #5,816
1861 historical 459 #5,654
1881 historical 693 #5,229
1891 historical 759 #5,250
1901 historical 825 #5,484
1911 historical 904 #4,934
1997 modern 760 #6,812
1998 modern 780 #6,897
1999 modern 790 #6,870
2000 modern 785 #6,881
2001 modern 766 #6,876
2002 modern 759 #7,045
2003 modern 733 #7,129
2004 modern 742 #7,088
2005 modern 736 #7,061
2006 modern 713 #7,254
2007 modern 712 #7,331
2008 modern 698 #7,498
2009 modern 718 #7,499
2010 modern 739 #7,457
2011 modern 756 #7,261
2012 modern 752 #7,209
2013 modern 742 #7,409
2014 modern 753 #7,352
2015 modern 722 #7,543
2016 modern 713 #7,611

Geography

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Where Pophams are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, Barnstaple, Bishops Tawton and Mark, Chapel Allerton, Weare, East Brent, South Brent. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Sedgemoor, Bridgend and Mendip. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 Barnstaple, Bishops Tawton Devon
4 London parishes London 3
5 Mark, Chapel Allerton, Weare, East Brent, South Brent Somerset

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sedgemoor 007 Sedgemoor
2 Bridgend 004 Bridgend
3 Sedgemoor 005 Sedgemoor
4 Sedgemoor 003 Sedgemoor
5 Mendip 011 Mendip

Forenames

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First names often paired with Popham

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Popham

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

Popham 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

Popham falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Popham

The surname Popham originates from England and dates back to the late 11th century. It is derived from the Old English words 'pop' meaning a small hill or hillock, and 'ham' meaning a village or homestead. The name likely referred to someone who lived near a small hill or in a village with a prominent hill.

The earliest recorded mention of the Popham surname is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears as 'Popham' in the county of Hampshire, suggesting the family's origins were in this region.

During the 12th century, the Popham family held lands and estates in the village of Popham, near Basingstoke in Hampshire. The village name itself is recorded as 'Opham' in the Pipe Rolls of 1166, reflecting the earlier spelling variation.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the Popham surname was Sir John Popham (1531-1607), an English lawyer and Lord Chief Justice of England. He played a key role in the trials of Sir Walter Raleigh and Guy Fawkes, and was involved in the establishment of the Popham Colony in present-day Maine, USA.

Another prominent figure was Sir Francis Popham (1573-1644), an English naval commander and politician. He served as an Admiral in the Royal Navy and was involved in expeditions against the Spanish and Dutch fleets during the Anglo-Spanish War and the Thirty Years' War.

Edward Popham (1610-1651) was an English military commander who fought for the Parliamentarian forces during the English Civil War. He played a significant role in the Battle of Naseby in 1645 and was later appointed as a commissioner for the trial of King Charles I.

In the 18th century, Sir Home Riggs Popham (1762-1820) was a British naval officer who distinguished himself during the Napoleonic Wars. He was involved in the capture of several French and Spanish ships and was later appointed as a Governor of the British West Indies.

Thomas Popham (1774-1857) was an English civil engineer and surveyor who worked on various canal and railway projects in the early 19th century. He was involved in the construction of the Kennet and Avon Canal and the Great Western Railway.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Popham families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Popham 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. Devon leads with 197 Pophams recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.06x.

County Total Index
Devon 197 14.06x
Somerset 141 13.01x
Middlesex 107 1.59x
Kent 38 1.65x
Glamorgan 35 2.99x
Gloucestershire 32 2.42x
Surrey 29 0.88x
Hampshire 19 1.38x
Lancashire 15 0.19x
Yorkshire 15 0.22x
Nottinghamshire 12 1.32x
Sussex 8 0.71x
Wiltshire 7 1.18x
Dorset 5 1.13x
Durham 5 0.25x
Leicestershire 5 0.67x
Essex 4 0.30x
Warwickshire 4 0.24x
Cardiganshire 2 1.22x
Cornwall 2 0.26x
Hertfordshire 2 0.43x
Royal Navy 2 2.49x
Shropshire 2 0.34x
Lincolnshire 1 0.09x
Northamptonshire 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. Barnstaple in Devon leads with 40 Pophams recorded in 1881 and an index of 181.90x.

Place Total Index
Barnstaple 40 181.90x
Bedminster 25 24.56x
Plymouth St Andrew 18 16.68x
Islington London 17 2.61x
Stoke Damerel 17 17.34x
East Brent 16 975.61x
Burnham 14 169.49x
Limehouse London 14 18.95x
Northam 14 137.12x
Revelstoke 14 1102.36x
Plumstead 12 15.68x
Bromley London 11 7.43x
Lambeth 11 1.87x
Weston Super Mare 11 40.20x
Willesden 11 17.34x
Mark 10 395.26x
Westbury On Trym 10 22.36x
Edmonton 9 16.60x
Greenwich 9 8.40x
Uphill 9 604.03x
Braunton 8 168.42x
High Bickington 8 503.14x
Merthyr Tydfil 8 7.10x
North Meols 8 10.23x
Old Cleeve 8 206.72x
St Pancras London 8 1.48x
Brighton 7 3.06x
Compton Bishop 7 551.18x
Everton 7 2.75x
Exeter St Thomas The 7 49.02x
Holdenhurst 7 19.34x
Horton Kirby 7 197.18x
Ilfracombe 7 48.54x
Kensington London 7 1.87x
Middlesbrough 7 8.06x
Mile End Old Town 7 6.59x
Swansea Town 7 7.28x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 6 4.83x
Camberwell 6 1.40x
Great Torrington 6 75.57x
Plymouth Charles The 6 9.72x
Plympton St Mary 6 74.07x
Banwell 5 126.58x
Berrynarbor 5 314.47x
Brixham 5 30.81x
Ealing 5 8.31x
Hemyock 5 239.23x
Holy Trinity 5 3.12x
Leicester St Margaret 5 2.75x
Llangynwyd Higher 5 88.81x
St Giles In The Wood 5 239.23x
Swansea St Thomas 5 42.48x
Westoe 5 4.40x
Bristol St Augustine 4 18.78x
Bristol St Peter 4 84.75x
Hayes 4 58.22x
Huntspill 4 90.09x
Kentisbury 4 500.00x
Nottingham St Mary 4 1.70x
Swindon 4 8.66x
Wedmore 4 56.74x
Woolavington 4 493.83x
Alverthorpe Cum Thornes 3 12.39x
Badgworth 3 461.54x
Bermondsey 3 1.50x
Biddisham 3 1071.43x
Bridgewater 3 10.20x
Bristol St James St Paul 3 6.82x
Cardiff St John 3 7.84x
Christchurch 3 10.03x
Hordle 3 125.00x
Lenton 3 14.04x
Minterne Magna 3 400.00x
Nyland 3 3000.00x
Portsea 3 1.11x
Ramsbury 3 55.66x
Standard Hill 3 138.89x
Yealmpton 3 139.53x
Hougham 2 14.64x
Woolwich 2 2.36x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 49
Elizabeth 31
Jane 20
Sarah 16
Emma 14
Ellen 12
Alice 11
Eliza 11
Emily 11
Ann 8
Annie 8
Lucy 7
Susan 6
Ada 5
Catherine 5
Elizth. 5
Anne 4
Caroline 4
Charlotte 4
Edith 4
Fanny 4
Florence 4
Grace 4
Hannah 4
Harriet 4
Louisa 4
Margaret 4
Maria 4
Matilda 4
Frances 3
Jessie 3
Bessie 2
Betsy 2
Clara 2
Dorothy 2
Eva 2
Hester 2
Josephine 2
Kate 2
Minnie 2
Rebecca 2
Sophia 2
Susana 2
Blanche 1
D.L. 1
E.L. 1
Eleanor 1
Elizbth. 1
Hariet 1
Wilhelmina 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 53
John 31
Henry 26
George 22
James 17
Thomas 14
Albert 8
Frederick 7
Richard 7
Charles 6
Edward 6
Frank 6
Robert 6
Arthur 5
Benjamin 5
Francis 5
Joseph 5
Samuel 5
Edwin 4
Walter 4
Wm. 4
David 3
Jeremiah 3
Jesse 3
Nicholas 3
Philip 3
Alexander 2
Alfred 2
Cornelius 2
Fred 2
H. 2
Harry 2
Phillip 2
Stephen 2
Thos. 2
Arther 1
Chas.J. 1
Christopher 1
Clement 1
Erskine 1
Fredk. 1
Gabriel 1
Geo. 1
Geo.H. 1
Ivor 1
J. 1
J.L. 1
Jerod 1
Jno.F. 1
Wm.John 1

FAQ

Popham surname: questions and answers

How common was the Popham surname in 1881?

In 1881, 693 people were recorded with the Popham surname. That placed it at #5,229 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Popham surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 713 in 2016. That gives Popham a modern rank of #7,611.

What does the Popham surname mean?

From a place name meaning "Poppa's homestead" in Old English, derived from the given name Poppa and "ham" meaning home.

What does the Popham map show?

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