NameCensus.

UK surname

Ringham

A locative surname derived from a place name referring to someone from Ringham or Ryningham.

In the 1881 census there were 281 people recorded with the Ringham surname, ranking it #10,175 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 291, ranked #15,062, down from #10,175 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Thurlby, Northorpe and Obthorpe, Stockport and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Fenland, East Riding of Yorkshire and Haringey.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Ringham is 378 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 3.6%.

1881 census count

281

Ranked #10,175

Modern count

291

2016, ranked #15,062

Peak year

1911

378 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Ringham had 281 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,175 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 291 in 2016, ranked #15,062.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 378 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Ringham surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Ringham surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Ringham 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 188 #10,939
1861 historical 304 #8,340
1881 historical 281 #10,175
1891 historical 324 #10,453
1901 historical 312 #11,339
1911 historical 378 #9,698
1997 modern 294 #13,707
1998 modern 319 #13,330
1999 modern 304 #13,843
2000 modern 308 #13,685
2001 modern 299 #13,758
2002 modern 309 #13,733
2003 modern 305 #13,662
2004 modern 297 #13,971
2005 modern 284 #14,306
2006 modern 281 #14,500
2007 modern 274 #14,932
2008 modern 274 #15,063
2009 modern 285 #14,944
2010 modern 283 #15,363
2011 modern 288 #15,009
2012 modern 287 #14,978
2013 modern 286 #15,259
2014 modern 295 #15,020
2015 modern 289 #15,153
2016 modern 291 #15,062

Geography

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Where Ringhams are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Thurlby, Northorpe and Obthorpe, Stockport, London parishes, Stamford St George, Stamford St Michael and Pinchbeck, Cowbit. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Fenland, East Riding of Yorkshire, Haringey and Swindon. 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 Thurlby, Northorpe and Obthorpe Lincolnshire
2 Stockport Cheshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Stamford St George, Stamford St Michael Lincolnshire
5 Pinchbeck, Cowbit Lincolnshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Fenland 007 Fenland
2 East Riding of Yorkshire 008 East Riding of Yorkshire
3 Haringey 014 Haringey
4 Swindon 007 Swindon
5 Fenland 005 Fenland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Ringham

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Ringham

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

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Ringham is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Ringham 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

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

Meaning and origin of Ringham

The surname Ringham is of English origin and dates back to the late medieval period. It is believed to be a locational name, derived from a place called Ringham in Nottinghamshire. This place name is composed of the Old English elements "ryge" meaning rye and "ham" meaning a homestead or village, suggesting it may have been a settlement where rye was cultivated.

The earliest known record of the name Ringham can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, where it appears as "de Ryngham". This suggests the name had already been established by the 13th century. Similar spellings found in ancient records include Ryngham, Ryngeham, and Rynggam.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, the village of Ringham is mentioned under the name "Ringheham". This reinforces the connection between the surname and the place name, although no individuals with the surname Ringham are listed in this particular record.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was John de Ryngham, a landowner who lived in the late 13th century. He is mentioned in the Feet of Fines for Yorkshire in 1285.

Another notable figure was Sir Thomas Ringham, a knight who fought in the Wars of the Roses during the 15th century. He was born around 1425 and died in 1492.

During the 16th century, a family by the name of Ringham resided in the village of Ringham itself. The most prominent member of this family was William Ringham, born in 1548, who served as the rector of the local parish church.

In the 17th century, the name appeared in various records across different counties, including Nottinghamshire, Yorkshire, and Lincolnshire. One notable bearer was Robert Ringham, a merchant from York who was born in 1610 and died in 1687.

Moving into the 18th century, a prominent figure was Richard Ringham, a scholar and author who was born in 1720 in Nottinghamshire. He wrote several books on theology and philosophy before his death in 1798.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Ringham families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Ringham 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. Lincolnshire leads with 116 Ringhams recorded in 1881 and an index of 26.47x.

County Total Index
Lincolnshire 116 26.47x
Surrey 33 2.47x
Middlesex 25 0.91x
Cambridgeshire 21 12.10x
Northamptonshire 15 5.82x
Yorkshire 9 0.33x
Lancashire 8 0.25x
Nottinghamshire 8 2.17x
Somerset 6 1.36x
Leicestershire 5 1.65x
Cheshire 4 0.66x
Gloucestershire 4 0.74x
Hampshire 4 0.71x
Huntingdonshire 4 7.35x
Derbyshire 3 0.70x
Kent 3 0.32x
Rutland 3 14.90x
Bedfordshire 2 1.41x
Hertfordshire 2 1.06x
Wiltshire 2 0.83x
Northumberland 1 0.25x
Suffolk 1 0.30x
Warwickshire 1 0.14x
Worcestershire 1 0.28x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Croydon in Surrey leads with 26 Ringhams recorded in 1881 and an index of 35.07x.

Place Total Index
Croydon 26 35.07x
Stamford St George 20 1015.23x
Wisbech St Peter 16 183.70x
Pinchbeck 13 462.63x
St George Hanover 12 33.54x
Spalding 9 103.45x
Nottingham St Mary 8 8.37x
Walcott 8 1142.86x
Thurlby Obthorpe 7 1186.44x
Bourn 6 169.49x
Market Deeping 6 526.32x
Peterborough 6 32.14x
Stamford All Sts 6 244.90x
Clee With Weelsby 5 52.08x
Duddington 5 1470.59x
Elm 5 294.12x
Everton 5 4.82x
Holbeach 5 102.46x
Melton Mowbray 5 91.58x
St Michael Lincoln 5 420.17x
Boston 4 30.08x
Lyncombe Widcombe 4 34.63x
Stockport 4 12.85x
Ashtead 3 344.83x
Aswarby 3 2500.00x
Baslow With Bubnell 3 379.75x
Brightside Bierlow 3 5.63x
Eltham 3 54.74x
Islington London 3 1.13x
Scrivelsby 3 2500.00x
Sculcoates 3 6.97x
Southampton St Mary 3 8.49x
Standground 3 243.90x
Sutton St Mary 3 72.46x
Baston 2 273.97x
Bitchfield 2 1250.00x
Chelsea London 2 2.42x
Cheshunt 2 30.30x
Clifton 2 7.36x
Colsterworth 2 215.05x
Eynesbury 2 158.73x
Holy Trinity 2 3.06x
Ramsey 2 45.87x
Ryhall 2 298.51x
Southwark Christchurch 2 15.58x
St Marylebone London 2 1.37x
St Pancras London 2 0.91x
Stonehouse 2 65.36x
Swindon 2 10.64x
Bath St Peter St Paul 1 51.28x
Biggleswade 1 21.51x
Birmingham 1 0.43x
Camberwell 1 0.57x
Crowland 1 36.36x
Dembleby 1 1428.57x
Enfield 1 5.56x
Epsom 1 15.36x
Gorton 1 3.27x
Ipswich St Mathew 1 10.68x
Liverpool 1 0.51x
Manningham 1 2.99x
Morton In Bourn 1 112.36x
Oakham Lordshold 1 47.39x
Openshaw 1 6.57x
Ryde 1 8.29x
St Anne Soho London 1 6.39x
St George In East 1 5.36x
St Maryle Wigford 1 29.33x
Stamford Baron St Martin 1 72.46x
Stamford St Mary 1 112.36x
Stamford St Michael 1 80.65x
Stourbridge 1 10.86x
Teddington London 1 16.10x
Tynemouth 1 4.58x
Uphill 1 163.93x
Weston 1 126.58x
Woburn 1 81.30x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Sarah 23
Mary 15
Elizabeth 14
Ann 9
Eliza 7
Jane 6
Emma 5
Alice 4
Annie 4
Caroline 4
Catherine 3
Eleanor 3
Emily 3
Louisa 3
Margaret 3
Amy 2
Grace 2
Hannah 2
Lizzie 2
Louise 2
Maria 2
Martha 2
Rebecca 2
Ada 1
Agnes 1
Agness 1
Anne 1
Anny 1
Bessie 1
Bethiah 1
Betsey 1
Betsy 1
Daisy 1
Elisabeth 1
Florence 1
Georgina 1
Harriet 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
Lucy 1
Mabel 1
Maney 1
Maude 1
Mico 1
Norah 1
Ruth 1
Sile 1
Sophia 1
Susan 1
Susannah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 18
William 17
Thomas 12
Henry 11
Charles 8
George 8
James 7
Joseph 6
Arthur 5
Alfred 4
Robert 4
Edward 3
Richard 3
David 2
Harry 2
Luke 2
Percy 2
Walter 2
Alexander 1
Archie 1
Chas.Thos. 1
Edmund 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
Jno.Willm. 1
Latimer 1
Mathew 1
Matthew 1
Stewart 1
Tory 1
Wm. 1
Wm.J. 1
Yankee 1

FAQ

Ringham surname: questions and answers

How common was the Ringham surname in 1881?

In 1881, 281 people were recorded with the Ringham surname. That placed it at #10,175 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Ringham surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 291 in 2016. That gives Ringham a modern rank of #15,062.

What does the Ringham surname mean?

A locative surname derived from a place name referring to someone from Ringham or Ryningham.

What does the Ringham map show?

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