NameCensus.

UK surname

Tatham

A habitational surname derived from a place name in Yorkshire, England.

In the 1881 census there were 1,018 people recorded with the Tatham surname, ranking it #3,848 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 928, ranked #6,158, down from #3,848 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Halifax, London parishes and Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Craven, Erewash and South Lakeland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Tatham is 1,376 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 8.8%.

1881 census count

1,018

Ranked #3,848

Modern count

928

2016, ranked #6,158

Peak year

1901

1,376 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Tatham had 1,018 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,848 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 928 in 2016, ranked #6,158.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,376 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Tatham surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Tatham surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Tatham 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 630 #4,122
1861 historical 705 #3,840
1881 historical 1,018 #3,848
1891 historical 1,167 #3,661
1901 historical 1,376 #3,655
1911 historical 1,362 #3,525
1997 modern 994 #5,535
1998 modern 1,018 #5,603
1999 modern 1,021 #5,620
2000 modern 1,020 #5,588
2001 modern 991 #5,615
2002 modern 1,008 #5,654
2003 modern 975 #5,710
2004 modern 980 #5,690
2005 modern 923 #5,905
2006 modern 916 #5,958
2007 modern 930 #5,936
2008 modern 922 #6,026
2009 modern 931 #6,082
2010 modern 951 #6,119
2011 modern 961 #6,013
2012 modern 931 #6,090
2013 modern 969 #5,972
2014 modern 966 #6,045
2015 modern 946 #6,086
2016 modern 928 #6,158

Geography

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Where Tathams are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Halifax, London parishes, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, Ilkeston and Bradford. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Craven, Erewash, South Lakeland and Bath and North East Somerset. 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 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding
2 London parishes London 3
3 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
4 Ilkeston Nottinghamshire
5 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Craven 001 Craven
2 Erewash 016 Erewash
3 South Lakeland 010 South Lakeland
4 Bath and North East Somerset 007 Bath and North East Somerset
5 Erewash 003 Erewash

Forenames

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First names often paired with Tatham

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Tatham

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

Tatham 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

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

Meaning and origin of Tatham

The surname Tatham has its origins in England, tracing back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from a place name, specifically a village located in the West Riding of Yorkshire. The name is thought to come from the Old English words "ta" meaning mound or hill, and "ham" meaning homestead or settlement, suggesting that the original bearer of this surname lived near a small hill settlement.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Tatham name can be found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379, where a certain Richard de Tatham is mentioned. This indicates that the name was already well-established in the region by the late 14th century.

In the 16th century, the Tatham family held lands and property in the village of Tatham, as well as in the nearby areas of Wray and Melling. During this time, the surname was sometimes spelled as "Tatom" or "Tattom," reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling common in those days.

The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the Tatham name. However, it does mention the village of Tatham itself, referred to as "Tateham," indicating the settlement's existence at the time of the Norman Conquest.

Notable individuals with the Tatham surname include:

1. William Tatham (1752-1819), an English playwright and novelist, best known for his work "The Distressed Family." 2. Ralph Tatham (1588-1664), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Master of St. John's College, Cambridge. 3. John Tatham (1640-1666), an English poet and dramatist, known for his satirical works and comedies. 4. Meaburn Tatham (1640-1706), an English clergyman and author, who wrote several religious works. 5. Edward Tatham (1749-1828), an English architect and surveyor, responsible for the design of several notable buildings in London and the surrounding areas.

While the Tatham surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, carried by families and individuals who migrated to different regions over the centuries. However, its origins can be traced back to the small village of Tatham in Yorkshire, where it originated as a place name that eventually became a surname.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Tatham families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Tatham 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. Yorkshire leads with 288 Tathams recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.95x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 288 2.95x
Lancashire 231 1.97x
Middlesex 99 1.00x
Derbyshire 96 6.22x
Nottinghamshire 66 4.97x
Kent 29 0.86x
Surrey 23 0.48x
Essex 22 1.13x
Durham 21 0.72x
Suffolk 16 1.33x
Westmorland 16 7.38x
Lincolnshire 12 0.76x
Sussex 12 0.72x
Northamptonshire 11 1.19x
Buckinghamshire 7 1.17x
Devon 7 0.34x
Huntingdonshire 7 3.57x
Norfolk 6 0.40x
Hampshire 5 0.25x
Herefordshire 5 1.24x
Berkshire 4 0.54x
Cheshire 4 0.18x
Cornwall 4 0.36x
Hertfordshire 4 0.59x
Bedfordshire 3 0.59x
Cambridgeshire 3 0.48x
Gloucestershire 3 0.16x
Roxburghshire 3 1.68x
Worcestershire 2 0.16x
Northumberland 1 0.07x
Wiltshire 1 0.11x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Ilkeston in Derbyshire leads with 87 Tathams recorded in 1881 and an index of 200.97x.

Place Total Index
Ilkeston 87 200.97x
Castleton 32 27.38x
Wilsden 29 288.84x
Halifax 27 18.82x
Bingley 23 36.95x
Nottingham St Mary 21 6.11x
Ovenden 21 48.29x
Keighley 18 17.28x
Nottingham St Peter 18 121.46x
Burnley 16 16.24x
Stoke 16 1481.48x
Wadsworth 15 94.28x
Bethnal Green London 14 3.27x
Mile End Old Town 14 8.99x
Trawden 14 191.26x
West Derby 14 4.09x
Skipton 13 42.28x
Shelf 12 128.62x
Hornsey 11 8.82x
Over Staveley 11 447.15x
Bishop Auckland 10 25.41x
West Ham 10 2.33x
Barkisland 9 126.76x
Barton Upon Irwell 9 10.22x
Horton In Bradford 9 5.90x
Spotland 9 6.92x
Warton With Lindeth 9 183.30x
Birchington 8 169.85x
Birkdale 8 27.02x
Burton In Lonsdale 8 379.15x
Dalton In Furness 8 17.71x
Lancaster 8 11.49x
Basford 7 11.42x
Bentham 7 93.96x
Clayton 7 29.26x
Dewsbury 7 6.98x
Everton 7 1.88x
Grantham 7 34.06x
Oldham 7 1.85x
Over Darwen 7 7.49x
Plumstead 7 6.24x
Sherington 7 343.14x
Warley 7 24.78x
Woodstone 7 226.54x
Great Ryburgh 6 256.41x
Hampstead London 6 3.91x
Islington London 6 0.63x
Kearsley 6 24.37x
Kingsthorpe 6 58.20x
Liverpool 6 0.84x
Northowram 6 8.76x
St Pancras London 6 0.76x
Toxteth Park 6 1.51x
Bowling 5 5.17x
Broughton In Salford 5 4.67x
Colne 5 14.34x
Dallington 5 279.33x
Habergham Eaves 5 4.67x
Hampton London 5 30.85x
Hereford St John 5 108.46x
Langfield 5 29.24x
Leck 5 549.45x
Leeds 5 0.91x
Little Bolton 5 3.32x
Maidstone 5 4.99x
Menston 5 224.22x
Papplewick 5 446.43x
Purleigh 5 171.82x
Radford 5 7.40x
Reedley Hallows 5 221.24x
Saffron Walden 5 24.31x
Shoreditch London 5 1.17x
Sowerby In Halifax 5 15.64x
Armley 4 9.28x
Cookham 4 17.33x
Great Little Marsden 4 7.46x
Kingston On Thames 4 3.47x
Litchurch 4 6.44x
Rotherhithe 4 3.28x
St Paul Lincoln 4 144.93x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 66
Sarah 52
Elizabeth 48
Eliza 23
Ann 20
Margaret 19
Alice 16
Annie 16
Hannah 13
Jane 13
Emily 11
Ellen 10
Martha 10
Emma 8
Florence 8
Caroline 7
Clara 7
Edith 7
Agnes 6
Bertha 5
Charlotte 5
Harriet 5
Eleanor 4
Helen 4
Lily 4
Lucy 4
Maria 4
Susannah 4
Catherine 3
Elizth. 3
Esther 3
Fanny 3
Frances 3
Grace 3
Rebecca 3
Sophia 3
Susan 3
Amelia 2
Anna 2
Beatrice 2
Ethel 2
Hilda 2
Isabella 2
Julia 2
Kate 2
Katherine 2
Mabel 2
Marget 2
Marie 2
Minnie 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 55
William 55
George 32
Joseph 28
Thomas 25
James 20
Henry 19
Benjamin 13
Charles 13
Richard 12
Alfred 10
Robert 9
Arthur 8
Frederick 8
Samuel 8
Frank 7
Herbert 7
Harry 6
Walter 6
Albert 5
Edward 5
Leonard 5
Stephen 5
Francis 4
Harold 4
Oliver 4
Sam 4
Wm. 4
Amos 3
Ben 3
David 3
Edwin 3
Hartley 3
Rowland 3
Aaron 2
Abraham 2
Alexander 2
Benjm. 2
Christopher 2
Cyril 2
Edmund 2
Elijah 2
Fred 2
Hugh 2
Lewis 2
Percy 2
Richd. 2
Thos. 2
Benjamen 1
Edgar 1

FAQ

Tatham surname: questions and answers

How common was the Tatham surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,018 people were recorded with the Tatham surname. That placed it at #3,848 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Tatham surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 928 in 2016. That gives Tatham a modern rank of #6,158.

What does the Tatham surname mean?

A habitational surname derived from a place name in Yorkshire, England.

What does the Tatham map show?

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