NameCensus.

UK surname

Thame

In the 1881 census there were 99 people recorded with the Thame surname, ranking it #19,877 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 157, ranked #23,006, down from #19,877 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Stoke Mandeville, Great and Little Hampden, Hartwell, Stone, Greenwich and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Maldon, South Northamptonshire and East Devon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Thame is 184 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 58.6%.

1881 census count

99

Ranked #19,877

Modern count

157

2016, ranked #23,006

Peak year

1911

184 bearers

Map years

7

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Thame had 99 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #19,877 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 157 in 2016, ranked #23,006.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 184 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Thame surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Thame surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Thame 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 115 #15,634
1861 historical 87 #22,681
1881 historical 99 #19,877
1891 historical 143 #18,920
1901 historical 135 #19,203
1911 historical 184 #15,742
1997 modern 154 #20,780
1998 modern 162 #20,673
1999 modern 160 #20,943
2000 modern 165 #20,501
2001 modern 161 #20,543
2002 modern 168 #20,396
2003 modern 166 #20,320
2004 modern 167 #20,367
2005 modern 166 #20,379
2006 modern 165 #20,634
2007 modern 171 #20,387
2008 modern 173 #20,465
2009 modern 174 #20,782
2010 modern 183 #20,586
2011 modern 174 #21,096
2012 modern 159 #22,361
2013 modern 156 #23,004
2014 modern 161 #22,728
2015 modern 159 #22,796
2016 modern 157 #23,006

Geography

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Where Thames are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Stoke Mandeville, Great and Little Hampden, Hartwell, Stone, Greenwich, London parishes and Marcham. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Maldon, South Northamptonshire, East Devon, Dacorum and Milton Keynes. 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 Stoke Mandeville, Great and Little Hampden, Hartwell, Stone Buckinghamshire
2 Greenwich London (South Districts)
3 London parishes London 1
4 London parishes London 3
5 Marcham Berkshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Maldon 007 Maldon
2 South Northamptonshire 006 South Northamptonshire
3 East Devon 005 East Devon
4 Dacorum 004 Dacorum
5 Milton Keynes 003 Milton Keynes

Forenames

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First names often paired with Thame

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Thame

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

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Thame surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Thame household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

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Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Thame 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.

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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

Thame is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Thame falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Thame families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Thame 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. Buckinghamshire leads with 28 Thames recorded in 1881 and an index of 47.97x.

County Total Index
Buckinghamshire 28 47.97x
Middlesex 28 2.90x
Berkshire 15 20.70x
Lancashire 10 0.87x
Oxfordshire 10 16.77x
Kent 2 0.61x
West Lothian 2 13.76x
Hertfordshire 1 1.50x
Shropshire 1 1.20x
Surrey 1 0.21x
Sussex 1 0.61x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Ditton in Lancashire leads with 10 Thames recorded in 1881 and an index of 2127.66x.

Place Total Index
Ditton 10 2127.66x
Barton Hartshorn 8 20000.00x
Westminster St John 8 68.03x
Cropredy 7 3888.89x
Reading St Mary 7 120.69x
Edlesborough 6 1132.08x
Hornsey 6 49.14x
Paddington London 6 16.90x
West Lockinge 6 20000.00x
Ivinghoe 5 1086.96x
Swanbourne 4 2500.00x
Stone 3 666.67x
Bathgate 2 63.29x
Chiswick 2 37.88x
Hackney London 2 3.69x
Woolwich 2 16.43x
Abingdon St Helen 1 47.17x
Beachampton 1 1428.57x
Hove 1 14.01x
Islington London 1 1.07x
Oxford St Giles 1 35.21x
Oxford St Michael 1 400.00x
Prees 1 98.04x
Reigate Foreign 1 19.65x
Shoreditch London 1 2.39x
St Marylebone London 1 1.94x
Steeple Claydon 1 357.14x
Swalcliffe Sibford Gower 1 714.29x
Tubney 1 2000.00x
Watford 1 19.38x
Westminster St 1 28.09x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

FAQ

Thame surname: questions and answers

How common was the Thame surname in 1881?

In 1881, 99 people were recorded with the Thame surname. That placed it at #19,877 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Thame surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 157 in 2016. That gives Thame a modern rank of #23,006.

What does the Thame map show?

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