NameCensus.

UK surname

Wadhams

A locational surname derived from a place name in Essex, England.

In the 1881 census there were 164 people recorded with the Wadhams surname, ranking it #14,624 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 300, ranked #14,738, down from #14,624 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Rochester, Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory and Strood. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Medway, Dover and Uttlesford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Wadhams is 363 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 82.9%.

1881 census count

164

Ranked #14,624

Modern count

300

2016, ranked #14,738

Peak year

2000

363 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Wadhams had 164 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,624 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 300 in 2016, ranked #14,738.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 297 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Suburban Professionals.

Wadhams surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Wadhams surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Wadhams 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 130 #14,314
1861 historical 91 #22,206
1881 historical 164 #14,624
1891 historical 204 #14,702
1901 historical 287 #12,001
1911 historical 297 #11,524
1997 modern 338 #12,489
1998 modern 349 #12,567
1999 modern 362 #12,316
2000 modern 363 #12,237
2001 modern 341 #12,588
2002 modern 337 #12,965
2003 modern 319 #13,263
2004 modern 309 #13,618
2005 modern 309 #13,552
2006 modern 313 #13,517
2007 modern 319 #13,474
2008 modern 325 #13,406
2009 modern 320 #13,796
2010 modern 327 #13,889
2011 modern 320 #13,976
2012 modern 301 #14,476
2013 modern 310 #14,403
2014 modern 302 #14,772
2015 modern 310 #14,402
2016 modern 300 #14,738

Geography

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Where Wadhams' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Rochester, Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory, Strood, Birmingham Town: Birmingham and West Ham,Wanstead. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Medway, Dover, Uttlesford and Basingstoke and Deane. 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 Rochester Kent
2 Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory Northamptonshire
3 Strood Kent
4 Birmingham Town: Birmingham Warwickshire
5 West Ham,Wanstead Essex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Medway 024 Medway
2 Dover 007 Dover
3 Medway 011 Medway
4 Uttlesford 009 Uttlesford
5 Basingstoke and Deane 020 Basingstoke and Deane

Forenames

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First names often paired with Wadhams

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Wadhams

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

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Suburban Professionals

Nationally, the Wadhams surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Suburban Professionals, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Wadhams household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Employment in this Group is typically in managerial and professional occupations, and education to degree level is common. Residents are typically of working age, many of whom identify with an Indian ethnicity. Households are unlikely to be of Mixed or Multiple ethnicities, and English is not the main language used in some households. This Group is found on the outskirts of most conurbations as well as in the suburbs of some free-standing towns.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Wadhams is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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 scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Wadhams 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

Wadhams falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Wadhams is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Wadhams, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Wadhams

The surname Wadhams is of English origin, with its roots traced back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from a place name, specifically the village of Wadham in Dorset, England. This place name itself is thought to originate from the Old English words "wad," meaning a ford or shallow crossing point in a river, and "ham," meaning a homestead or village.

The earliest known record of the Wadhams surname dates back to the 13th century, with an individual named Ralf de Wadham appearing in the Pipe Rolls of Somerset in 1268. This suggests that the surname was likely adopted by families residing in or near the village of Wadham during this time period.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror, the village of Wadham is recorded under the spelling "Wadehame." This provides further evidence of the surname's origin and its connection to the place name.

One notable historical figure bearing the Wadhams surname was Nicholas Wadham (1531-1609), co-founder of Wadham College at the University of Oxford. The college, established in 1610, was endowed by Nicholas and his wife, Dorothy Wadham, with the aim of providing education for students from the West Country region of England.

Another remarkable individual was Richard Wadham (1512-1577), a prominent English lawyer and Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. He served as a member of the House of Commons and held various legal positions, including that of Serjeant-at-Law.

In the realm of literature, Richard Wadham Carlile (1790-1843) was a notable English radical and freethinker who fought for freedom of the press and the right to publish works deemed blasphemous or seditious by the authorities of the time.

Additionally, the Wadhams surname can be found in the United States, where it was likely brought by early English settlers. One example is George Wadhams (1840-1906), a Union Army officer during the American Civil War who later served as a United States Senator from Virginia.

Throughout history, variations in the spelling of the Wadhams surname have included Wadham, Wadehame, and Wadman, reflecting the evolution of English language and local dialects over time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Wadhams families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Wadhams 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. Kent leads with 63 Wadhams' recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.54x.

County Total Index
Kent 63 11.54x
Warwickshire 31 7.68x
Northamptonshire 24 15.95x
Berkshire 14 11.66x
Staffordshire 6 1.11x
Surrey 6 0.77x
Herefordshire 5 7.62x
Sussex 5 1.85x
Worcestershire 5 2.39x
Wiltshire 2 1.41x
Brecknockshire 1 3.13x
Leicestershire 1 0.56x
Middlesex 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Strood in Kent leads with 23 Wadhams' recorded in 1881 and an index of 739.55x.

Place Total Index
Strood 23 739.55x
Rochester St Margaret 20 347.22x
Aston 16 14.40x
Birmingham 14 10.41x
Nether Heyford 8 1818.18x
Hurst 6 382.17x
Alvechurch 5 561.80x
Houghton 5 4545.45x
Northampton St Giles 5 87.26x
Sonning 5 375.94x
Weobley 5 1041.67x
Wye 5 595.24x
Handsworth 4 30.05x
Northampton Priory St 4 44.30x
Daventry 3 140.85x
Southwark St George Martyr 3 9.32x
Chitterne All Sts 2 833.33x
Croydon 2 4.62x
Dartford 2 35.84x
Gillingham 2 17.78x
Grange Gillingham 2 833.33x
Greenwich 2 7.85x
Long Buckby 2 143.88x
Minster In Sheppey 2 22.12x
Stone In Dartford 2 142.86x
Brecknock St John 1 37.04x
Chatham 1 6.66x
Hampstead Norris 1 133.33x
Kingsthorpe 1 59.88x
Kingston On Thames 1 5.34x
Leamington Priors 1 10.07x
Milton In Gravesend 1 12.22x
Northampton St Sepulchre 1 13.07x
Reading St Mary 1 10.40x
Rochester St Nicholas 1 58.82x
Ruscombe 1 476.19x
Sedgley 1 4.99x
Shenton 1 833.33x
St Pancras London 1 0.78x
Wednesbury 1 7.41x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Thomas 10
William 10
John 7
Joseph 6
James 5
Edward 4
Richard 4
Alfred 3
George 3
Harry 3
Henry 3
Arthur 2
Edwin 2
Samuel 2
Alexandra 1
Benjamin 1
Charles 1
Edmund 1
Edw. 1
Ernest 1
Fredrick 1
Frend 1
Herbert 1
Leonard 1
Luther 1
Michael 1
Philip 1
Richd 1
Robert 1
Robin 1
Tom.W. 1
Walter 1
Willim 1

FAQ

Wadhams surname: questions and answers

How common was the Wadhams surname in 1881?

In 1881, 164 people were recorded with the Wadhams surname. That placed it at #14,624 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Wadhams surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 300 in 2016. That gives Wadhams a modern rank of #14,738.

What does the Wadhams surname mean?

A locational surname derived from a place name in Essex, England.

What does the Wadhams map show?

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