NameCensus.

UK surname

Watsham

In the 1881 census there were 53 people recorded with the Watsham surname, ranking it #26,134 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 97, ranked #31,585, down from #26,134 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St Osyth, Clacton, Great and Wivenhoe. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Colchester, Denbighshire and Mid Suffolk.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Watsham is 141 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 83.0%.

1881 census count

53

Ranked #26,134

Modern count

97

2016, ranked #31,585

Peak year

1911

141 bearers

Map years

4

1901 to 2006

Key insights

  • Watsham had 53 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #26,134 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 97 in 2016, ranked #31,585.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 141 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Watsham surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Watsham surname density by area, 2006 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Watsham 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 46 #24,985
1861 historical 59 #26,466
1881 historical 53 #26,134
1891 historical 95 #24,694
1901 historical 116 #20,933
1911 historical 141 #18,571
1997 modern 117 #24,553
1998 modern 117 #25,190
1999 modern 119 #25,095
2000 modern 114 #25,717
2001 modern 112 #25,644
2002 modern 115 #25,749
2003 modern 112 #25,948
2004 modern 121 #24,939
2005 modern 118 #25,301
2006 modern 114 #26,120
2007 modern 109 #27,253
2008 modern 113 #26,920
2009 modern 110 #27,991
2010 modern 119 #27,250
2011 modern 113 #27,967
2012 modern 104 #29,543
2013 modern 100 #30,773
2014 modern 97 #31,518
2015 modern 98 #31,342
2016 modern 97 #31,585

Geography

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Where Watshams are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St Osyth, Clacton, Great, Wivenhoe, Fingringhoe, East Donyland and London parishes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Colchester, Denbighshire, Mid Suffolk and Mid Sussex. 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 St Osyth Essex
2 Clacton, Great Essex
3 Wivenhoe Essex
4 Fingringhoe, East Donyland Essex
5 London parishes London 3

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Colchester 021 Colchester
2 Colchester 014 Colchester
3 Denbighshire 015 Denbighshire
4 Mid Suffolk 009 Mid Suffolk
5 Mid Sussex 008 Mid Sussex

Forenames

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First names often paired with Watsham

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Watsham

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

Watsham is most concentrated in decile 1 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Watsham 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 Watsham is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

1881 census detail

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Watsham families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Watsham 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. Essex leads with 42 Watshams recorded in 1881 and an index of 41.17x.

County Total Index
Essex 42 41.17x
Middlesex 5 0.97x
Hampshire 4 3.78x
Midlothian 2 2.89x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Elmstead in Essex leads with 24 Watshams recorded in 1881 and an index of 15000.00x.

Place Total Index
Elmstead 24 15000.00x
Fingringhoe 9 22500.00x
Aldershot 4 112.68x
Alresford 4 8000.00x
St Osyth 4 1600.00x
Poplar London 3 30.77x
Glencorse 2 740.74x
Hackney London 2 6.90x
Bradfield 1 714.29x

Top female names

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

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Watsham households.

FAQ

Watsham surname: questions and answers

How common was the Watsham surname in 1881?

In 1881, 53 people were recorded with the Watsham surname. That placed it at #26,134 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Watsham surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 97 in 2016. That gives Watsham a modern rank of #31,585.

What does the Watsham map show?

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