NameCensus.

UK surname

Welham

A locational surname referring to someone from Welham, a village in Leicestershire.

In the 1881 census there were 1,159 people recorded with the Welham surname, ranking it #3,459 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,539, ranked #4,020, down from #3,459 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Lavenham, London parishes and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Ipswich and Mid Suffolk.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Welham is 1,733 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 32.8%.

1881 census count

1,159

Ranked #3,459

Modern count

1,539

2016, ranked #4,020

Peak year

1999

1,733 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Welham had 1,159 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,459 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,539 in 2016, ranked #4,020.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,690 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Welham surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Welham surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Welham 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 650 #4,003
1861 historical 634 #4,226
1881 historical 1,159 #3,459
1891 historical 1,289 #3,357
1901 historical 1,526 #3,373
1911 historical 1,690 #2,903
1997 modern 1,636 #3,627
1998 modern 1,720 #3,602
1999 modern 1,733 #3,600
2000 modern 1,701 #3,640
2001 modern 1,695 #3,588
2002 modern 1,682 #3,676
2003 modern 1,657 #3,658
2004 modern 1,654 #3,667
2005 modern 1,609 #3,721
2006 modern 1,559 #3,811
2007 modern 1,552 #3,868
2008 modern 1,554 #3,892
2009 modern 1,565 #3,957
2010 modern 1,583 #3,996
2011 modern 1,586 #3,938
2012 modern 1,569 #3,919
2013 modern 1,599 #3,918
2014 modern 1,597 #3,945
2015 modern 1,569 #3,963
2016 modern 1,539 #4,020

Geography

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Where Welhams are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Lavenham, London parishes, St Pancras, Lambeth and St Mary Islington. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Ipswich and Mid Suffolk. 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 Lavenham Suffolk
2 London parishes London 3
3 St Pancras London (North Districts)
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 St Mary Islington London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Ipswich 006 Ipswich
2 Mid Suffolk 009 Mid Suffolk
3 Mid Suffolk 011 Mid Suffolk
4 Mid Suffolk 012 Mid Suffolk
5 Ipswich 001 Ipswich

Forenames

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First names often paired with Welham

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Welham

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Welham is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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 neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Welham is most concentrated in decile 5 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.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Welham

The surname Welham is of English origin and can be traced back to the late 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "well" and "ham," meaning a well or spring and a homestead or village, respectively. This suggests that the name likely originated from a place where people lived near a well or spring.

One of the earliest known records of the Welham surname appears in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire, dated 1195, which mentions a Robert de Welham. This suggests that the name was already established in this region of England by the late 12th century.

The Welham surname can also be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of landowners and tenants in England conducted under the orders of William the Conqueror. While the spelling may have varied slightly, such as "Wellham" or "Welleham," the root of the name remains the same.

In the 13th century, the surname Welham began to appear more frequently in various historical records, indicating its growing prevalence across England. One notable example is John de Welham, who was mentioned in the Patent Rolls of 1271 as being granted land in Lincolnshire.

During the 14th century, the Welham surname continued to spread across England, with records showing individuals bearing the name in counties such as Yorkshire, Norfolk, and Oxfordshire. One prominent figure from this period was Sir William Welham, a knight who served under King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War.

In the 16th century, the Welham surname gained further recognition with the birth of John Welham (c. 1550-1616), an English clergyman and author who wrote several theological works. Another notable individual was William Welham (1620-1689), a merchant and Member of Parliament for Grantham, Lincolnshire.

Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, the Welham surname remained prevalent in various parts of England, with several individuals making their mark in various fields. One such figure was John Welham (1684-1759), a renowned mathematician and astronomer who contributed to the advancement of celestial navigation.

As the centuries progressed, the Welham surname continued to be represented in various areas of England, with individuals bearing this name making contributions across various disciplines, including science, politics, and the arts.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Welham families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Welham 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. Suffolk leads with 555 Welhams recorded in 1881 and an index of 40.41x.

County Total Index
Suffolk 555 40.41x
Middlesex 202 1.79x
Essex 149 6.69x
Surrey 65 1.18x
Yorkshire 57 0.51x
Norfolk 32 1.85x
Kent 14 0.36x
Lancashire 11 0.08x
Northumberland 11 0.66x
Berkshire 10 1.18x
Durham 9 0.27x
Hampshire 9 0.39x
Lincolnshire 8 0.44x
Perthshire 7 1.38x
Huntingdonshire 5 2.23x
Gloucestershire 4 0.18x
Sussex 3 0.16x
Leicestershire 2 0.16x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.10x
Dorset 1 0.14x
Wiltshire 1 0.10x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Islington London in Middlesex leads with 40 Welhams recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.66x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 40 3.66x
Battisford 33 1964.29x
St Pancras London 33 3.64x
Buxhall 31 1684.78x
Lavenham 30 417.83x
Raydon 27 1317.07x
Baylham 26 1209.30x
Combs 23 501.09x
Lambeth 23 2.34x
Alresford 20 2000.00x
Barking 20 281.29x
Stowmarket 20 126.02x
West Ham 20 4.07x
Chelsea London 19 5.59x
Great Yarmouth 19 13.23x
Ipswich St Mathew 19 49.36x
St Marylebone London 18 2.99x
Barham 15 824.18x
Ipswich St Margaret 15 32.18x
Beccles 14 63.32x
Kirkley 14 121.85x
Aislaby In Whitby 13 1000.00x
Leeds 13 2.06x
Wattisham 13 1830.99x
Whatfield 13 1214.95x
Chelmsford 12 31.42x
East Bergholt 12 261.44x
Ipswich St Peter 12 64.90x
Langham 12 463.32x
Bury St Edmunds St James 11 29.98x
Camberwell 11 1.53x
Ipswich St Helen 11 67.57x
Little Clacton 11 466.10x
Sudbourne 11 493.27x
Dedham 10 148.15x
Hadleigh 10 75.08x
Kensington London 10 1.60x
Nayland 10 287.36x
Aldham 9 978.26x
Rendlesham 9 656.93x
Shoreditch London 9 1.84x
Bermondsey 8 2.38x
Bromley London 8 3.22x
Colchester St Giles 8 36.38x
Doncaster 8 9.80x
Eye 8 90.19x
Hook 8 32.55x
Ipswich St Nicholas 8 105.68x
Long Melford 8 62.65x
Mile End Old Town 8 4.49x
Shelland 8 2222.22x
Somersham 8 506.33x
Winkfield 8 56.94x
Blairgowrie 7 34.97x
Bramford 7 135.66x
Burwell 7 1147.54x
Colchester St Martin 7 171.99x
Hitcham 7 202.31x
Lexden 7 78.30x
Mistley 7 117.06x
Shadwell London 7 22.18x
Southwark St George Martyr 7 3.08x
Speldhurst 7 35.73x
St George In East 7 9.13x
Stratford St Mary 7 357.14x
Byker 6 7.23x
Diss 6 40.38x
Paddington London 6 1.45x
Ringshall 6 468.75x
Thames Ditton 6 52.59x
Ventnor 6 27.30x
Great Finborough 5 314.47x
Great Horkesley 5 163.40x
Ipswich St Clement 5 14.32x
Ipswich St Mary At Tower 5 163.93x
Kesgrave 5 1315.79x
Leyton 5 13.04x
Lowestoft 5 7.71x
Norton 5 40.55x
St Neots 5 41.08x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 56
William 55
George 44
Charles 41
Henry 31
Thomas 27
James 21
Joseph 21
Arthur 20
Robert 19
Alfred 15
Frederick 14
Walter 12
Harry 11
Samuel 11
Frank 10
Benjamin 9
Edward 9
Isaac 9
Ernest 7
Herbert 7
Albert 6
Edgar 4
Fredk. 4
Robt. 4
Amos 3
Daniel 3
Fredrick 3
Percy 3
Ranson 3
David 2
Edwin 2
Geo. 2
Horace 2
Jonathan 2
Mark 2
Stephen 2
Stripling 2
Allan 1
Bertha 1
Burgess 1
Chas. 1
Edwd. 1
Elisha 1
Emannuel 1
Eugune 1
Francis 1
Horas 1
Infant 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Welham surname: questions and answers

How common was the Welham surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,159 people were recorded with the Welham surname. That placed it at #3,459 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Welham surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,539 in 2016. That gives Welham a modern rank of #4,020.

What does the Welham surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone from Welham, a village in Leicestershire.

What does the Welham map show?

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