NameCensus.

UK surname

Wickham

A locational surname referring to someone from any of the various places named Wickham in England.

In the 1881 census there were 2,026 people recorded with the Wickham surname, ranking it #2,174 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,887, ranked #2,326, down from #2,174 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, St Pancras and Lambeth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wealden, Tunbridge Wells and Stratford-on-Avon.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Wickham is 3,083 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 42.5%.

1881 census count

2,026

Ranked #2,174

Modern count

2,887

2016, ranked #2,326

Peak year

2000

3,083 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Wickham had 2,026 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,174 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,887 in 2016, ranked #2,326.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,791 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Wickham surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Wickham surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Wickham 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 1,366 #2,104
1861 historical 1,337 #2,143
1881 historical 2,026 #2,174
1891 historical 2,212 #2,113
1901 historical 2,587 #2,125
1911 historical 2,791 #1,866
1997 modern 2,962 #2,189
1998 modern 3,038 #2,217
1999 modern 3,052 #2,216
2000 modern 3,083 #2,186
2001 modern 3,002 #2,194
2002 modern 3,006 #2,238
2003 modern 2,980 #2,206
2004 modern 2,923 #2,247
2005 modern 2,830 #2,295
2006 modern 2,769 #2,345
2007 modern 2,816 #2,324
2008 modern 2,810 #2,348
2009 modern 2,865 #2,354
2010 modern 2,925 #2,359
2011 modern 2,875 #2,363
2012 modern 2,887 #2,317
2013 modern 2,940 #2,314
2014 modern 2,899 #2,356
2015 modern 2,868 #2,354
2016 modern 2,887 #2,326

Geography

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Where Wickhams are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Wealden, Tunbridge Wells and Stratford-on-Avon. 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 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 St Pancras London (North Districts)
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 Brighton Sussex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wealden 009 Wealden
2 Tunbridge Wells 011 Tunbridge Wells
3 Wealden 007 Wealden
4 Tunbridge Wells 013 Tunbridge Wells
5 Stratford-on-Avon 013 Stratford-on-Avon

Forenames

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First names often paired with Wickham

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Wickham

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Wickham is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

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

Wickham 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

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

Meaning and origin of Wickham

The surname Wickham has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "wic" meaning a dwelling or farm, and "ham" meaning a homestead or village. The name likely referred to a settlement or village where people lived and worked.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Wickham can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings and properties commissioned by William the Conqueror. The book mentions several places with the name Wickham, indicating that the surname was already in use by that time.

During the Middle Ages, the name Wickham was widely distributed across various regions of England, particularly in the southern counties of Hampshire, Berkshire, and Surrey. The spelling variations included Wicham, Wycham, and Wykham.

In the 13th century, a notable figure bearing the name Wickham was William of Wykeham (c. 1324-1404), a prominent English architect and Bishop of Winchester. He was responsible for the construction of several significant buildings, including parts of Windsor Castle and the New College at Oxford University.

Another prominent individual with the surname Wickham was Henry Wickham (1786-1864), an English botanist and explorer. He is credited with introducing the first rubber tree seeds from Brazil to the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, leading to the establishment of the rubber industry in Southeast Asia.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name Wickham was also associated with several notable families in England, including the Wickhams of Swallowfield in Berkshire and the Wickhams of Rotherfield in Sussex.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Wickham in the United States can be traced back to the 17th century, when several individuals bearing the name arrived as colonists in Virginia and Massachusetts.

Throughout history, other notable individuals with the surname Wickham include:

1. George Wickham (1843-1904), an English cricketer who played for Cambridge University and the Marylebone Cricket Club. 2. John Clements Wickham (1798-1839), an English naval officer and explorer who surveyed parts of the Australian coastline. 3. William Wickham (1761-1840), an English diplomat and spy who played a crucial role in the formation of the Fourth Coalition against Napoleon. 4. Thomas Wickham (1787-1844), an English architect known for his work on public buildings in London, including the Royal College of Surgeons. 5. Humphry Wickham (1905-1987), an English mathematician and statistician who made significant contributions to the field of computational statistics.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Wickham families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Wickham 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 383 Wickhams recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.68x.

County Total Index
Kent 383 5.68x
Sussex 368 11.05x
Surrey 254 2.64x
Middlesex 228 1.15x
Norfolk 91 3.00x
Somerset 87 2.74x
Hampshire 75 1.85x
Wiltshire 73 4.18x
Yorkshire 73 0.37x
Lancashire 62 0.26x
Essex 47 1.21x
Gloucestershire 46 1.19x
Berkshire 34 2.29x
Warwickshire 20 0.40x
Midlothian 17 0.64x
Durham 15 0.26x
Devon 14 0.34x
Dorset 14 1.08x
Northamptonshire 13 0.70x
Suffolk 13 0.54x
Glamorgan 12 0.35x
Hertfordshire 12 0.88x
Buckinghamshire 11 0.92x
Monmouthshire 10 0.70x
Oxfordshire 9 0.74x
Cheshire 7 0.16x
Huntingdonshire 5 1.27x
Nottinghamshire 5 0.19x
Cambridgeshire 4 0.32x
Worcestershire 4 0.16x
Derbyshire 3 0.10x
Caernarfonshire 2 0.25x
Denbighshire 2 0.27x
Flintshire 2 0.38x
Royal Navy 2 0.85x
Westmorland 2 0.46x
Caithness 1 0.37x
Cardiganshire 1 0.21x
Clackmannanshire 1 0.61x
Lincolnshire 1 0.03x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.16x
Shropshire 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. Lambeth in Surrey leads with 49 Wickhams recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.84x.

Place Total Index
Lambeth 49 2.84x
Brighton 45 6.70x
Islington London 42 2.19x
Keymer 34 144.56x
Hurstpierpoint 32 172.69x
Maresfield 31 220.80x
Rotherhithe 31 12.70x
St Pancras London 29 1.82x
Croydon 28 5.24x
Chatham 26 14.02x
Wadhurst 25 114.31x
Gillingham 24 17.27x
Tonbridge 24 9.87x
Clayton 22 175.30x
Eastbourne 22 14.35x
Kings Lynn St Margaret 22 24.13x
West Ham 22 2.56x
Camberwell 21 1.66x
Clapham 19 7.69x
Deptford St Paul 19 3.65x
St George Hanover 19 7.37x
Maidstone 18 8.97x
Trowbridge 18 23.31x
Battersea 16 2.20x
Battle 16 71.17x
Lewisham 16 4.45x
Erith 15 22.59x
Hove 15 10.26x
Leyton Low 15 18.93x
Lower Beeding 15 169.49x
Sevenoaks 15 27.45x
Mere 14 70.53x
Wells St Cuthbert Out 14 54.67x
Fletching 13 87.25x
Shoreditch London 13 1.52x
Goudhurst 12 64.31x
Barrow In Furness 11 3.45x
Compton 11 588.24x
Harrow On The Hill 11 27.88x
Kingston On Thames 11 4.76x
Newington 11 1.51x
St Thomas Winchester 11 38.48x
Wimbledon 11 10.18x
Bermondsey 10 1.70x
Bethnal Green London 10 1.17x
Bootle Cum Linacre 10 5.37x
Burton Dassett 10 226.76x
Chepstow 10 41.12x
Crayford 10 33.98x
Great Yarmouth 10 3.97x
Hambleton 10 278.55x
Limpsfield 10 108.70x
Marden 10 63.29x
Roath 10 6.40x
Warminster 10 26.12x
Wilmington 10 106.27x
Worthing 10 271.00x
Chedgrave 9 360.00x
Chieveley 9 114.21x
Clerkenwell London 9 1.93x
Hackney London 9 0.81x
Kensington London 9 0.82x
Tetbury 9 40.98x
Westbury On Trym 9 6.86x
Albourne 8 386.47x
Brotton 8 31.31x
Chelsfield 8 124.22x
Northam 8 26.69x
Preston 8 13.76x
Thorpe Next Norwich 8 24.85x
Ticehurst 8 39.25x
Tottenham 8 2.54x
Towcester 8 41.75x
Walcot 8 4.72x
Wrotham 8 35.83x
Brotherton 7 89.29x
Gateshead 7 1.59x
Hurst 7 3333.33x
Paddington London 7 0.96x
South Lynn 7 20.42x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 100
Sarah 77
Elizabeth 70
Ellen 39
Eliza 37
Jane 36
Alice 34
Emma 33
Emily 32
Ann 30
Annie 27
Fanny 25
Louisa 20
Harriett 18
Frances 16
Martha 16
Agnes 14
Edith 13
Hannah 13
Caroline 12
Clara 12
Kate 12
Lucy 12
Catherine 11
Florence 11
Ada 10
Charlotte 10
Harriet 10
Margaret 10
Anne 9
Esther 9
Maria 9
Sophia 9
Amelia 8
Rose 8
Amy 7
Julia 7
Matilda 6
Susan 6
Anna 5
Gertrude 5
Jessie 5
Maud 5
Nellie 5
Rebecca 4
Ruth 4
Selina 4
Laura 3
Leah 3
Minnie 3

Top male names

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

FAQ

Wickham surname: questions and answers

How common was the Wickham surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,026 people were recorded with the Wickham surname. That placed it at #2,174 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Wickham surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,887 in 2016. That gives Wickham a modern rank of #2,326.

What does the Wickham surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone from any of the various places named Wickham in England.

What does the Wickham map show?

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