NameCensus.

UK surname

Windham

From an English place name meaning "enclosure with a windlass" or "Wynd's homestead."

In the 1881 census there were 104 people recorded with the Windham surname, ranking it #19,296 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 115, ranked #28,348, down from #19,296 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Gateshead and Portsmouth, Portsea. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kensington and Chelsea, South Norfolk and Brighton and Hove.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Windham is 138 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 10.6%.

1881 census count

104

Ranked #19,296

Modern count

115

2016, ranked #28,348

Peak year

2010

138 bearers

Map years

5

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Windham had 104 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #19,296 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 115 in 2016, ranked #28,348.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 117 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Windham surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Windham surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Windham 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 69 #21,148
1861 historical 81 #23,431
1881 historical 104 #19,296
1891 historical 117 #21,658
1901 historical 80 #25,251
1911 historical 91 #23,684
1997 modern 102 #26,638
1998 modern 107 #26,555
1999 modern 107 #26,754
2000 modern 113 #25,843
2001 modern 107 #26,328
2002 modern 111 #26,291
2003 modern 108 #26,486
2004 modern 115 #25,740
2005 modern 113 #25,974
2006 modern 115 #25,969
2007 modern 121 #25,469
2008 modern 127 #25,020
2009 modern 132 #24,929
2010 modern 138 #24,801
2011 modern 127 #25,926
2012 modern 123 #26,561
2013 modern 122 #27,122
2014 modern 119 #27,813
2015 modern 119 #27,684
2016 modern 115 #28,348

Geography

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Where Windhams are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Gateshead, Portsmouth, Portsea, Brighton and Westbury-on-Trym, Henbury, Compton Greenfield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Kensington and Chelsea, South Norfolk, Brighton and Hove, Herefordshire 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 London parishes London 3
2 Gateshead Durham
3 Portsmouth, Portsea Hampshire
4 Brighton Sussex
5 Westbury-on-Trym, Henbury, Compton Greenfield Gloucestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Kensington and Chelsea 012 Kensington and Chelsea
2 South Norfolk 004 South Norfolk
3 Brighton and Hove 008 Brighton and Hove
4 Herefordshire 018 Herefordshire, County of
5 Mid Sussex 009 Mid Sussex

Forenames

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First names often paired with Windham

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Windham

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

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Windham surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Windham 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 includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Windham is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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 very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Windham 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

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

Meaning and origin of Windham

The surname Windham has its origins in England and is derived from the Old English words "wind" meaning "winding" and "ham" meaning "homestead" or "village". It is believed to have originated as a place name referring to a settlement located near a winding river or stream.

The earliest known record of the name Windham can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Windeham" and "Wyndeham". The Domesday Book was a survey of landholdings commissioned by William the Conqueror after the Norman conquest of England in 1066.

In the 12th century, the name appears as "Wyndham" in various historical records, including the Pipe Rolls of 1166-1167. One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Windham was Sir Roger de Wyndham, who lived in the late 12th and early 13th centuries.

The Windham family was a prominent one in England, with many members holding positions of importance throughout history. One notable figure was Sir John Wyndham (c. 1558-1645), an English soldier and Member of Parliament during the reign of King James I.

Another well-known individual with the surname Windham was William Windham (1750-1810), a British statesman and politician who served as Secretary at War and Leader of the House of Commons under William Pitt the Younger.

In the United States, one of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Windham was Thomas Windham (1621-1658), who emigrated from England to Massachusetts in the 17th century and became a prominent landowner and member of the colonial government.

The name Windham has also been associated with several place names, including the town of Windham in Connecticut, which was founded in the 17th century and named after the nearby Windham family estate in Norfolk, England.

Throughout history, the surname Windham has been spelled in various ways, including Wyndeham, Wyndham, Wyndehame, and Windeham, reflecting the evolving nature of English spelling and pronunciation over time.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Windham families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Windham 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. Gloucestershire leads with 26 Windhams recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.20x.

County Total Index
Gloucestershire 26 13.20x
Middlesex 15 1.49x
Surrey 15 3.06x
Sussex 13 7.67x
Durham 10 3.35x
Bedfordshire 7 13.46x
Somerset 6 3.71x
Yorkshire 5 0.50x
Kent 3 0.88x
Hampshire 1 0.49x
Lancashire 1 0.08x
Staffordshire 1 0.29x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Brighton in Sussex leads with 13 Windhams recorded in 1881 and an index of 38.05x.

Place Total Index
Brighton 13 38.05x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 10 77.22x
Westbury On Trym 8 119.76x
Bedford St Paul 7 196.08x
Stroud 6 156.66x
Bisley 5 279.33x
Bromley London 5 22.62x
Camberwell 5 7.79x
Portishead 5 416.67x
Bristol St Michael 4 236.69x
Sykehouse 4 2857.14x
Wandsworth 4 41.37x
Bethnal Green London 3 6.87x
Cheriton 3 214.29x
Farnham 3 78.74x
Shoreditch London 3 6.89x
Bristol St James In 1 34.48x
Castleton 1 8.40x
Chelsea London 1 3.30x
Cheltenham 1 6.58x
Chertsey 1 31.65x
Chiswick 1 18.21x
Clifton 1 10.04x
Croydon 1 3.68x
Holdenhurst 1 18.52x
Kensington London 1 1.79x
Limpsfield 1 212.77x
Manningham 1 8.16x
Paddington London 1 2.71x
Walsall Foreign 1 5.71x
Yatton 1 158.73x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Emily 6
Alice 4
Mary 4
Sarah 4
Ann 2
Ellen 2
Emma 2
Louisa 2
Amelia 1
Anne 1
Annie 1
Charlotte 1
Clarissa 1
Constance 1
Dorothy 1
Edith 1
Eliza 1
Esther 1
Ethel 1
Eveln 1
Fanny 1
Florance 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Georgiana 1
Gertrude 1
Harriett 1
Jenny 1
John 1
K.E.Smyth 1
Kate 1
Lilan 1
Louise 1
Lucy 1
M.Smyth 1
Maggie 1
Margaret 1
Margret 1
May 1
Nora 1
Rachel 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
Charles 5
George 4
James 4
John 3
William 3
Henry 2
Samuel 2
Thomas 2
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
Aster 1
Cecil 1
Claude 1
Edward 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
Fredk. 1
Fredrick 1
Geo. 1
Harry 1
J. 1
Joseph 1
Robert 1
Stewart 1
Walter 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Windham surname: questions and answers

How common was the Windham surname in 1881?

In 1881, 104 people were recorded with the Windham surname. That placed it at #19,296 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Windham surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 115 in 2016. That gives Windham a modern rank of #28,348.

What does the Windham surname mean?

From an English place name meaning "enclosure with a windlass" or "Wynd's homestead."

What does the Windham map show?

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