NameCensus.

UK surname

Witham

Derived from a place name meaning "settlement on the River Witham" in Old English.

In the 1881 census there were 1,201 people recorded with the Witham surname, ranking it #3,359 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,486, ranked #4,153, down from #3,359 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Lambeth and Ilkeston. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North Norfolk, Rotherham and South Derbyshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Witham is 1,611 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 23.7%.

1881 census count

1,201

Ranked #3,359

Modern count

1,486

2016, ranked #4,153

Peak year

1999

1,611 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Witham had 1,201 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,359 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,486 in 2016, ranked #4,153.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,538 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Witham surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Witham surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Witham 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 781 #3,416
1861 historical 812 #3,388
1881 historical 1,201 #3,359
1891 historical 1,264 #3,419
1901 historical 1,483 #3,452
1911 historical 1,538 #3,155
1997 modern 1,534 #3,835
1998 modern 1,604 #3,832
1999 modern 1,611 #3,846
2000 modern 1,581 #3,892
2001 modern 1,567 #3,858
2002 modern 1,597 #3,860
2003 modern 1,524 #3,943
2004 modern 1,520 #3,949
2005 modern 1,515 #3,926
2006 modern 1,487 #3,985
2007 modern 1,488 #4,026
2008 modern 1,501 #4,029
2009 modern 1,540 #4,022
2010 modern 1,543 #4,101
2011 modern 1,522 #4,104
2012 modern 1,481 #4,134
2013 modern 1,534 #4,069
2014 modern 1,537 #4,092
2015 modern 1,503 #4,129
2016 modern 1,486 #4,153

Geography

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Where Withams are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to North Norfolk, Rotherham, South Derbyshire, Broxtowe and Sheffield. 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 Lambeth London (South Districts)
4 Ilkeston Nottinghamshire
5 Mansfield Nottinghamshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North Norfolk 006 North Norfolk
2 Rotherham 031 Rotherham
3 South Derbyshire 007 South Derbyshire
4 Broxtowe 008 Broxtowe
5 Sheffield 043 Sheffield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Witham

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Witham

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Witham is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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 concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Witham is most concentrated in decile 8 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Witham

The surname Witham is of Anglo-Saxon origin and is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is a locational name, derived from the town of Witham in Essex, which was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Witham" or "Witeham." The name itself is thought to be derived from the Old English words "wid" or "wudu," meaning "wood," and "ham," meaning "homestead" or "village," suggesting that the name originated from a settlement located in a wooded area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Witham can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Essex from 1195, where a person named William de Witeham is mentioned. This indicates that the surname was already in use by the late 12th century.

In the 13th century, the name appears in various historical records, including the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where a Robert de Wytham is listed as a resident of Essex. During this period, the name was also associated with a village called "Wytham" in Berkshire, which may have contributed to variations in the spelling of the surname.

Over the centuries, the Witham surname has been borne by several notable individuals, including Sir John Witham (c. 1540-1587), an English soldier and Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another prominent figure was William Witham (1619-1699), an English Catholic priest and scholar who authored several theological works.

In the 18th century, Henry Witham (1779-1844) was a renowned English naturalist and geologist who made significant contributions to the study of fossil plants. His son, Henry T.M. Witham (1812-1884), followed in his footsteps as a prominent geologist and was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society.

The Witham surname has also been associated with several place names, such as Witham Friary in Somerset and Witham-on-the-Hill in Lincolnshire, further emphasizing its locational origins.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Witham families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Witham 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. Middlesex leads with 197 Withams recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.68x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 197 1.68x
Essex 161 6.97x
Yorkshire 137 1.18x
Lancashire 99 0.71x
Nottinghamshire 91 5.77x
Surrey 83 1.46x
Derbyshire 79 4.31x
Norfolk 78 4.34x
Kent 49 1.23x
Somerset 32 1.70x
Oxfordshire 31 4.29x
Suffolk 25 1.75x
Sussex 20 1.01x
Leicestershire 17 1.31x
Berkshire 16 1.82x
Hampshire 14 0.58x
Hertfordshire 13 1.61x
Cambridgeshire 9 1.21x
Cheshire 9 0.35x
Durham 8 0.23x
Lincolnshire 7 0.37x
Kirkcudbrightshire 5 2.95x
Bedfordshire 4 0.66x
Buckinghamshire 2 0.28x
Gloucestershire 2 0.09x
Wiltshire 2 0.19x
Aberdeenshire 1 0.09x
Cornwall 1 0.08x
Devon 1 0.04x
Herefordshire 1 0.21x
Huntingdonshire 1 0.43x
Royal Navy 1 0.72x
Shropshire 1 0.10x
Staffordshire 1 0.03x
Worcestershire 1 0.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hackney London in Middlesex leads with 31 Withams recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.73x.

Place Total Index
Hackney London 31 4.73x
Islington London 27 2.38x
Lambeth 27 2.65x
Mansfield 27 49.50x
Brimington 24 172.66x
Rayleigh 23 432.33x
Horsforth 18 70.84x
Nottingham St Mary 18 4.41x
Paddington London 17 3.95x
Charlbury 16 197.29x
Elton 16 772.95x
Newington 16 3.70x
Bethnal Green London 15 2.95x
Nether Hallam 15 9.57x
St Marylebone London 15 2.40x
Sutton In Ashfield 15 43.85x
Camberwell 14 1.87x
Hatfield Broad Oak 14 179.72x
Kenninghall 14 283.40x
Sheffield 14 3.79x
West Ham 13 2.55x
Moston 12 86.21x
Stoke Newington London 12 13.17x
Fyfield 11 588.24x
Langham 11 1341.46x
Lyncombe Widcombe 11 22.32x
Shoreditch London 11 2.17x
Swanscombe 11 61.35x
Bonsall 10 184.50x
Erpingham 10 684.93x
Moss Side 10 13.69x
Ecclesall Bierlow 9 3.82x
Littlehampton 9 57.18x
Mountnessing 9 257.14x
Pulham St Mary Virgin 9 272.73x
Southwark St Saviour 9 14.97x
Waltham Holy Cross 9 41.71x
Arundel 8 72.46x
Burnley 8 6.84x
Chipping Norton 8 47.90x
Great Burstead 8 95.24x
Kirkdale 8 3.43x
Radford 8 9.99x
Westminster St John 8 5.62x
Belgrave 7 23.92x
Chilton 7 64.46x
Clerkenwell London 7 2.54x
Everton 7 1.58x
Fritton 7 760.87x
Great Grimsby 7 5.90x
Ingworth 7 1206.90x
Mansfield Woodhouse 7 66.73x
Abingdon St Helen 6 23.37x
Abingdon St Nicholas 6 245.90x
Aylsham 6 56.02x
Barnsley 6 5.02x
Carisbrooke 6 18.03x
Clapham 6 4.10x
Claughton With Grange 6 51.02x
Erith 6 15.26x
Fulham London 6 3.54x
High Roothing 6 335.20x
Holbeck 6 7.81x
Hulme 6 2.07x
Newbold Dunston 6 34.48x
Rodmersham 6 350.88x
Walcot 6 5.98x
Wanstead 6 14.84x
Westminster St James 6 4.99x
Willesden 6 5.44x
Woodford 6 22.95x
Wyke In Bradford 6 28.94x
Basford 5 6.88x
Bowling 5 4.36x
Fressingfield 5 108.93x
Great Dunmow 5 41.56x
Margaretting 5 236.97x
Troqueer 5 22.51x
Woodford St Mary 5 191.57x
Worksop 5 10.70x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 75
Sarah 45
Elizabeth 42
Alice 25
Eliza 25
Ellen 22
Ann 17
Jane 17
Emily 16
Harriet 15
Annie 14
Emma 13
Clara 11
Lucy 11
Maria 11
Florence 10
Louisa 10
Fanny 9
Margaret 9
Martha 9
Hannah 8
Harriett 8
Kate 8
Edith 7
Ada 6
Caroline 6
Charlotte 6
Susannah 6
Frances 5
Elizth. 4
Julia 4
Minnie 4
Susan 4
Agnes 3
Amy 3
Anne 3
Bertha 3
Eleanor 3
Gertrude 3
Laura 3
Rebecca 3
Amelia 2
E. 2
Isabella 2
Jessie 2
Kezia 2
Lily 2
Lydia 2
Margeret 2
Matilda 2

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 59
John 52
George 41
James 40
Thomas 34
Henry 30
Charles 25
Joseph 24
Samuel 21
Walter 15
Alfred 14
Harry 14
Robert 14
Edward 12
Albert 11
Arthur 11
Frederick 11
Richard 8
Wm. 8
David 7
Francis 6
Herbert 6
Stephen 5
Ernest 4
Isaac 4
Alexander 3
Bernard 3
Edwin 3
Frank 3
Frederic 3
Fredk. 3
Geo. 3
Tom 3
Benjamin 2
Daniel 2
Fred 2
Horace 2
Hugh 2
J. 2
Jas. 2
Jesse 2
Mathew 2
Sidney 2
Alice 1
Chas. 1
Cyrus 1
Esau 1
Evans 1
Jeremiah 1
Young 1

FAQ

Witham surname: questions and answers

How common was the Witham surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,201 people were recorded with the Witham surname. That placed it at #3,359 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Witham surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,486 in 2016. That gives Witham a modern rank of #4,153.

What does the Witham surname mean?

Derived from a place name meaning "settlement on the River Witham" in Old English.

What does the Witham map show?

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