NameCensus.

UK surname

Woodham

From the Old English elements "wudu" meaning "wood" and "ham" meaning "homestead," referring to someone living near a wood.

In the 1881 census there were 1,002 people recorded with the Woodham surname, ranking it #3,897 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,198, ranked #4,968, down from #3,897 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Tunbridge, Bidborough, London parishes and St Pancras. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Bridgend, Huntingdonshire and Chichester.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Woodham is 1,369 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 19.6%.

1881 census count

1,002

Ranked #3,897

Modern count

1,198

2016, ranked #4,968

Peak year

2000

1,369 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Woodham had 1,002 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,897 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,198 in 2016, ranked #4,968.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,364 in 1891.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Woodham surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Woodham surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Woodham 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 711 #3,671
1861 historical 1,038 #2,700
1881 historical 1,002 #3,897
1891 historical 1,364 #3,183
1901 historical 1,169 #4,180
1911 historical 1,350 #3,553
1997 modern 1,254 #4,542
1998 modern 1,302 #4,564
1999 modern 1,342 #4,466
2000 modern 1,369 #4,372
2001 modern 1,312 #4,452
2002 modern 1,318 #4,520
2003 modern 1,273 #4,562
2004 modern 1,284 #4,533
2005 modern 1,233 #4,653
2006 modern 1,234 #4,663
2007 modern 1,212 #4,775
2008 modern 1,209 #4,812
2009 modern 1,256 #4,764
2010 modern 1,276 #4,788
2011 modern 1,272 #4,741
2012 modern 1,241 #4,776
2013 modern 1,270 #4,758
2014 modern 1,257 #4,832
2015 modern 1,223 #4,884
2016 modern 1,198 #4,968

Geography

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Where Woodhams are most common

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

The modern local-area list points to Bridgend, Huntingdonshire, Chichester, Wiltshire and Bath and North East Somerset. 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 Tunbridge, Bidborough Kent
2 London parishes London 3
3 St Pancras London (North Districts)
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 Merthyr Dovan, Highlight Glamorganshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Bridgend 008 Bridgend
2 Huntingdonshire 015 Huntingdonshire
3 Chichester 013 Chichester
4 Wiltshire 042 Wiltshire
5 Bath and North East Somerset 016 Bath and North East Somerset

Forenames

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First names often paired with Woodham

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Woodham

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Woodham surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Woodham household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Woodham is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

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

Woodham 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

Woodham falls in decile 10 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.

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Woodham 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 Woodham, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Woodham

The surname Woodham has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to be a toponymic name, derived from various place names containing the Old English words "wudu" meaning wood and "ham" meaning homestead or village.

One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is recorded as "Wodehame" in Berkshire. This suggests that the name may have originated from a village or hamlet located in a wooded area.

In the 13th and 14th centuries, various spellings of the name emerged, including Wodham, Wodeham, and Woddham. These variations reflect the regional dialects and changes in pronunciation over time.

One notable historical figure bearing the surname Woodham was Sir William Woodham (c. 1540-1611), an English politician and landowner from Kent. He served as a Member of Parliament and was involved in local governance.

Another individual of note was Thomas Woodham (c. 1610-1677), an English Puritan minister and author who lived during the 17th century. He wrote several religious treatises and sermons that were published during his lifetime.

In the 18th century, John Woodham (1736-1812) was a prominent British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars.

A more recent historical figure was Sir Roger Woodham (1885-1967), a British diplomat and civil servant who held various positions in the Foreign Office during the early 20th century.

The surname Woodham is also associated with several place names in England, such as Woodham Walter in Essex, Woodham Mortimer in Essex, and Woodham Ferrers in Buckinghamshire. These locations may have contributed to the spread and adoption of the surname in different regions.

It is worth noting that while the surname Woodham has its roots in England, it has since been carried to other parts of the world through migration and settlement, making it a name with a diverse geographical distribution.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Woodham families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Woodham 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 203 Woodhams recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.07x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 203 2.07x
Surrey 182 3.81x
Kent 78 2.33x
Essex 70 3.62x
Gloucestershire 61 3.17x
Hampshire 47 2.34x
Wiltshire 38 4.38x
Huntingdonshire 35 17.98x
Hertfordshire 33 4.88x
Buckinghamshire 32 5.40x
Somerset 32 2.03x
Berkshire 28 3.81x
Sussex 23 1.39x
Bedfordshire 21 4.14x
Warwickshire 18 0.73x
Northamptonshire 15 1.63x
Cambridgeshire 14 2.25x
Nottinghamshire 13 0.98x
Lincolnshire 12 0.77x
Norfolk 9 0.60x
Yorkshire 9 0.09x
Devon 5 0.25x
Staffordshire 5 0.15x
Derbyshire 4 0.26x
Lancashire 4 0.03x
Oxfordshire 3 0.50x
Suffolk 3 0.25x
Glamorgan 2 0.12x
Northumberland 2 0.14x
Royal Navy 2 1.71x
Cheshire 1 0.05x
Midlothian 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Camberwell in Surrey leads with 40 Woodhams recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.39x.

Place Total Index
Camberwell 40 6.39x
Marshfield 36 700.39x
Lambeth 25 2.92x
St Pancras London 23 2.91x
Battersea 21 5.82x
Hackney London 20 3.64x
Newington 17 4.69x
Southwark St George Martyr 17 8.62x
West Ham 17 3.98x
Deptford St Paul 16 6.20x
Bethnal Green London 15 3.52x
Penge 14 22.36x
Kensworth 13 590.91x
Limehouse London 13 12.08x
Cheshunt 12 50.80x
Clerkenwell London 12 5.19x
Islington London 12 1.26x
Lewisham 12 6.73x
Farley Chamberlayne 11 2075.47x
Long Stow 11 2156.86x
Shepreth 11 901.64x
Upton Cum Chalvey 11 46.57x
Aston 10 1.47x
Bristol St Paul In 10 19.52x
Earls Barton 10 127.06x
Hungerford 10 100.50x
Maidstone 10 10.04x
Romford 10 32.69x
Acton 9 15.66x
Colchester St James 9 114.80x
Colerne 9 253.52x
Kings Somborne 9 213.78x
Little Hinton 9 1084.34x
Melchbourne 9 1232.88x
Mile End Old Town 9 5.82x
Rotherhithe 9 7.43x
Tottenham 9 5.76x
West Wycombe 9 111.94x
Croydon 8 3.02x
Kensington London 8 1.47x
Leyton 8 24.00x
Lyncombe Widcombe 8 19.36x
Paddington London 8 2.22x
St Marylebone London 8 1.53x
Tonbridge 8 6.63x
Birmingham 7 0.85x
Bromley London 7 3.25x
Buriton 7 180.88x
Dunkerton 7 204.68x
Misterton 7 171.15x
Bristol St James St Paul 6 9.36x
Bromley 6 11.77x
Chelsea London 6 2.03x
Denham 6 141.84x
Hove 6 8.27x
Northaw 6 306.12x
Nottingham St Mary 6 1.76x
Prittlewell 6 22.37x
Spalding 6 19.29x
St Bartholomew Hyde 6 124.74x
Sunninghill 6 58.77x
Westminster St James 6 5.95x
Abbotsley 5 322.58x
Ardleigh 5 93.11x
Bermondsey 5 1.71x
Burton Upon Trent 5 6.46x
Ealing 5 5.71x
Fulham London 5 3.52x
Great Badminton 5 303.03x
Heacham 5 149.25x
Marlborough St Peter St 5 112.11x
Nether Hallam 5 3.80x
Northampton All Sts 5 15.98x
Radstock 5 48.17x
Reading St Giles 5 6.93x
St George Hanover 5 3.91x
Swineshead 5 609.76x
Brighton 4 1.20x
Kingston On Thames 4 3.49x
Richmond 4 5.98x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 61
George 41
Charles 33
Henry 32
Thomas 32
John 31
Frederick 21
James 18
Alfred 14
Arthur 13
Samuel 13
Joseph 11
Walter 11
Edward 10
Richard 10
Robert 9
Albert 6
Ernest 5
Frank 5
Isaac 4
Chas. 3
David 3
Fredk. 3
Herbert 3
Moses 3
Stephen 3
Alfd. 2
Benjamin 2
Christopher 2
Daniel 2
Edwin 2
Francis 2
Harry 2
Hy. 2
J.W. 2
Sidney 2
Ambrose 1
Archie 1
Baby 1
Blinkhorn 1
Caleb 1
Claud 1
Edmond 1
Edmund 1
Enoch 1
Fred 1
Holben 1
Hugh 1
J. 1
Willm.Thos. 1

FAQ

Woodham surname: questions and answers

How common was the Woodham surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,002 people were recorded with the Woodham surname. That placed it at #3,897 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Woodham surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,198 in 2016. That gives Woodham a modern rank of #4,968.

What does the Woodham surname mean?

From the Old English elements "wudu" meaning "wood" and "ham" meaning "homestead," referring to someone living near a wood.

What does the Woodham map show?

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