Lanham
Of English origin meaning "long home" or "long settlement".
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Lanham. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Lanham today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Lanham births was 1907 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Lanham. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Lanham. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1907
6 babies that year
Average age
-
1907 SSA rank
#1,271
Tracked since 1907
Popularity
Lanham: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Lanham by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Lanham during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 6 | 0 | 6 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Lanham
The name Lanham is believed to have its origins in Old English, derived from the words "land" and "ham," meaning "homestead" or "village." It was a common surname in medieval England, often referring to someone who lived in a particular hamlet or settlement.
While the exact origin of Lanham as a given name is uncertain, it may have been influenced by the prevalence of the surname. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name Lanham can be traced back to the 13th century in various historical documents and records from England.
One of the earliest notable individuals with the name Lanham was Sir John Lanham, a 14th-century English knight who fought alongside King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War. He was mentioned in several chronicles of the time for his bravery in battle.
Another significant figure bearing the name was John Lanham, a 16th-century English clergyman and scholar. He served as the Dean of York from 1570 to 1609 and was known for his contributions to theological discourse during the Reformation period.
In the 17th century, Lanham Rowlandson was a prominent American author and captive narrative writer. Born in 1637, she is best known for her account of her capture by Native Americans during King Philip's War in 1676, titled "The Sovereignty and Goodness of God."
During the 19th century, Lanham Napier was a British naval officer who played a significant role in the Crimean War. He was born in 1819 and served as a captain in the Royal Navy, participating in several notable battles and operations.
A more recent figure with the name Lanham was Lanham Actors, an American actor and director born in 1923. He appeared in numerous films and television shows throughout his career, including notable roles in "The Manchurian Candidate" and "The Twilight Zone."
While the name Lanham has its roots in Old English and was initially more prevalent as a surname, it has been adopted as a given name over time. Its historical references and notable bearers span various fields, including military, religion, literature, and the arts, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and achievements associated with this name.
People
Lanham + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Lanham as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with L
Other first names starting with L with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Lanham: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Lanham?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Lanham going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about - US residents.
Is Lanham a common name?
We classify Lanham as "Very Rare". It ranks above 2.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 6 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Lanham most popular?
The single biggest year for Lanham was 1907, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Lanham is about 0 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Lanham in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Lanham a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Lanham in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Lanham still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Lanham in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Lanham can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many Americans are named Lanham?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people share the name Lanham at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.