Latham
An English masculine name derived from an English village name.
Name Census estimates that about 511 living Americans carry the first name Latham. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Latham today is around 20 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Latham births was 2015 (29 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Latham. 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.
People living today
511
~ 1 in 670,752 Americans
Peak year
2015
29 babies that year
Average age
20
years old
2024 SSA rank
#5,551
Tracked since 1917
Popularity
Latham: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Latham from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 11 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 201 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Latham remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Latham 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 Latham during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Lathams live
Origin
Meaning and history of Latham
The name Latham originates from an Old English word "læcc" or "læccan," meaning a stream or brook. It is believed to have its roots in the Anglo-Saxon culture and was initially used as a topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a small stream or brook.
In the early medieval period, the name emerged as a locational surname, denoting a person's place of origin or residence. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Lacheham" and "Lateham," referring to settlements in Essex and Lancashire, respectively.
As a given name, Latham gained popularity in the late Middle Ages, particularly among the English nobility and gentry. One of the earliest notable bearers of the name was Latham Blundell, born in 1427 in Lancashire, England. He was a renowned landowner and served as a Member of Parliament during the reign of King Henry VI.
In the 16th century, Sir John Latham (c. 1480-1545) was a prominent English lawyer and judge who served as a Member of Parliament and Chief Justice of the King's Bench under King Henry VIII. His legal expertise and contributions to the development of English common law earned him a significant place in history.
Another notable figure was Latham Withington (1600-1670), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge from 1659 to 1660. He played a crucial role in the university's administration during a turbulent period of English history.
In the realm of literature, John Latham (1740-1837) was an English physician and naturalist who made significant contributions to the study of ornithology. His work, "A General History of Birds," published in 1821-1828, was a comprehensive and influential work in the field of bird studies.
Latham also found its way into the arts, with John Latham (1921-2006) being a renowned British conceptual artist and sculptor. He is celebrated for his innovative and unconventional approach to art, challenging traditional notions of artistic expression.
Throughout history, the name Latham has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including scholars, lawyers, clergy, artists, and landowners. While its origins can be traced back to Old English roots, the name has transcended its topographic beginnings and has been embraced across different cultures and societies.
People
Latham + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Latham 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
Latham: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Latham?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 511 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Latham 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 1 in 670,752 US residents.
Is Latham a common name?
We classify Latham as "Very Rare". It ranks above 84.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 581 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Latham most popular?
The single biggest year for Latham was 2015, when 29 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Latham is about 20 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Latham a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Latham 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.
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.