Lathem
An English name originally derived from an English place name.
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Lathem. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Lathem today is around 10 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Lathem births was 2016 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Lathem. 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 Lathem. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
2016
6 babies that year
Average age
10
years old
2016 SSA rank
#11,573
Tracked since 2016
Popularity
Lathem: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Lathem 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 Lathem during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 6 | 0 | 6 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Lathem
The given name Lathem is believed to have originated from the Old English language, with roots dating back to the Anglo-Saxon period between the 5th and 11th centuries. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "laeth" and "ham," which together could mean "homestead on a clearing" or "dwelling in a meadow."
This name was primarily used in England and other parts of the British Isles during the Middle Ages. While it does not seem to have any direct references in ancient texts or religious scriptures, the name may have been used among the common people of that era.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Lathem was Sir William Lathem, a knight who lived in the 14th century and fought in the Battle of Crecy during the Hundred Years' War between England and France. Another notable figure was Lathem de Wykeham, a 15th-century English architect and Bishop of Winchester, known for his contributions to the design of Winchester Cathedral.
In the 16th century, Lathem Smythe was a prominent English merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers in London. During the same period, Lathem Wycliffe, a descendant of the renowned religious reformer John Wycliffe, was a scholar and translator of the Bible into Middle English.
Moving into the 17th century, Lathem Cromwell was a distant relative of Oliver Cromwell and served as a captain in the Parliamentarian army during the English Civil War. Later, in the 18th century, Lathem Fielding was a notable English writer and playwright, known for his satirical works and social commentary.
Throughout history, the name Lathem has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including nobility, clergymen, merchants, and artists, reflecting its enduring presence across different eras and social strata.
People
Lathem + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Lathem 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
Lathem: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Lathem?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Lathem 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 57,125,723 US residents.
Is Lathem a common name?
We classify Lathem as "Very Rare". It ranks above 22.3% 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 Lathem most popular?
The single biggest year for Lathem was 2016, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Lathem is about 10 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 Lathem in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Lathem a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Lathem 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 Lathem still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Lathem 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 Lathem 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 Lathem?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people share the name Lathem at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.