Find out how popular the last name Barham is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Barham.

Barham, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Barham surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Barham in America

Barham is the 5547th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Barham surname appeared 6,266 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Barham.

We can also compare 2010 data for Barham to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Barham

The surname Barham has its origins in England, traceable back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "bær" meaning "barn" and "ham" meaning "homestead" or "village." This suggests that the name likely originated as a place name referring to a settlement or village where a barn or granary was located.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Bercham" in reference to a place in Kent. This entry provides evidence that the name was in use in England by the late 11th century.

In the 13th century, the surname appeared in various records with spellings such as "Bereham," "Bercham," and "Barham." These variations reflect the evolution of the name's spelling over time, as well as regional differences in pronunciation and written forms.

Notable individuals bearing the Barham surname include:

1. Henry Barham (c. 1490-1568), an English politician who served as Member of Parliament for Callington, Cornwall.
2. Sir John Barham (1537-1618), an English courtier and politician who served as a Gentleman Usher to Queen Elizabeth I.
3. John Barham (1624-1692), an English clergyman and author known for his writings on church history.
4. Joseph Foster Barham (1759-1832), an English clergyman and author who wrote under the pseudonym "Thomas Ingoldsby."
5. Richard Harris Barham (1788-1845), an English novelist and humorist, best known for his work "The Ingoldsby Legends."

The surname Barham has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Barham in Kent, which dates back to the 9th century and was originally recorded as "Byraham" in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. Other place names include Barham in Cambridgeshire and Barham in Suffolk.

While the name Barham has undergone spelling variations over the centuries, its roots can be traced back to the Old English language and the formation of place names related to agricultural settlements and granaries. The surname has been borne by notable individuals across various fields, including politics, literature, and the clergy, throughout English history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Barham

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Barham.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Barham was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Barham has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Barham was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Barham, please contact us.

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