2010
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Kelham
A habitational surname referring to someone from the town of Kelham in Nottinghamshire.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Kelham. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kelham surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Kelham with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Kelham in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kelham, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.2%. The next largest groups are Black (0.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kelham
The surname Kelham has its origins in England and dates back to the medieval era. It is believed to have derived from a place name, specifically a town or village called Kelham, located in Nottinghamshire. The name itself is likely derived from the Old English words "cel" meaning "spring" or "stream" and "ham" meaning "homestead" or "settlement."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Kelham can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Cheleham." This historical document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, provides a comprehensive record of landholdings and property ownership across England.
During the 13th century, the surname Kelham appeared in various records, such as the Pipe Rolls of Nottinghamshire from 1230, where it was spelled "Kellum." This variation in spelling was common during that time period due to the inconsistencies in written language.
Notable individuals bearing the surname Kelham throughout history include Sir John Kelham (1565-1637), an English lawyer and Member of Parliament for Nottinghamshire. Another prominent figure was Robert Kelham (1717-1808), an English antiquarian and topographer who authored several works on the history and antiquities of the county of Nottinghamshire.
In the literary realm, the name Kelham is associated with Robert Kelham Cooke (1790-1853), an English author and poet who published works such as "The Life of Theodore, King of Corsica" and "Memoirs of the House of Cressy."
The surname Kelham also has connections to the religious sphere, with individuals like William Kelham (1571-1639), an English clergyman who served as the Bishop of Peterborough from 1628 until his death.
Another notable figure was Richard Kelham (1736-1799), an English land surveyor and cartographer who produced maps of various counties in England, including Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.
Throughout its history, the surname Kelham has maintained its strong ties to the English county of Nottinghamshire, where it originated from the eponymous town or village. While variations in spelling have occurred over time, the core meaning and significance of the name remain rooted in its geographical origins.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kelham
Among Census respondents with the surname Kelham, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.2%. The next largest groups are Black (0.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Kelham bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Kelham surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.2% · 104
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kelham
Kelham appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
+6 bearers (+5.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 8,073 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #159,712 | 101 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.9%) | Up 8,073 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Kelham surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #159,712 | #151,639 | 5.1% |
| Count | 101 | 107 | 5.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 19.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kelham bearers went from 101 to 107 (+5.9% change). The surname moved up 8,073 positions in the national ranking, going from #159,712 to #151,639.
FAQ
Kelham surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kelham?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Kelham. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Kelham?
Kelham ranks #151,639 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 107 people with the surname Kelham. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Kelham.
Has Kelham become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kelham went from 101 recorded bearers to 107. That is an increase of 6 (+5.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #159,712 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Kelham?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kelham, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.2%. The next largest groups are Black (0.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Kelham in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.2% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kelham appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.2%), Black (0.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Kelham (2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Kelham mean?
A habitational surname referring to someone from the town of Kelham in Nottinghamshire. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Kelham (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Kelham?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.