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

Kirkham, 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 Kirkham surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Kirkham in America

Kirkham is the 8032nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Kirkham surname appeared 4,121 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Kirkham.

We can also compare 2010 data for Kirkham 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 Kirkham

The surname Kirkham has its origins in England and dates back to the 12th century. It is a locational name derived from the place name Kirkham, which means "church village" or "church homestead" in Old English. The name is believed to have originated in the county of Lancashire, where there are several places called Kirkham.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kirkham can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lancashire from 1176, where it is spelled "Kircham." The Domesday Book of 1086 also mentions the village of Kirkham, which was then known as "Childreuualle."

In the 13th century, the name Kirkham was associated with a prominent family in Lancashire. Sir Walter de Kirkham was a knight who lived during the reign of King Henry III (1216-1272). His son, Sir Richard de Kirkham, was also a knight and served under King Edward I (1272-1307).

Another notable bearer of the name was William Kirkham (c. 1480-1572), an English translator and clergyman who was active during the Tudor period. He is best known for his translation of the Bible into English.

During the 17th century, the Kirkham family established themselves in the village of Kirkham in Lancashire. One member of this family, Thomas Kirkham (1604-1670), was a prominent Puritan minister who served as the vicar of Kirkham.

In the 18th century, the name Kirkham was associated with the philosophical and educational writings of Samuel Kirkham (1743-1805). He was an English grammarian and author of several influential textbooks on English grammar.

Another notable bearer of the name was John Kirkham (1770-1857), an English artist and engraver who was renowned for his landscape paintings and etchings of rural scenes in Lancashire and Yorkshire.

As the name Kirkham originated from a specific location in Lancashire, it is likely that many early bearers of the name were from that region. However, over time, the name spread to other parts of England and beyond, as people migrated and established new homes in different areas.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Kirkham

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

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 Kirkham 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 Kirkham 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 Kirkham was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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