2000
#90,652
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 189
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.07
Very Rare Last name
Ninham
An English surname derived from a place name originating from "ing" meaning meadow and "ham" meaning village.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 247 Americans carry the last name Ninham. That puts it at #91,884 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,387,669 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ninham 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.
Bearers in the US
247
1 in 1,387,669
Census rank
#91,884
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
215
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 215 bearers of the surname Ninham in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 91884th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ninham, the largest self-reported group is American Indian/Alaska Native at 68.4%. The next largest groups are White (11.2%) and Two or More Races (10.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ninham
The surname NINHAM is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated from a place name, likely a small hamlet or village in one of the southern counties of England, such as Sussex or Kent.
One theory suggests that NINHAM is derived from the Old English words "nyn" meaning "nine" and "ham" meaning "homestead" or "village." This could indicate that the surname originated from a place that was once referred to as the "ninth homestead" or the "ninth village" in a particular area.
Another possibility is that NINHAM is a variation of the place name "Newnham," which itself is derived from the Old English words "neowne" meaning "new" and "ham" meaning "homestead" or "village." This would suggest that the surname may have originated from a place that was known as the "new homestead" or "new village" at the time of its founding.
Historical records show that the NINHAM surname appears in various medieval documents, although references are relatively scarce due to the rarity of the name. One notable mention is found in the Pipe Rolls of Sussex from the late 12th century, where a certain Richard de Ninham is listed as a landowner.
In the 14th century, a John Ninham is recorded as a resident of the village of Peasmarsh in East Sussex, England. This may indicate that the surname had its origins in that region.
Fast forward to the 16th century, and we find a record of a William Ninham who was born in the village of Goudhurst, Kent, in 1537. He later became a prominent figure in the local community and served as a church warden for many years.
Another notable bearer of the NINHAM surname was Thomas Ninham, born in 1612 in the town of Rye, East Sussex. He was a successful merchant and shipowner, and his name appears in various maritime records of the time.
In the 18th century, a family by the name of Ninham resided in the village of Hartfield, East Sussex. One member, John Ninham (1745-1823), was a respected farmer and landowner in the area.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who carried the NINHAM surname, highlighting its long-standing presence in the southern counties of England, particularly in Sussex and Kent. While the exact origins of the name remain somewhat uncertain, its connection to place names and its enduring legacy over centuries are well-documented.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ninham
Among Census respondents with the surname Ninham, the largest self-reported group is American Indian/Alaska Native at 68.4%. The next largest groups are White (11.2%) and Two or More Races (10.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Ninham 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 Ninham surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- American Indian and Alaska Native68.4% · 147
- White11.2% · 24
- Two or more races10.7% · 23
- Hispanic or Latino9.8% · 21
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ninham
Ninham appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#81,181
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 233
+44 bearers (+23.3%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Up 9,471 places
2020
#91,884
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 215
-18 bearers (-7.7%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Down 10,703 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #90,652 | 189 | 0.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #81,181 | 233 | 0.08 | +44 bearers (+23.3%) | Up 9,471 places |
| 2020 | #91,884 | 215 | 0.07 | -18 bearers (-7.7%) | Down 10,703 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 Ninham 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 | #81,181 | #91,884 | -13.2% |
| Count | 233 | 215 | -7.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.08 | 0.07 | -10.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ninham bearers went from 233 to 215 (-7.7% change). The surname moved down 10,703 positions in the national ranking, going from #81,181 to #91,884.
FAQ
Ninham surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ninham?
Name Census estimates that about 247 living Americans carry the surname Ninham. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,387,669 residents.
How common is Ninham?
Ninham ranks #91,884 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.07 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 215 people with the surname Ninham. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (247), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.07 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 Ninham.
Has Ninham become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ninham went from 233 recorded bearers to 215. That is a decrease of 18 (-7.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #81,181 to #91,884.
What does the Census say about the background of Ninham?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ninham, the largest self-reported group is American Indian/Alaska Native at 68.4%. The next largest groups are White (11.2%) and Two or More Races (10.7%). 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?
American Indian/Alaska Native is the largest self-reported group for the surname Ninham in the 2020 Census, accounting for 68.4% (147 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ninham appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are American Indian/Alaska Native (68.4%), White (11.2%), Two or More Races (10.7%). 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 Ninham (2000, 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 Ninham mean?
An English surname derived from a place name originating from "ing" meaning meadow and "ham" meaning village. 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 Ninham (0.07 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 common is the surname Ninham?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Ninham at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.