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

Oldham, 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 Oldham surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Oldham in America

Oldham is the 2792nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Oldham surname appeared 12,928 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Oldham.

We can also compare 2010 data for Oldham 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 Oldham

The surname Oldham is of English origin, deriving from the place name Oldham in Greater Manchester, England. The name Oldham is formed from the Old English words "eald" meaning "old" and "ham" meaning "home" or "homestead."

The earliest recorded use of the surname Oldham can be traced back to the late 12th century. One of the earliest known references to the name appears in the Pipe Rolls of Lancashire in 1194, where it is written as "de Oldeham." This suggests that the name was initially used to denote someone from the town of Oldham.

During the medieval period, the surname Oldham appeared in various documents and records, such as the Assize Rolls of Lancashire in 1246, where it is spelled "de Oldham." The name is also found in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Lancashire in 1332, indicating its continued use and presence in the region.

In the 16th century, the surname Oldham is recorded in the Parish Registers of Oldham, further solidifying its association with the town. One notable individual from this period is Hugh Oldham, born in Oldham around 1452, who became the Bishop of Exeter and served as the Lord Privy Seal under King Henry VII.

In the 17th century, the Oldham family gained prominence with John Oldham (1600-1636), an English satirical poet and translator. Another notable figure was Hugh Oldham (1619-1677), a Puritan minister and co-founder of Yale College in Connecticut, USA.

The 18th century saw the rise of Thomas Oldham (1718-1757), a British merchant and member of the East India Company, who was instrumental in establishing British trade relations with India.

In the 19th century, Thomas Oldham (1816-1878) was a renowned Irish geologist and director of the Geological Survey of India, while John Oldham (1779-1840) was a British mathematician and author of several influential works on mathematics and astronomy.

The 20th century brought forth notable individuals like Richard D. Oldham (1858-1936), a British geophysicist known for his contributions to the study of earthquakes, and John Oldham (1907-1976), an English poet and writer who was part of the literary movement known as "The Movement."

Overall, the surname Oldham has a rich history rooted in the town of Oldham in Greater Manchester, England, and has been associated with numerous individuals from various fields throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Oldham

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

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

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

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