The Fordham surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 4,838 people carried this name — #6,930 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 61,000 people counted. That is up 4% from 4,639 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Fordham surname

From Old English ford + either hām (“homestead”) or hamm (“promontory”).

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Fordham» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a local name, from where the family lived: ‘of Fordham’.

An early record he cites: Andrew de Fordham, rector of Griston, Norfolk, 1213 — History of Norfolk (Blomefield and Parkin).

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 295 · public domain.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

19 families named Fordham, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 110 people lived in those households, 5.8 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 3 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

New York 14
Pennsylvania 2
Vermont 1
North Carolina 1
South Carolina 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 240 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Fordham in American newspapers,
1898–1909.

Newspaper page from Pinedale Roundup carrying the name Fordham
Pinedale Roundup 1909-12-16
Newspaper page from The Salt Lake Tribune carrying the name Fordham
The Salt Lake Tribune 1909-05-16
Newspaper page from The Seattle Post-intelligencer carrying the name Fordham
The Seattle Post-intelligencer 1898-03-06

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 66,584 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Fordham in Australian newspapers,
1830s–2000s.

11,775 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Fordham. The most, 2,151, date from the 1930s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in the Northern Territory, at 4.0 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 3,303
Western Australia 2,801
Victoria 1,629
Queensland 1,475
South Australia 1,365
Tasmania 914
ACT (Canberra) 183
Northern Territory 72

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Fordham.

Who carried it

People named Fordham,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Fannie Fordham
    Fannie Fordham d. 1896
  • George Fordham
    George Fordham 1837–1887 · jockey
  • Edward Snow Fordham
    Edward Snow Fordham 1858–1919
  • Barbara Hilda Fordham d. 1969
  • Elias Pym Fordham 1788–1850
  • Edward King Fordham 1810–1889

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Fordham,
in the records of 8 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States482 records

482 records of the Fordham name in the United States
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 147
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 142
  • Other U.S. records 193
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Frederick J. Fordham

    Born 1915 in Massachusetts. Enlisted 1943 at Boston; driver from Norfolk County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1999, buried at Massachusetts National Cemetery, Massachusetts.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record John Laverne Fordham

    Born 1949; from Sheffield, Illinois. U.S. Marine Corps, machinegunner; killed in action 1969 in Quang Tri, South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record John Fordham

    Arrived at New York in 1883 aboard the City of Paris from Liverpool, aged 29; laborer. From Ireland; bound for New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 482 records for Fordham in the United States.

Counts: NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia487 records

487 records of the Fordham name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 207
  • Tasmanian Names Index 120
  • Other Australian records 160
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Thomas Fordham

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Henrietta in 1843. Native of Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1851. Married 1851 in Westbury, Tasmania, aged 29.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Arthur Zelious Fordham

    Died 1923 in West¿devonport, Tasmania. Will registered in Tasmania in 1924.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Ellen Fordham

    Arrived in Queensland in 1886 aboard the Roma, aged 17.

    Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 487 records for Fordham in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Canada35 records

35 records of the Fordham name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 18
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 5
  • Other Canadian records 12
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Jno Fordham

    Came to Ontario in 1870 aboard the Tweed, landing at Quebec, bound for London, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Elizabeth Fordham

    Buried in 1983 at Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, Nova Scotia, aged 79.

    Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record George W. Fordham

    Died 1953 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 35 records for Fordham in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Ireland17 records

17 records of the Fordham name in Ireland County Galway graveyard records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Martin Fordham

    Died 1990, aged 73; buried at Drumacoo, Co. Galway.

    Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Brian Fordham

    Died 1977; buried at Rakerin, Co. Galway.

    Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Michael Fordham

    Died 1999, aged 66; buried at Drumacoo, Co. Galway.

    Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 17 records for Fordham in Ireland.

Counts: Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

United Kingdom15 records

15 records of the Fordham name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 13
  • Welsh wills index cards 1
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record James Fordham

    Buried in 1828 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 69.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Charles Fordham

    Will proved in 1930; of Swansea.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record R. Fordham

    Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment). Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 15 records for Fordham in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand8 records

8 records of the Fordham name in New Zealand Christchurch City cemetery records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Roland Cordner Fordham

    Died 1965, aged 65; buried at Ruru Lawn, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Thomas Fordham

    Died 1926, aged 61; buried at Rutherford Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Myra Brown Fordham

    Died 1935, aged 49; buried at Linwood Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 8 records for Fordham in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

France3 records

3 records of the Fordham name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Mathilda Fordham

    Born 1894 in Vouziers (Ardennes); died 1992 in Chantilly (Oise).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Douglas Francis Fordham

    Born 1917 in India; died 1998 in Marseille (Bouches-du-Rhône).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 2 of 3 records for Fordham in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Netherlands1 record

1 record of the Fordham name in the Netherlands Dutch population registers
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Edith Fordham

    In a population register.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Fordham.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Fordham is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

See the Fordham volume
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