The Lanham surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 10,170 people carried this name — #3,513 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 29,000 people counted. That is up 5% from 9,689 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Lanham surname

As an English and Welsh surname

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

An early record he cites: William de Langham, Suffolk, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

His entry covers Langham and Lanham.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 467 · public domain.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

46 families named Lanham, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 254 people lived in those households, 5.5 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 2 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

Maryland 31
Massachusetts 6
Virginia 5
North Carolina 3
Connecticut 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. 249 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Lanham in American newspapers,
1905–1910.

Newspaper page from The Wenatchee Daily World carrying the name Lanham
The Wenatchee Daily World 1905-09-13
Newspaper page from The Wenatchee Daily World carrying the name Lanham
The Wenatchee Daily World 1908-11-03
Newspaper page from The Wenatchee Daily World carrying the name Lanham
The Wenatchee Daily World 1910-06-22

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 35,654 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Lanham in Australian newspapers,
1840s–1990s.

7,848 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Lanham. The most, 2,004, date from the 1930s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in Queensland, at 3.0 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Queensland 4,713
New South Wales 1,996
South Australia 284
Western Australia 261
Victoria 224
Tasmania 192
ACT (Canberra) 141
Northern Territory 23

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

Who carried it

People named Lanham,
with a public archive behind them.

  • S. W. T. Lanham
    S. W. T. Lanham 1846–1908 · lawyer
  • Fritz G. Lanham
    Fritz G. Lanham 1880–1965 · lawyer
  • Henderson Lovelace Lanham
    Henderson Lovelace Lanham 1888–1957 · lawyer
  • Charles T. Lanham
    Charles T. Lanham 1902–1978 · military personnel
  • James Warren Lanham 1832– · writer
  • Edwin Moultrie Lanham 1877–1908

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 Lanham,
in the records of 7 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 States499 records

499 records of the Lanham name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 331
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 128
  • Other U.S. records 40
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Glenn O. Lanham

    Born 1902 in Missouri. Enlisted 1942 at Jefferson Barracks; watchman from Greene County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1989, buried at Springfield National Cemetery, Missouri.

    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 Donald Gene Lanham

    Born 1949; from Rainelle, West Virginia. U.S. Marine Corps, combat engineer; killed in action 1969 in Quang Nam, 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 Thomas Lanham

    Arrived at New York in 1870 aboard the Colorado from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 20; laborer. From England.

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

Showing 3 of 499 records for Lanham in the United States.

Counts: 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) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (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).

Australia164 records

164 records of the Lanham name in Australia
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 55
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 50
  • Other Australian records 59
  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 George Lanham

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Mary, sailing from London in 1829. Native of Horsham, Sussex.

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

    Arrived in Victoria in 1852 aboard the Washington Irving, aged 2; Scottish.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record George Lanham

    Cooper of Balwyn, Victoria; died 1945.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 164 records for Lanham in Australia.

Counts: Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0). 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); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

United Kingdom11 records

11 records of the Lanham name in the United Kingdom
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 6
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 5
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Mary Lanham

    Buried in 1797 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 28.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record W. Lanham

    Gunner, Royal Garrison Artillery. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1919.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record E. A. Lanham

    Manchester 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 11 records for Lanham in the United Kingdom.

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

Canada7 records

7 records of the Lanham name in Canada
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 3
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 3
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 1
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Stanley Michael Lanham

    Buried in 1979 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 36.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  2. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Albert Edward Lanham

    Died in service in 1917.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record A. E. Lanham

    Manitoba 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 7 records for Lanham in Canada.

Counts: City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

France5 records

5 records of the Lanham 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 Jeanne Jeannette Lanham

    Born 1902 in Calonne-Ricouart (Pas-de-Calais); died 1984 in Lomme (Nord).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Lucienne Denise Charlotte Lanham

    Born 1930 in Paris; died 1987 in Bagnolet (Seine-Saint-Denis).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  3. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Fernand Lanham

    Born 1904 in Paris; died 1992 in Sceaux (Hauts-de-Seine).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 3 of 5 records for Lanham 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).

New Zealand2 records

2 records of the Lanham 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 Jessie Lanham

    Died 1922, aged 42; buried at Bromley Cemetery, 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 Walter Robert Lanham

    Died 1949, aged 66; buried at Bromley Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

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).

Netherlands2 records

2 records of the Lanham name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch population registers 1
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 1
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Violet Ellen Lanham

    Married in 1938 in Bussum.

    Open Archives, Noord-Hollands Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register May Lanham

    In a population register; born 1899 in Londen.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Enschede (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Lanham.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Lanham 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 Lanham volume
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