The Needham surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 10,983 people carried this name — #3,289 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 26,900 people counted. That is up 2% from 10,809 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Needham surname

A habitational surname from Old English.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Needham» (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 Needham’.

An early record he cites: Thomas de Nedham, Norfolk, 1227 — 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. 551 · public domain.

In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890

Ireland registered 7 births for the Needham name in 1890.

Most were registered in Connacht. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 300 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time. The Registrar-General’s note on the name: “5 in Mayo.”

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born, 1890

Connacht 5
Munster 1
Ulster 1

Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Needham was found among the farmers of 4 counties.

It was most frequent in Derbyshire: 38 in every 10,000 farmers there — about 1 in 263. Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Derbyshire 38
Lincolnshire 24
Leicestershire and Rutland 17
Staffordshire 12

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In Scotland’s registers today

Needham was recorded 12 times in Scotland’s registers of births, marriages and deaths in 2025.

That made it the 1665th most common name in those registers, shared with others on the same count. Each birth counts the child’s surname, each marriage both partners’ and each death the surname of the person who died — a yearly count of registrations, not of the people who live in Scotland.

National Records of Scotland, «Most Common Surnames, 2025» (published 26 May 2026): every surname recorded 10 or more times in the 2025 registers, and the series from 1975 · different spellings are counted separately — © Crown copyright 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

53 families named Needham, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 308 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

Massachusetts 29
North Carolina 10
New York 7
Maryland 3
Connecticut 2
New Hampshire 1
Vermont 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. 255 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Needham in American newspapers,
1886–1922.

Newspaper page from Smyrna Times carrying the name Needham
Smyrna Times 1922-02-01
Newspaper page from The Times And Democrat carrying the name Needham
The Times And Democrat 1886-06-10
Newspaper page from The Times And Democrat carrying the name Needham
The Times And Democrat 1886-06-03

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 95,443 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Needham in Australian newspapers,
1830s–1990s.

32,899 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Needham. The most, 5,896, date from the 1900s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in Western Australia, at 3.5 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Western Australia 9,163
Victoria 9,006
New South Wales 4,707
Queensland 4,458
South Australia 3,609
Tasmania 1,724
ACT (Canberra) 177
Northern Territory 12

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

Who carried it

People named Needham,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Robert Needham d. 1661 · politician
  • Lucy Martineau d. 1887
  • Thomas Needham, 6th Viscount Kilmorey d. 1687
  • Sandra Needham d. 1979
  • William Needham d. 1886
  • Charlotte Matilda Trench d. 1854

Wikidata (CC0) · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Needham,
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 States1,391 records

1,391 records of the Needham name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 410
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 297
  • Other U.S. records 684
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Russell Dean Needham

    Born 1946; from North Platte, Nebraska. U.S. Army, indirect fire infantryman; killed in action 1967 in Quang Ngai, South Vietnam. Buried at Fort McPherson National Cemetery, Nebraska.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record John F. Needham

    Born 1917 in Texas. Enlisted 1942 at Tyler; farm hand from Shelby County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1999, buried at Ramah Cemetery, Carthage, Texas.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Susan Needham

    Arrived at New York in 1885 aboard the City of Rome from Liverpool, aged 26; helper. From Liverpool, England.

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

Showing 3 of 1,391 records for Needham in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · 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, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia690 records

690 records of the Needham name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 325
  • Tasmanian Names Index 128
  • Other Australian records 237
  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 Maria Needham

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Mary, sailing from London in 1831. Native of Paddington, Middlesex. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1836. Married 1836 in Launceston, Tasmania.

    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 Ann Eliza Needham

    Arrived in Tasmania in 1855 aboard the Startled Fawn. Married 1875 in Hobart, Tasmania, aged 28.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record William Needham

    Died 1875 in Hobart, Tasmania, aged 27. Will registered in Tasmania in 1875.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 690 records for Needham 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); 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).

Canada57 records

57 records of the Needham name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 17
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 12
  • Other Canadian records 28
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record G'o Needham

    Came to Ontario in 1871 aboard the Scan, landing at Quebec, bound for Weston, 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 Frank Needham

    Buried in 1948 at Mount Hermon Cemetery, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, aged 57.

    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 Jessie L. Needham

    Died 1900 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

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

Showing 3 of 57 records for Needham 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. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. 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).

United Kingdom56 records

56 records of the Needham name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 47
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 7
  • Welsh wills index cards 2
  1. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record George Broome Needham

    Will proved in 1937; of Colwyn Bay, Denbigh.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Robert Needham

    Buried in 1812 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 91.

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

    Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1919.

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

Showing 3 of 56 records for Needham in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); 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).

New Zealand28 records

28 records of the Needham name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 22
  • Waimakariri District cemetery records, Canterbury 4
  • Thames-Coromandel District cemetery records 2
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Samuel Needham

    Died 1905, aged 71; buried at Linwood 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 Judith Edna Needham

    Died 1999, aged 71; buried at Mercury Bay Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Leonard Needham

    Died 1960; buried at Kaiapoi Anglican Cemetery, Canterbury.

    Waimakariri District Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 28 records for Needham in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Waimakariri District Council (CC BY 4.0) · Thames-Coromandel District 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).

Ireland4 records

4 records of the Needham name in Ireland County Galway graveyard records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Thomas Needham

    Died 1941, aged 33; buried at Ballinakill, 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 William Needham

    Died 2000, aged 69; buried at Ballinakill, 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 Patrick Gerard Needham

    Died 1976; buried at Ballinakill, Co. Galway.

    Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 4 records for Needham 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).

Netherlands1 record

1 record of the Needham name in the Netherlands Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths)
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record John Joseph Needham

    Married in 1946 in Utrecht.

    Open Archives, Het Utrechts Archief (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).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Needham.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Needham 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.

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