The Pelham surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 3,282 people carried this name — #9,854 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 90,100 people counted. That is up 3% from 3,175 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Pelham surname

A habitational surname from Old English.

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

An early record he cites: Geoffrey de Pelham, Suffolk, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 594 · public domain.

In print

Pelham in American newspapers,
1913–1923.

Newspaper page from The Seattle Star carrying the name Pelham
The Seattle Star 1913-06-28
Newspaper page from The Tacoma Times carrying the name Pelham
The Tacoma Times 1913-06-28
Newspaper page from The Milwaukee Leader carrying the name Pelham
The Milwaukee Leader 1923-11-13

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 86,929 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Pelham in Australian newspapers,
1820s–1990s.

11,469 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Pelham. The most, 2,260, date from the 1910s. Queensland 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 South Australia, at 1.5 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Queensland 2,557
Victoria 2,419
South Australia 2,111
New South Wales 1,996
Western Australia 1,327
Tasmania 988
ACT (Canberra) 49
Northern Territory 5

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

Who carried it

People named Pelham,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Edmund Pelham d. 1606 · judge
  • John Pelham d. 1429 · politician
  • Gertrude Adams d. 1911 · aristocrat
  • Dorothy Pelham d. 1613
  • Lucy Pelham d. 1721
  • Barbara Hilda Fordham d. 1969

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

In the public record

People named Pelham,
in the records of 6 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 States368 records

368 records of the Pelham name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 129
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 114
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 54
  • New York State death index (outside NYC), 1957–2001 42
  • U.S. alien registration index, 1940–1955 15
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 11
  • U.S. service members who died in the Vietnam War 2
  • Riverside Cemetery, Asheville (North Carolina) 1
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Lester Leon Pelham

    Born 1944; from Westminster, California. U.S. Army, infantryman; killed in action 1967 in South Vietnam. Buried at Camp Butler National Cemetery, Illinois.

    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 Eugene B. Pelham

    Born 1918 in Tennessee. Enlisted 1944 at Camp Shelby, Mississippi; transport worker. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1967, buried at Chattanooga National Cemetery, Tennessee.

    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 Fredrick Pelham

    Arrived at New York in 1884 aboard the Nevada from Liverpool, aged 20; laborer. From England.

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

Showing 3 of 368 records for Pelham in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · City of Asheville (public domain, PDDL). 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).

Australia240 records

240 records of the Pelham name in Australia
  • Tasmanian Names Index 160
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 67
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 7
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 3
  • NSW convict, estate and railway indexes 2
  • State Library of Western Australia indexes 1
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record John Henry Pelham

    Married 1879 in Hobart, Tasmania, aged 23. Died 1938 in Tasmania, aged 81.

    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 Mary Jane Pelham

    Died 1932 in Tasmania, aged 79. Will registered in Tasmania in 1932.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. 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 Sarah Pelham

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Aeolus, arriving 1809; certificate of freedom 1825.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)

Showing 3 of 240 records for Pelham in Australia.

Counts: Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Public Record Office Victoria (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). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain).

Canada101 records

101 records of the Pelham name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 97
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 3
  • Ontario immigration records, 1865–1883 1
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Lizzie Pelham

    Came to Ontario in 1875 aboard the Prussian, landing at Quebec, bound for Coboconk, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record John D. Pelham

    Died 1929 in Janvrins Island, Richmond, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  3. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Beatrice Floss Pelham

    Died 1905; buried at Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver, British Columbia.

    City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver.

Showing 3 of 101 records for Pelham in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · 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); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0).

United Kingdom5 records

5 records of the Pelham name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 4
  • 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 Thomas Alice Pelham

    Buried in 1851 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 56.

    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 H. Pelham

    Welsh Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    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. Pelham

    Essex Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

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

Showing 3 of 5 records for Pelham 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. 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).

Netherlands2 records

2 records of the Pelham 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 John Buxton Pelham

    Married in 1940 in Heemstede; "gezantschapssecretaris".

    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 Arthur Pelham

    In the population register of Middelburg; born 1861 in Londen.

    Open Archives, Zeeuws 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); U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

New Zealand1 record

1 record of the Pelham 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 Luke Pelham

    Died 1894, aged 66; buried at Linwood 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).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Pelham.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Pelham 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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