2000
#2,600
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,763
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.73
Uncommon Last name
Markham
From an English place name, derived from Old English elements meaning "boundary" and "homestead."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 14,208 Americans carry the last name Markham. That puts it at #2,828 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.15 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 24,124 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Markham surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Markham with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
14K
1 in 24,124
Census rank
#2,828
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
12K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 12,390 bearers of the surname Markham in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.15 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2828th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Markham, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.6%. The next largest groups are Black (6.2%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Markham
The surname Markham is an English toponymic name derived from the place name Markham, which itself is composed of the Old English words "mere" meaning pool or lake, and "ham" meaning homestead or village. This suggests that the name originated from a settlement near a pool or lake.
The name is believed to have originated in the village of Markham in Nottinghamshire, England. It first appeared in written records during the 12th century, with one of the earliest known instances being a William de Markham mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1166.
In the Domesday Book of 1086, the village of Markham was referred to as "Marcham", which further supports the derivation from the Old English words "mere" and "ham". This spelling variation was common in early records.
One of the earliest prominent individuals with the surname Markham was John Markham (c.1349-1409), an English politician and judge who served as Chief Justice of the King's Bench under King Henry IV.
Another notable figure was Sir John Markham (c.1510-1559), an English soldier and politician who served as Lord Chief Justice of England from 1537 to 1544 during the reign of King Henry VIII.
In the 16th century, the name was also associated with the Markham family of Sedgebrook, Lincolnshire. This family produced several notable individuals, including Sir Griffin Markham (c.1530-1604), an English soldier and writer, and his son Gervase Markham (c.1568-1637), an English poet, author, and husbandry writer.
The surname Markham also has a connection to the American colonies, with Daniel Markham (c.1615-1689) being one of the earliest recorded individuals with the name to settle in Virginia in the 17th century.
Another prominent figure was William Markham (1635-1704), an English colonial administrator who served as the Deputy Governor of Pennsylvania from 1681 to 1682 and later as the fourth Governor of Pennsylvania from 1693 to 1699.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Markham
Among Census respondents with the surname Markham, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.6%. The next largest groups are Black (6.2%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Markham bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Markham surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.6% · 10,488
- Black or African American6.2% · 773
- Two or more races4.8% · 599
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 390
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 106
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 34
Timeline
Historical Census data for Markham
Markham appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#2,741
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,137
+374 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 4.45
Rank movement Down 141 places
2020
#2,828
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,390
-747 bearers (-5.7%)
Per 100,000 4.15
Rank movement Down 87 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,600 | 12,763 | 4.73 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,741 | 13,137 | 4.45 | +374 bearers (+2.9%) | Down 141 places |
| 2020 | #2,828 | 12,390 | 4.15 | -747 bearers (-5.7%) | Down 87 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Markham surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,741 | #2,828 | -3.2% |
| Count | 13,137 | 12,390 | -5.7% |
| Per 100K | 4.45 | 4.15 | -6.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Markham bearers went from 13,137 to 12,390 (-5.7% change). The surname moved down 87 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,741 to #2,828.
FAQ
Markham surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Markham?
Name Census estimates that about 14,208 living Americans carry the surname Markham. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 24,124 residents.
How common is Markham?
Markham ranks #2,828 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.15 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 12,390 people with the surname Markham. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (14,208), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.15 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.15 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Markham.
Has Markham become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Markham went from 13,137 recorded bearers to 12,390. That is a decrease of 747 (-5.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,741 to #2,828.
What does the Census say about the background of Markham?
Among Census respondents with the surname Markham, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.6%. The next largest groups are Black (6.2%) and Two or More Races (4.8%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Markham in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.6% (10,488 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Markham appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.6%), Black (6.2%), Two or More Races (4.8%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Markham (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Markham mean?
From an English place name, derived from Old English elements meaning "boundary" and "homestead." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Markham (4.15 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Markham?
If you just want to know how common the surname Markham is, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.