History of your Surname
Get access to Kilham family records.Start a free trial

Kilham Family History

Kilham Name Meaning

from Kilham (ER Yorks) Kilham in Cantley (WR Yorks) or Kilham in Kirknewton (Northumb). The ER Yorks and Northumb place-names are recorded as Killum in medieval documents and probably mean ‘at the kilns’ from Old English cylnum dative plural of cyln ‘kiln’. The WR Yorks place-name is recorded as Kilholme in 1557 and may derive from an Old English personal name Cylla or Old English cyln ‘kiln’ + Old Scandinavian holmr ‘small island water meadow’.

Source: The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland, 2016


Similar surnames: Killam, Milham, Gilham, Wilham, Witham, Kirkham, Winham, Kilday

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Kilham family from?

You can see how Kilham families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Kilham family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Kilham families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1840 there were 8 Kilham families living in Massachusetts. This was about 67% of all the recorded Kilham's in USA. Massachusetts had the highest population of Kilham families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Kilham surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Kilham ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Maid were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Kilham. 31% of Kilham men worked as a Farmer and 34% of Kilham women worked as a Maid. Some less common occupations for Americans named Kilham were Manager and Saleslady. .

View Census Data for Kilham | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    31%
  • Laborer
    24%
  • Salesman
    16%
  • Manager
    16%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Maid
    34%
  • Stenographer
    34%
  • Saleslady
    34%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Kilham family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 5,000 census records available for the last name Kilham. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Kilham census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Kilham

Passenger Lists

There are 439 immigration records available for the last name Kilham. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Kilham immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 355 military records available for the last name Kilham. For the veterans among your Kilham ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Kilham military records

You've only scratched the surface of Kilham family history

Discover More

What is the average Kilham lifespan?

Between 1963 and 2004, in the United States, Kilham life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1989, and highest in 1991. The average life expectancy for Kilham in 1963 was 76, and 80 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Kilham

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Kilham family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Kilham last name

Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial