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Chatham Family History

Chatham Name Meaning

English (West Midlands and Lancashire): variant of Cheetham . English: habitational name from Chatham in Kent or possibly from Chatham Green in Essex both named from Celtic cēd ‘wood’ (modern Welsh coed) + Old English hām ‘homestead’.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Cheetham, Tatham, Clapham, Canham, Hotham, Barham, Statham, Lapham

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Chatham family from?

You can see how Chatham families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Chatham family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Chatham families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 15 Chatham families living in Ontario. This was about 44% of all the recorded Chatham's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Chatham families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Chatham surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Chatham ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Clerk were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Chatham. 56% of Chatham men worked as a Farmer and 100% of Chatham women worked as a Clerk. .

View Census Data for Chatham | 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 1921

  • Farmer
    56%
  • Laborer
    23%
  • Blacksmith
    23%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Clerk
    100%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Chatham family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 25,000 census records available for the last name Chatham. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Chatham census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Chatham

Passenger Lists

There are 2,000 immigration records available for the last name Chatham. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Chatham immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 8,000 military records available for the last name Chatham. For the veterans among your Chatham ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Chatham military records

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What is the average Chatham lifespan?

Between 1946 and 2004, in the United States, Chatham life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1946, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Chatham in 1946 was 37, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Chatham

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Chatham family tree

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