Durham is an English surname and given name that originated as a place name. It derives from the Old English words 'dhur' meaning 'hill' and 'hām' meaning 'homestead'. The name is associated with the city of Durham in northeast England, which was founded in the 10th century around a penitentiary monastery dedicated to Saint Cuthbert.
The name Durham experienced fluctuations in popularity over the years, with a significant rise from the late 2000s onwards. Between 2008 and 2022, there were consistently high numbers of births each year, with peaks in 2009 (19 births) and 2022 (12 births). However, there are notable gaps in data from 1915 to 1947 and again from 1948 to 2001. Overall, the name Durham has been given to at least 293 newborns since 1915.