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Show ContentsBirmingham History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
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Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

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The Anglo-Saxon name Birmingham comes from the family having resided in or around the city of Birmingham in Warwickshire. This place-name predates the Domesday Book and is thought by historians to have evolved from the Old English Beornmundingaham, meaning, homestead of the people of Beornmund. 1

Another source claims that the place name's "etymology is involved in great uncertainty. Dugdale, from its Saxon termination, deduces it from the first Saxon lord; while others assign to it an origin of much higher antiquity, inferring that, with more probability, the first Saxon proprietor took his name from that of the town, which they suppose to have been originally 'Bromwych,' from the quantity of broom formerly growing in the neighbourhood". 2

Early Origins of the Birmingham family

The surname Birmingham was first found in Warwickshire. While the family is generally understood to have hailed from this area, we must look to Staffordshire to find the first record of the name, specifically Peter de Bremingeham who was listed there in the Pipe Rolls of 1170. Gilbert de Birmingeham was listed in the Feet of Fines for Lincolnshire in 1271 and John de Burmyngham was listed in Warwickshire in 1333. 3

The place name dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 when it was first listed as Bermingeham. 4 The family is just as populous in Ireland as "the noble and warlike family of the Bremichams, earls of Louth, in Ireland were instrumental in assisting Strongbow, Earl of Pembroke, in the conquest of that country. " 2

Sir John Bermingham Earl of Louth (d. 1328), was the second son of Piers or Peter, third Lord of Athenry. "In 1312 he was knighted by Mortimer, the viceroy, for assisting to expel the De Lacys from Meath. In 1318 he was appointed commander-in-chief of the English forces in Ireland, and marched north with about 1,600 men against Edward Bruce."

Little Barningham in Norfolk was an ancient family seat. "A charter for a market and a fair was granted by Edward I. to Walter de Berningham, who at that time possessed the manor." 2

William de Bermingham, who attended Edward I. into Gascony, was made prisoner at the siege of Bellegarde in 1297 and his descendant William, who was summoned to parliament by the title of William, Lord Birmingham, in the 1st of Edward III.

Richard de Berningham (fl. 1313), was a Justice Itinerant. "There were two families of this name in the reign of Edward II, one in Yorkshire and the other in Norfolk. Both contained a Richard de Berningham, the former a son of John de Berningham, the latter of Walter de Berningham, lord of the manor of Hanteyns Barnham, Norfolk. " 5

Early History of the Birmingham family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Birmingham research. Another 58 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1050, 1170, 1289, 1311, 1328, 1420, 1483, 1490, 1513, 1515, 1532, 1584, 1685, 1750 and 1992 are included under the topic Early Birmingham History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Birmingham Spelling Variations

Birmingham has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Spelling variants included: Bermingham, Berminean, Bermingcham, Berminham, Bremingham, Birmingham and many more.

Early Notables of the Birmingham family

Distinguished members of the family include Philip Bermingham (c.1420-1490) an Irish judge who held the office of Lord Chief Justice of Ireland. He was regarded as "the most learned Irish lawyer of his time", but he had...
Another 37 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Birmingham Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Birmingham Ranking

In the United States, the name Birmingham is the 5,559th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 6

Ireland Migration of the Birmingham family to Ireland

Some of the Birmingham family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 226 words (16 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

United States Birmingham migration to the United States +

In an attempt to escape the chaos experienced in England, many English families boarded overcrowded and diseased ships sailing for the shores of North America and other British colonies. Those families hardy enough, and lucky enough, to make the passage intact were rewarded with land and a social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families became important contributors to the young colonies in which they settled. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Birminghams to arrive on North American shores:

Birmingham Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • John Birmingham, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1812 7
  • Andrew Birmingham, who landed in New York in 1837 7
  • Timothy Birmingham, who arrived in Charleston, South Carolina in 1846 7
  • Bridget Birmingham, Daniel, Gillespie, James, John, Margaret, Mary, Michael, Pat, Thomas, and Biddy, all arrived in Philadelphia between 1849 and 1878
  • Margaret Birmingham, aged 13, who arrived in Mobile, Ala in 1851 7
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Canada Birmingham migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Birmingham Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Mr. James Birmingham U.E. who settled in New Brunswick c. 1783 8
Birmingham Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Daniel Birmingham, aged 2 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Columbia" departing 1st May 1847 from Sligo, Ireland; the ship arrived on 10th June 1847 but he died on board 9
  • Mr. Patrick Birmingham, aged 33 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Abbotsford" departing 23rd April 1847 from Dublin, Ireland; the ship arrived on 21st June 1847 but he died on board 9

Australia Birmingham migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Birmingham Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Miss Elizabeth Birmingham, Irish convict who was convicted in Ireland, transported aboard the "Canada" on 21st March 1817, arriving in New South Wales, Australia then transported on to Tasmania per "Elizabeth Henrietta" 10
  • Mr. Patrick Birmingham, (b. 1813), aged 14, Irish errand boy who was convicted in Dublin, Ireland for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the “Countess of Harcourt“ on 14th February 1827, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 11
  • Edward Birmingham, a house-smith, who arrived in New South Wales, Australia sometime between 1825 and 1832
  • Mr. Patrick Birmingham, (b. 1813), aged 14, Irish errand boy who was convicted in Dublin, Ireland for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Countess of Harcourt" on 28th June 1827, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 12
  • John Birmingham, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Birman" in 1840 13
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

New Zealand Birmingham migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Birmingham Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • John Birmingham, aged 25, a labourer, who arrived in Port Nicholson aboard the ship "Olympus" in 1841
  • Mr. John Birmingham, (b. 1815), aged 25, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Olympus" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 20th April 1841 14
  • Mr. Henry Birmingham, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Inchinnan" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 27th May 1852 15
  • Henry Birmingham, aged 41, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Inchinnan" in 1852 15
  • Bridget Birmingham, aged 41, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Inchinnan" in 1852 15
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Birmingham (post 1700) +

  • Kevin Michael Birmingham (1971-2023), American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who was named auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Chicago in 2020
  • Joseph "Joe" Birmingham (1884-1946), American Major League Baseball player for the Cleveland Naps (1906-1914)
  • Thomas Francis "Tom" Birmingham (1949-2023), American politician, President of the Massachusetts Senate (1996-2002), Member of the Massachusetts Senate from the Middlesex, Suffolk and Essex district (1991-2002)
  • Stephen Gardner Birmingham (1929-2015), American author of both fiction and non-fiction; his biographies include those of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Wallis Warfield Windsor, and novelist John Marquand
  • John Birmingham (b. 1977), American filmmaker
  • DeCori Birmingham (b. 1982), American retired NFL football running back
  • John Birmingham (b. 1964), England-born, Australian author, known for the 1994 memoir He Died with a Felafel in His Hand, and his Axis of Time trilogy.
  • Billy Birmingham (b. 1953), Australian humourist and sports journalist, known for his parodies of Australian cricket commentary in recordings under The Twelfth Man name
  • John Birmingham (1816-1884), Irish astronomer, amateur geologist, polymath and poet from Millbrook, near Tuam, Ireland 16
  • Simon John Birmingham (b. 1974), Australian Liberal Party politician, member of the Australian Senate
  • ... (Another 2 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
  1. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  2. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  3. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  4. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  5. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  6. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  7. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  8. Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
  9. Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 65)
  10. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 9th December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/canada
  11. Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 19th April 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/countess-of-harcourt
  12. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 19th April 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/countess-of-harcourt
  13. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) BIRMAN 1840. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1840Birman.htm
  14. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  15. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  16. Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 24 Jun. 2019
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