Dillingham History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Today's generation of the Dillingham family bears a name that was brought to England by the migration wave that was started by the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Dillingham family lived the Old French given name Guillaume. The name Guillaume was modified into two forms after arriving in England: Gillham; from which Gillingham derives; and William. Alternatively, the name could have been a local name as "of Gillingham." In this case, there are three parishes so named in England: a parish in Norfolk, near Beccles; a parish in Dorset, near Shaftesbury; a parish in Kent, near Chatham. 1

Early Origins of the Dillingham family

The surname Dillingham was first found in Dorset, Norfolk, and in Kent. The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list: Gild de Gillingham in Dorset and Robert de Gyllingham in Norfolk. During the reign of Edward I., Hugh de Gillingham was found in Kent and Robert de Gillingham was found in Norfolk. Richard de Gillyngham, was listed in Somerset, during the reign of Edward III. 1

Another source claims the Dorset local was the original. "The Gillinghams evidently derive their name from the Dorset town thus called." 2

We will take a moment to discuss the ancient history of Gillingham, Kent. "This ancient village, which is recorded in Domesday Book by the name of Gelingeham, was much exposed to the ravages of the Danes; and it is said that 600 noblemen, who landed here in the retinue of Alfred and Edward, were murdered upon the spot, by Earl Godwin. Charles I. erected a fort for the protection of the royal dockyard and navy, which, proving ineffectual to resist the Dutch in their celebrated expedition up the river, in 1667, was subsequently enlarged, and distinguished by the name of Gillingham Castle. The church was formerly remarkable for what was deemed a miraculous image of the Virgin, called 'Our Lady of Gillingham,' in a niche over the western door, to which frequent pilgrimages were made." 3 The Dillingham variant originates in Dullingham (the village of Dulla's people), in Cambridgeshire. 4 5 Today the Gillingham variant is fairly rare while the Dillingham is preferred.

Early History of the Dillingham family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dillingham research. Another 67 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1611, 1613, 1617, 1625, 1678, 1689, 1695 and 1735 are included under the topic Early Dillingham History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dillingham Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, Norman French and other languages became incorporated into English throughout the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Dillingham include Gillingham, Gillam, Gwilliams, Gilham, Dillingham and many more.

Early Notables of the Dillingham family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Francis Dillingham (fl. 1611), was an English divine, a native of Dean, Bedfordshire (1625). He was one of the translators of the authorised version of the Bible (1611). 6
Theophilus Dillingham (1613-1678), was an English churchman and academic, Master of Clare Hall, Cambridge and Archdeacon of Bedford
William Dillingham (1617?-1689), was an English Latin poet and controversialist, son of Thomas Dillingham, rector of Barnwell All Saints, Northamptonshire. 6

Dillingham Ranking

In the United States, the name Dillingham is the 6,042^nd most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 7

Dillingham migration to the United States +

In England at this time, the uncertainty of the political and religious environment of the time caused many families to board ships for distant British colonies in the hopes of finding land and opportunity, and escaping persecution. The voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, though, and many arrived in North America sick, starved, and destitute. Those who did make it, however, were greeted with greater opportunities and freedoms that they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Early immigration records have shown some of the first Dillinghams to arrive on North American shores:

Dillingham Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Mr. John Dillingham, British settler from Leicestershire who sailed from Isle of Wight arriving in Salem, Massachusetts in 1630 aboard the ship "Ambrose" as part of the Winthrop Fleet, found in Boston. 8
Mrs. Sarah Dillingham, British settler from Leicestershire who sailed from Isle of Wight arriving in Salem, Massachusetts in 1630 aboard the ship "Ambrose" as part of the Winthrop Fleet, found in Boston. 8
Miss Sarah Dillingham, British settler from Leicestershire who sailed from Isle of Wight arriving in Salem, Massachusetts in 1630 aboard the ship "Ambrose" as part of the Winthrop Fleet, found in Boston. 8
John Dillingham, who arrived in Ipswich, Massachusetts in 1631 9
Edward Dillingham, who arrived in Lynn, Massachusetts in 1636 9

Dillingham Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

H H Dillingham, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 9

Dillingham migration to Australia +

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

Dillingham Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Thomas Dillingham, English convict who was convicted in London, England for life, transported aboard the "Charles Kerr" on 6th June 1837, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 10

Contemporary Notables of the name Dillingham (post 1700) +

Charles Dillingham (b. 1991), American Managing Director of the Center Theatre Group, Los Angeles
Jay B. Dillingham (1910-2007), American former president of the Kansas City Stockyards
Craig Dillingham (b. 1958), American country music singer and songwriter
Richard Dillingham (1823-1850), American Quaker school teacher and abolitionist from Morrow County, Ohio
Walter Francis Dillingham (1875-1963), American industrialist and businessman from Honolulu, called the Baron of Hawaii Industry
Charles Bancroft Dillingham (1868-1934), American Broadway producer and theater reviewer for the New York Evening Post
Paul Dillingham Jr. (1799-1891), American Republican politician, 29th Governor of Vermont 11
Benjamin Franklin Dillingham (1844-1918), American businessman and industrialist during the late Kingdom of Hawaii
William Paul Dillingham (1843-1923), American Republican politician, 42nd Governor of Vermont 11
Constance Dillingham, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Minnesota, 1952 (alternate), 1956 12
... (Another 8 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's. Retrieved January 6th 2023 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
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)
Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 1st February 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/charles-kerr
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2012, June 29) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 28) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html