Show ContentsFillingham History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Fillingham is an ancient Norman name that arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Fillingham family lived in the town of Fillingham in Lincolnshire.

Early Origins of the Fillingham family

The surname Fillingham was first found in Lincolnshire where they held a family seat at Fillingham from ancient times. Conjecturally they were descended from a Norman noble, Anschitil, who held the manor and village of Fillingham from both Roger of Poitou and the King, which is recorded in the Domesday Book taken in 1086 A.D. Originally called Felingeham this ancient Roman site and church descended to the Lords of the manor of Fillingham about the 12th century.

Early History of the Fillingham family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fillingham research. Another 119 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1361, 1368 and 1952 are included under the topic Early Fillingham History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fillingham Spelling Variations

Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Filingham, Fillingham, Felingham, Fellingham and many more.

Early Notables of the Fillingham family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

  • Fillingham of Lincolnshire


United States Fillingham migration to the United States +

To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Fillingham or a variant listed above:

Fillingham Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Francis Fillingham, who settled in Salem Massachusetts in 1637
  • Mr. Francis Fillingham, (b. 1605), aged 32, British settler and son in law to Benjamin Cooper from Brampton, Suffolk departing May 1637 from England aboard the ship "Mary Ann" arriving in Boston, Massachusetts, United States on 20 June 1637, heading for Salem 1
  • Richard Fillingham, who landed in Maryland in 1672 2

Australia Fillingham migration to Australia +

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

Fillingham Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Thomas Fillingham, British Convict who was convicted in Nottinghamshire, England for life, transported aboard the "Asia" on 5th November 1835, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land)1836 3
  • Mr. James Fillingham, English convict who was convicted in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Earl Grey" on 27th July 1838, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 4
  • Mr. Henry Fillingham, English convict who was convicted in Liverpool, Merseyside, England for life, transported aboard the "Blundell" on 13th March 1844, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Fillingham (post 1700) +

  • Thomas "Tom" Fillingham (1904-1960), English professional footballer who played from 1928 to 1945
  • William Patrick Ingram "Pat" Fillingham FRAes (1914-2003), English test pilot for the de Havilland company
  • Mr. John Fillingham, British sheriff, held the joint position of Sheriff of Nottingham, England from 1645 to 1646
  • Mr. Thomas Fillingham, British sheriff, held the joint position of Sheriff of Nottingham, England from 1708 to 1709
  • Geoffrey Fillingham Nuttall FBA FKC (b. 1911), Welsh/British church historian


  1. Passengers of the Mary Anne of Yarmouth (Retrieved 18th November 2020). Retrieved from http://www.angelfire.com/mi4/polcrt/MaryAnne.html
  2. 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)
  3. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 28th January 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1835
  4. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th August 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-grey
  5. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 25th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/blundell


Houseofnames.com on Facebook