Hams History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestors of the bearers of the Hams family name are thought have lived in ancient Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found in the county of Sussex, England in an area that was known by the low-lying land near a stream. 1 The surname Hams was originally derived from the Old English word hamme, or hamm which also has patronymic origins.

There is a Norman connection with this name too. There we found the name was derived from the Castle of Ham, Normandy. William du Hamm was listed in Normandy in 1180-98 and the same reference lists William and Alexander de Ham in England c.1272. 2

Finally, the name could have been derived from Ham who according to the Table of Nations in the Book of Genesis, was the second son of Noah and the father of Cush, Mizraim, Phut and Canaan.

Early Origins of the Hams family

The surname Hams was first found in Sussex where one of the first records of the name was Robert de la Hamme who was listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1275. The same reference also includes: John de Hamme in Wiltshire; and William de Hamme in Cambridge. 1 Johannes Hamme was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 and in Somerset, we found: Alice de Hamme; John atte Ham; Martin atte Ham; and Juliana in le Hame. All entries were 1 Edward III (during the first year of King Edwrad III's reign.) 3

Early History of the Hams family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hams research. Another 224 words (16 lines of text) covering the years 1275, 1296, 1433, 1568, 1600, 1610, 1617, 1640, 1676, 1776, 1812 and 1864 are included under the topic Early Hams History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hams Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Hams include Ham, Hamm, Hame, Hamey and others.

Early Notables of the Hams family

Notables of this surname at this time include: John Ham, English Member of Parliament MP for New Shoreham, West Sussex in 1433. Baldwin Hamey the Elder, M.D. (1568-1640), was an English physician, descended from Odo de Hame, who served under the Count of Flanders at the siege of Acre, and was born at Bruges in 1568.Baldwin Hamey the Younger, M.D. (1600-1676)...
Another 61 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hams Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hams migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Hams or a variant listed above:

Hams Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

J B Hams, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 4
H Hams, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 4

Hams migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Hams Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. Josiah Hams U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1784 5

Hams migration to Australia +

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

Hams Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. William Hams, English convict who was convicted in Canterbury (St Augustine's), Kent, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Eden" on 30th September 1848, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Island) 6
Edward Hams, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Elizabeth" in 1849 7
Sarah Hams, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "John Mitchell" in 1849 8
Edward Hams, aged 32, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Warren Hastings"

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
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)
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
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 15th November 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eden
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) ELIZABETH 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Elizabeth.htm
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The JOHN MITCHELL 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849JohnMitchell.htm