Harpham History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestry of the name Harpham dates from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It comes from when the family lived in the parish of Harpham in the East Riding of Yorkshire near Great Driffield. 1 2 3

The parish dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 where it was recorded as Arpen, 4 and literally meant "homestead where the harp is played," from the Old English "hearpe" + "ham." 5

Early Origins of the Harpham family

The surname Harpham was first found in Yorkshire 6 where John de Harpham was listed in the Pipe Rolls of 1203. Later, Hervey de Harpham was found in the Feet of Fines for Yorkshire in 1346 and Robert de Harpeham was listed in Nottinghamshire in 1390. 7

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 include an entry for Thomas de Harpam as holding lands there at that time. 8

Early History of the Harpham family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Harpham research. Another 68 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Harpham History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Harpham Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Harpham have been found, including Harpham, Harpam, Harphem and others.

Early Notables of the Harpham family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

Harpham of Yorkshire

Harpham migration to the United States +

Families began migrating abroad in enormous numbers because of the political and religious discontent in England. Often faced with persecution and starvation in England, the possibilities of the New World attracted many English people. Although the ocean trips took many lives, those who did get to North America were instrumental in building the necessary groundwork for what would become for new powerful nations. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America bore the name Harpham, or a variant listed above:

Harpham Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Robert Harpham, who settled in Maryland in 1775

Harpham Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Jonathan Harpham, who landed in America in 1804 9
Simeon Harpham, who landed in America in 1804 9
Henry Harpham, aged 20, who arrived in New York in 1812 9
Septibah Harpham, aged 20, who arrived in New York in 1812 9
Jonathon, Joseph, Henry and Simon Harpham, who settled in Maryland between 1830 and 1850

Contemporary Notables of the name Harpham (post 1700) +

Geoffrey Galt Harpham, American President and Director of the National Humanities Center
Julius C. Harpham (b. 1855), American Republican politician, Harness manufacturer; Delegate to Republican National Convention from Nebraska, 1912 10
Mr. Thomas Harpham, British sheriff, held the joint position of Sheriff of Nottingham, England from 1524 to 1525
Robert Harry Harpham (1954-2016), British Labour Party politician, Member of Parliament for Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough (2015-2016)

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 7) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html