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Lingham History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Lingham History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

The distinguished surname Lingham emerged among the industrious people of Flanders, which was an important trading partner and political ally of Britain during the Middle Ages. As a result of the frequent commercial intercourse between the Flemish and English nations, many Flemish migrants settled in Britain. In early times, people were known by only a single name. However, as the population grew and people traveled further afield, it became increasingly necessary to assume an additional name to differentiate between bearers of the same personal name. The manner in which hereditary surnames arose is interesting. Local surnames are derived from where the original bearer lived, was born, or held land. Flemish surnames of this type frequently are prefixed by de la or de le, which mean of the or from the. The Lingham family originally lived in the parish of Lingen in the county of Herefordshire. The surname Lingham belongs to the category of habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Early Origins of the Lingham family

The surname Lingham was first found in Herefordshire where the village of Lingen still exists today. The village is listed in the Domesday Book as holding 2 manors, land for 7 ploughs, half a league of woodland and at that time was held by Ralph de Mortimer. 1 Limebrook Priory is located south of the village was founded before the time of Richard I by either Ralph de Lingen or Ralph de Mortimer and may be one of the two aforementioned manors. "The first recorded ancestor of this loyal family is Ralph de Wigmore, lord of Lingen, founder of the Priory of Lyngbroke. His son and grandson John took the name of Lingen." 2

Further to the north in Scotland where the name claims its origin from "the lands of Lingoch, now Lingo, in the parish of Carnbee, Fife." 3 In this case, the first record of the name was Vlfus de Lingoch. who witnessed a charter by Eggou Ruffus to the Priory of May early in the thirteenth century.

Early History of the Lingham family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lingham research. Another 107 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1466, 1500, 1506, 1510, 1514, 1554, 1560, 1612, 1638 and 1662 are included under the topic Early Lingham History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lingham Spelling Variations

Flemish surnames are characterized by a large number of spelling variations. One reason for this is that medieval English lacked definite spelling rules. The spellings of surnames were also influenced by the official court languages, which were French and Latin. Names were rarely spelled consistently in medieval times. Scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to specific spelling rules, and people often had their names registered in several different forms throughout their lives. One of the greatest reasons for change is the linguistic uniqueness of the Flemish settlers in England, who spoke a language closely related to Dutch. The pronunciation and spelling of Flemish names were often altered to suit the tastes of English-speaking people. In many cases, the first, final, or middle syllables of surnames were eliminated. The name has been spelled Lingen, Lingane, Lingham, Lyngbroke and others.

Early Notables of the Lingham family

Prominent in the family at this time was John Lingein, High Sheriff of Herefordshire in 1466; Sir John Lingen of Lingen (d. 1506); Sir Henry Lingen (1612-1662), Lord of Sutton, Lingen and Stoke...
Another 33 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Lingham Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lingham migration to the United States +

Discovered in the immigration and passenger lists were a number of people bearing the name Lingham:

Lingham Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Wm. Lingham, aged 36, who landed in America, in 1896
Fredk. R. Lingham, aged 48, who landed in America from Southampton, in 1897

Lingham Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Mr. Frederick Risley Lingham, aged 51, who immigrated to the United States from London, in 1906
Frederick R. Lingham, aged 55, who immigrated to the United States from London, England, in 1907
Edward Lingham, aged 32, who immigrated to the United States from Leeds, England, in 1909
Mary Lingham, aged 30, who landed in America from Leeds, England, in 1909
F. R Lingham, aged 60, who landed in America, in 1912
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Lingham migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Lingham Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century

Bessie Lingham, aged 28, who immigrated to Toronto, Canada, in 1909
Charles A. Lingham, aged 38, who settled in Toronto, Canada, in 1909
Adelaide Lingham, aged 26, who settled in Montreal, Canada, in 1914

Lingham migration to Australia +

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

Lingham Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Lingham, English convict who was convicted in Sussex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Bardaster" on 7th September 1835, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 4

Lingham 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:

Lingham Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Jeremiah Lingham, aged 54, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Seringapatam" in 1856
Ellen Lingham, aged 50, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Seringapatam" in 1856

Contemporary Notables of the name Lingham (post 1700) +

Thomas G. Lingham (1874-1950), American silent era actor who appeared in over 100 films
Sharon Shobha Devi Lingham (1956-2010), New Zealand entrepreneur and philanthropist
Lieutenant George Alexander Lingham (1898-1982), Australian World War I flying ace credited with six confirmed aerial victories
Vinny Lingham (b. 1979), South African Internet entrepreneur and the founder and CEO of Yola, Inc
Brigadier John Lingham, British soldier of Sandhurst

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bardaster