Needam Surname History

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Needam is part of the ancient legacy of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is a product of when the family lived in one of the places called Needham in the counties of Derbyshire, Norfolk and Suffolk. The surname Needam belongs to the large category of Anglo-Saxon habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads.

Early Origins of the Needam family

The surname Needam was first found in Derbyshire at Alvaston, a chapelry, in the parish of St. Michael, Derby, union of Shardlow, hundred of Morleston and Litchurch. " In 1547 [the manor of Alvaston] was granted to the Needham family, from whom it passed to various hands." 1

Early History of the Needam family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Needam research. Another 104 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1461, 1506, 1620, 1625, 1631 and 1678 are included under the topic Early Needam History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Needam Spelling Variations

The first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Needam has been spelled many different ways, including Needham, Nedham and others.

Early Notables of the Needam family

Another 47 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Needam Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Needam family to Ireland

Some of the Needam family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Needam migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families in this era began to emigrate the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. Although the passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe, those who made the voyage safely were rewarded with opportunities unavailable to them in their homeland. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Needams to arrive in North America:

Needam Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

William Needam, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1858 2

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, 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)