Peckenham History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The name Peckenham is an old Anglo-Saxon name. It comes from when a family lived in the parish of Pakenham found in the county of Suffolk. 1

This place-name was a habitation name which denoted where the Peckenham family held their land. The original bearers of the Peckenham surname took their name from the parish where they dwelt, so that they could be identified whenever they moved from their original dwelling place.

Early Origins of the Peckenham family

The surname Peckenham was first found in Suffolk at Pakenham, a village that dates back to Saxon times when it was first listed as Pakenham c. 950. By the Domesday Book of 1086, the village was listed as Pachenham 2 and literally meant "homestead or village of a man called Pacca," from the Old English personal name + "ham." 3

The first record of the family was William de Pekenham, listed in Pakenham (1196-1200.) Later Edmund de Pakenham was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk in 1327. 4

There were also early records in Norfolk: William de Pakenham and John de Pakeham in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 1 and Henry de Pakenham and Thomas de Pakeham in 1373. 5

Early History of the Peckenham family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Peckenham research. Another 80 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1482, 1497, 1518, 1542, 1543, 1547, 1552, 1554, 1574, 1626, 1713, 1743, 1774, 1776, 1785, 1792, 1794, 1817, 1835, 1860 and 1933 are included under the topic Early Peckenham History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Peckenham Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Peckenham were recorded, including Pakenham, Packenham, Pagenam and others.

Early Notables of the Peckenham family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Robert Pagman, Packman, Pagenham, Pakenham (fl. 1497-1552), English Army officer and politician, Member of the Parliament of England for Great Bedwyn in 1547. He was Clerk comptroller, the counting house by 1518, Clerk of the Accounts by 1543; and Clerk of the green cloth by 1547. Anne Pakenham, daughter of Sir Hugh Pakenham married Sir William Sidney (1482?-1554) an English courtier under Henry VIII and Edward VI and together...
Another 75 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Peckenham Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Peckenham family to Ireland

Some of the Peckenham family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 96 words (7 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Peckenham family

To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Peckenham family emigrate to North America: George Pakenham settled in Virginia in 1643.

Contemporary Notables of the name Peckenham (post 1700) +

Thomas F. Peckenham, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Connecticut State House of Representatives from Manchester, 1914 6

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
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)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Rye, Walter, A History of Norfolk. London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, 1885. Print
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 4) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html