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Tatum History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Tatum History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Tatum family

The surname Tatum was first found in Yorkshire where the family name was first referenced in the year 1208 when William Tatham held estates. It is said that King John, while being the Earl of Moreton, gave the service of William of Tatham to Robert de Monte Begon (probably about 1185).

Tatham is a parish, in the hundred of Lonsdale, south of the Sands in Lancashire. The place name dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 when it was first listed as Tathaim. 1 Literally it means "homestead of a man called Tata," from the Old English personal name + "ham." 2

"Before the reign of Richard I., a family of the local name possessed lands in Tatham, but the estate passed, before the 34th of Edward III., into the Dacre family." 3 "Hipping Hall, [in Leck, Lancashire], has long been a seat of the family of Tatham." 3

Early History of the Tatum family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Tatum research. Another 106 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1185, 1230, 1455, 1487, 1632, 1641 and 1664 are included under the topic Early Tatum History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tatum Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Tatum include Tatham, Tatam, Tatem, Tatum, Tatim, Tathem, Tattum and many more.

Early Notables of the Tatum family

Another 27 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Tatum Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tatum Ranking

In the United States, the name Tatum is the 1,083^rd most popular surname with an estimated 27,357 people with that name. 4

Tatum migration to the United States +

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants:

Tatum Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Nathaniel Tatum, aged 20, who landed in Virginia in 1619 aboard the ship "George" 5
Ralph Tatum, who landed in Virginia in 1642 6

Tatum Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Ed Tatum, who landed in Virginia in 1700 6

Tatum Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Joseph J Tatum, aged 38, who arrived in Maryland in 1812 6
Jacob Tatum, aged 23, who arrived in Missouri in 1839 6
Theodore Tatum, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850 6

Tatum Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Edward Tatum, aged 30, who settled in America, in 1908
Charles F. Tatum, aged 65, who settled in America, in 1911
Dorothea Lloyd Tatum, aged 23, who immigrated to the United States, in 1917
George Tatum, aged 17, who immigrated to the United States, in 1918
Alton J. Tatum, aged 20, who immigrated to the United States, in 1918
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Tatum migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Tatum Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Diana Tatum, aged 25, who landed in Fort Cumberland, Nova Scotia in 1774

Tatum migration to Australia +

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

Tatum Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Tatum, English convict who was convicted in London, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "Barossa" on 8th December 1839, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 7

Contemporary Notables of the name Tatum (post 1700) +

Frank Donovan "Sandy" Tatum Jr. (1920-2017), American attorney and golf administrator, president of the USGA (1978–1980)
Charles "Chuck" Tatum, American Marine in the Battle of Iwo Jima. In the mini-series The Pacific; Tatum is portrayed by actor Ben Esler
Donn Tatum (1913-1993), the first non-Disney family member to be president of Walt Disney Productions
Bradford Tatum (b. 1965), American actor, writer, and producer
James M. "Big Jim" Tatum (1913-1959), American football and baseball player and coach
Beverly Daniel Tatum (b. 1954), president of Spelman College, Georgia
Channing Matthew Tatum (b. 1980), American actor
Edward Lawrie Tatum (1909-1975), American geneticist, he shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1958
Arthur "Art" Tatum (1909-1956), American jazz pianist
Frank Tatum, American politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Iowa 4th District, 1932 8
... (Another 18 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

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)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's Retrieved January 6th 2023, retrieved from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/barossa
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 9) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html