Ninham History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The ancient history of the Ninham name begins with the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the family resided in one of several places called Newnham throughout England. The place-name is derived from the Old English elements niwe, which means new, and ham, which means farm or village. 1

The Domesday Book of 1086 includes early entries for Neuneham, (Gloucestershire) and Neuham (Hertfordshire.) 2 Both of these parishes would later be known as Newnham including the ancient Saxon parish in Northamptonshire, first known as Niwanham c. 1021-1031.

Early Origins of the Ninham family

The surname Ninham was first found in Cambridgeshire where Ralph de Neunenham was listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273. 3

Another source notes that the family held "an estate in and near Rotherfield, co. Sussex, which had owners of its own name in the XIV, century." 4

In Newnham, Gloucestershire "was anciently a castle, which in the time of our Norman kings constituted one of the fortresses of the Welsh frontier, but there are no traces of it." 5

John de Newenham (d. 1382?), was Chamberlain of the Exchequer, "probably came of the Newenhams of Northamptonshire; he may be the John de Newenham who was rector of St. Mary-le-Bow in 1350. In 1352 he was incumbent of Stowe, and in 1353 of Ecton, both in Northamptonshire. In 1356 he acted on behalf of the prior and convent of Newenham or Newnham, Northamptonshire; and in 1359 he became prebendary of Bishopshill in Lichfield Cathedral." 6

Thomas de Newenham (fl. 1393), Clerk in Chancery, was in all probability younger brother of the above; he is first mentioned as a clerk in chancery in 1367, when, like his brother, he appears for the convent of Newenham. He was one of the three persons appointed to the custody of the great seal (4 May to 21 June 1377), and on 22 June he delivered up the great seal to Richard II on his accession. 6

Robert de Newenham was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1296 and much later, George Newnam was found in Devon in 1642. 7

Early History of the Ninham family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ninham research. Another 122 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1400, 1576, 1743, 1750 and 1806 are included under the topic Early Ninham History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ninham Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Ninham include Newnam, Newnham, Newenham, Newengham, Newnhom, Newnom and many more.

Early Notables of the Ninham family

More information is included under the topic Early Ninham Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Ninham family to Ireland

Some of the Ninham family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 63 words (4 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 Ninham family

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Ninham or a variant listed above: John Newnom who settled in Virginia in 1648; John Newham settled in Virginia in 1653; George Newnham settled in Maine in 1654; and Thomas Newnhom settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1796..

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)