Accum History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestors of the name Accum date back to the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the Accum family lived in Yorkshire. The surname Accum is associated with the parish of Acomb, which was located on the outskirts of the city of York.

Early Origins of the Accum family

The surname Accum was first found in Yorkshire, at Acomb which is now a suburb within the City of York Unitary Authority. The place name is most likely derived from the Old English acum, which meant "at the oak trees." The village dates back to at least the Domesday Book where it was listed as Achum, Acum and Acun, and was land held by the Archbishop of York. The village was designated as a manor held by St. Peter. There was land enough for 8 ploughs and there were 14 rent-paying tenants. 1

By 1222, the village was listed as Akum. 2 East and West Acomb, Northumberland have traditionally been quite a bit smaller than the Yorkshire village with West Acomb being the larger of the two. In both of these latter cases, the first record of the place name was with the Akum spelling in 1268. Hadrian's Wall runs about 1 mile (1.5 km), north east of Acomb, Northumberland.

Some of the first records of the family were Philip de Akum, who was registered in Yorkshire in 1210 3 and Willelmus de Acom who was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. 4

Early History of the Accum family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Accum research. Another 142 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1325, 1379, 1525, 1574, 1670, 1692 and 1767 are included under the topic Early Accum History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Accum Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Accum are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Accum include: Acombe, Acomb, Acome, Acom, Acum, Akum, A Combe and others.

Early Notables of the Accum family

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

Migration of the Accum family

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Accum or a variant listed above: Robert Acom who settled in Virginia in 1642; and Thomas Acome who settled in Virginia in 1642.

Contemporary Notables of the name Accum (post 1700) +

Friedrich Accum (1769-1838), German chemist

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)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)