| ![Show Contents]() Balaam History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The name Balaam first arose amongst the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is derived from their having lived in Suffolk, where they held a family seat in the village of Baylham, from which they took their name. Early Origins of the Balaam familyThe surname Balaam was first found in Suffolk, in the village and civil parish of Baylham. The village dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 when it was first listed as Beleham and probably meant "homestead or enclosure at a river-bend" from the Old English words "begel" + "ham" or "hamm." 1 The parish, in the union and hundred of Bosmere and Claydon, East division of Suffolk, 3 miles from Needham-Market was small but contained about 275 inhabitants in the late 1890s. 2 Early History of the Balaam familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Balaam research. Another 287 words (20 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1212, 1275, 1500, 1568, 1577, 1600, 1635, 1642, 1684 and 1830 are included under the topic Early Balaam History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Balaam Spelling VariationsOne relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Balaam has appeared include Baalham, Balan, Baylham, Balum, Balam, Ballam, Balaam and many more. Early Notables of the Balaam familyMore information is included under the topic Early Balaam Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.  Migration of the Balaam family to Ireland
Some of the Balaam 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. Migration of the Balaam familyAt this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Balaam arrived in North America very early: Charles Baalam who sailed to New England in 1656. Charles Balam arrived in Barbados in 1679 and William Balam sailed to Philadelphia in 1856.
- 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.
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England
Ireland
