The ancient history of the Burnhams name begins with the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the family resided in any of the various places called Burnham in Buckinghamshire, Essex, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, or Suffolk. These place names derive from the Old English words burna or stream, and ham, or homestead.
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Early Origins of the Burnhams family
The surname Burnhams was first found in Herefordshire where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.
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Early History of the Burnhams family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Burnhams research. Another 49 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1619 and 1688 are included under the topic Early Burnhams History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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Burnhams 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 Burnhams include Burnham, Burnam and others.
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Early Notables of the Burnhams family
More information is included under the topic Early Burnhams Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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Migration of the Burnhams 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 Burnhams or a variant listed above: Thomas Burnham, who came to Barbados in 1635; William Burnham, who arrived at St. Christopher in 1635; John Burnham, who arrived in Virginia in 1643; Thomas Burnham who settled in Hartford, Conn. in 1649, beginning a distinguished line in America.
England
