Byram History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Byram is a name whose history on English soil dates back to the wave of migration that followed the Norman Conquest of England of 1066. The Byram family lived at Bryram, a township in the parish of Brotherton, in the West Riding of Yorkshire. 1

Early Origins of the Byram family

The surname Byram was first found in the West Riding of Yorkshire at Byrome, or Byram, with Pool, a township, in the parish of Brotherton, Lower division of the wapentake of Barkstone-Ash. "Byram Hall is a handsome mansion, in a fine and well-wooded park of about 200 acres." 2 3

However, the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 point to scattered entries for the family: Roger de Birun, Yorkshire; Ralph de Birun, Lincolnshire; and Hugh de Byron, Nottinghamshire. 4

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 list: Elena de Byrom (Byrom); Roger de Birne (Monk Fryston); and Thomas de Byrne (Selby). (Barsley)

The variant Burien, Berian or Buryan has a most interesting origin. "There seems to be but one opinion among our historians and antiquaries, except that which has been introduced to notice by Hals. According to this historian, the name Berian or Buryan, is derived from a cemetery or burying-place for human creatures; and he asserts that an enclosure devoted to this purpose existed in this place long before the church was extant. St. Berian, or Burianna, according to Mr. Whitaker, Dr. Borlase, and others, was a holy woman, a native of Ireland, who came into this country about the year 460, in company with many others of exalted birth and dignity, she being a king's daughter, and landed near St. Ives." 5

Early History of the Byram family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Byram research. Another 108 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1642, 1692 and 1763 are included under the topic Early Byram History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Byram Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Byrom, Byram, Byrum, Birom, Biram and others.

Early Notables of the Byram family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was John Byrom or John Byrom of Kersal or John Byrom of Manchester (1692-1763), an English poet and inventor of a revolutionary system of shorthand. "He was the second son and seventh of the nine children of Edward Byrom, by...
Another 47 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Byram Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Byram Ranking

In the United States, the name Byram is the 10,798^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 6

Byram migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Byram or a variant listed above were:

Byram Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Nicholas Byram, who arrived in Virginia in 1637 7
John Byram, who landed in Virginia in 1663 7

Byram Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Benjamin, Brambley, Edward, James, Ralph, and Samuel Byram, all, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania between 1827 and 1844
J M Byram, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 7

Contemporary Notables of the name Byram (post 1700) +

Amick Byram (b. 1955), American tenor
Adam Bramley Byram (b. 1971), former English cricketer who played from 1989 to 2002 for Shropshire, brother of Gavin Byram
Gavin James Byram (b. 1974), former English cricketer who played from 1992 to 2002 for Shropshire
Samuel Mark "Sam" Byram (b. 1993), English professional footballer
Stephen Byram (b. 1952), New York-based graphic designer
Shawn D. Byram (b. 1968), retired Canadian NHL ice hockey left winger who played from 1988 to 2003
Amanda Byram (b. 1973), Irish television presenter and former model

Citations +

Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)