Show ContentsCaldhan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Caldhan family

The surname Caldhan was first found in Cambridgeshire at Coldham, a hamlet in Elm civil parish, part of the Fenland district. Coldham Estate in Cambridgeshire is a co-op farm today but Roman remains can be found there giving evidence to ancient Roman farms from late-Roman fenland settlements. The name is derived from the Old English word "cald" meaning "cold" and "ham" meaning "homestead." 1 Coldham Hall is a Grade I listed building which was built in 1574 for Sir Robert Rookwood.

Early History of the Caldhan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Caldhan research. Another 136 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1046, 1147, 1397, 1430, 1433, 1455, 1487, 1510, 1561 and 1600 are included under the topic Early Caldhan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Caldhan 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 Caldhan include Coldham, Cooldam, Coldem, Coldhem, Codeham, Codeham and many more.

Early Notables of the Caldhan family

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

Migration of the Caldhan 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 Caldhan or a variant listed above: Thomas Coldham, his wife and two children, who arrived in Lynn, MA in 1633; William Coldham, who arrived in Virginia in 1653; Charles Coldham, who settled in Pennsylvania in 1682.



  1. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)


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