Churchan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The origins of the Churchan name lie with England's ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. It comes from when the family lived in Gloucestershire, where they took their name from the village of Churcham. The place-name is comprised of two elements: church and hamm. Church meant just that, and hamm was a Old English word for river meadow. The name meant "dweller by the church on the river meadow."

One source claims the name could have been derived from the name Churchyard or a local name as in "at the churchay," from the residence nearby. 1

Early Origins of the Churchan family

The surname Churchan was first found in Gloucestershire 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.

Early History of the Churchan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Churchan research. Another 60 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1659, 1675, 1682 and 1723 are included under the topic Early Churchan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Churchan Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Churchan were recorded, including Churcher, Churchar, Churcham and others.

Early Notables of the Churchan family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Richard Churcher (1659-1723), an English businessman and philanthropist who made his fortune in the British East India Company. He founded Churcher's College, a school in Hampshire. He was the eldest son of Richard Churcher, gentleman, of Funtington, Sussex, was born there in 1659. "He was apprenticed (1675-1682) to John Jacob, an eminent citizen and barber-surgeon of London...
Another 65 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Churchan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Churchan family

To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Churchan family emigrate to North America: Thomas Churcher who settled in Barbados in 1654; and a later Thomas arrived in Philadelphia in 1844.

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)