Dumm History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Dumm is a name of ancient Anglo-Saxon origin and comes from the family once having lived in the parish of Dunham, in the county of Norfolk. The place-name is made up of two old English elements: dun, which is a word for hill; and ham, which means home. The translation of the name is home on the hill.

Early Origins of the Dumm family

The surname Dumm was first found in Norfolk at Downham Market, often referred to as Downham, a town and civil parish. The place dates back to c. 1050 and was listed later in 1086 in the Domesday Book as Dunham. However, there are several more listings of the place name including Little Downham in Cambridgeshire, Downham, Lancashire and Downham, Essex.

Wilmslow in Cheshire was an ancient family seat for the family. "The church is a handsome and very ancient structure in the decorated and later English styles, with a square tower; it comprises a nave, chancel, and two aisles, of which the east end of one and the west end of the other are inclosed as sepulchral chapels, for the families of Dunham and Trafford." 1

Downham Estate is a housing estate in Downham, south east London named in honour of Lord Downham, who was chairman of the London County Council between 1919-1920.

Downham Hall is an English country house in Downham, Lancashire, but this estate was never held by anyone with the family name.

Early History of the Dumm family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dumm research. Another 153 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1190, 1332, 1511, 1561, 1577, 1579, 1585, 1634 and 1652 are included under the topic Early Dumm History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dumm Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Dumm family name include Dunham, Dunnam, Downham, Dounham, Downnam and others.

Early Notables of the Dumm family

Distinguished members of the family include William Downham (1511-1577) chaplain to Princess Elizabeth, Bishop of Chester (1561-1577.)William Damon or Daman was one of Queen Elizabeth's musicians and is probably the earliest composer who set the Psalms in the vernacular to part-music. His work appeared first in 1579, printed by John Day. 2George Downham or Downame (d. 1634), was...
Another 58 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Dumm Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Dumm family to Ireland

Some of the Dumm 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.

Dumm migration to the United States +

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, Canada, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Dumm surname or a spelling variation of the name include:

Dumm Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Johan Valentin Dumm, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1764 3
Matthew Dumm, who landed in New York in 1773 3
Melchior Dumm, who arrived in New York in 1773 3
Melicher Dumm, who landed in New York in 1773 3
Nicholas Dumm, who arrived in New York in 1773 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Dumm Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Charles R. Dumm, aged 46, who immigrated to America, in 1896

Dumm Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Arthur Dumm, aged 32, who landed in America, in 1904
Casper Dumm, who landed in Arkansas in 1906 3
T. Dumm, aged 35, who immigrated to the United States, in 1921
James Dumm, aged 25, who landed in America, in 1923

Contemporary Notables of the name Dumm (post 1700) +

Gary Dumm (b. 1949), American comic book artist
Frances Edwina Dumm (1893-1990), American writer-artist, first full-time female editorial cartoonist

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
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)