Show ContentsIpsam History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Anglo-Saxon name Ipsam comes from when the family resided in the parish of Isham in the county of Northampton near Kettering. "The church is an ancient edifice with a tower, and contains four Norman arches, and a curious monument." [1]

Early Origins of the Ipsam family

The surname Ipsam was first found in Northamptonshire at Isham, a Saxon village and civil parish that dates back to 974 when it was listed as Ysham. By the Domesday Book of 1086, the place name had evolved to the present spelling of Isham. [2] [3]

The place name literally means "homestead by the River Ise," having derived from the Celtic river-name + the Old English "ham" or "hamm." [4] The local church is an ancient edifice with a tower, and contains four Norman arches.

The earliest record of the family was found here "where an elder branch of the existing family, Isham of Lamport, were seated soon after the Conquest." [5]

Later, Henry de Isham was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls for Northamptonshire in 1206. [6]

Early History of the Ipsam family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ipsam research. Another 150 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1416, 1582, 1590, 1610, 1617, 1621, 1622, 1625, 1627, 1651, 1656, 1658, 1671, 1673, 1675, 1676, 1680, 1681, 1687, 1690, 1694, 1697, 1705, 1711, 1713, 1726, 1730, 1737, 1755 and 1772 are included under the topic Early Ipsam History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ipsam Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Ipsam include Isham, Ison, Isom, Ipsam and others.

Early Notables of the Ipsam family

Distinguished members of the family include Gregory Isham of Orlingbury; John Isham (1582-1651), High Sheriff of Northamptonshire, created Baronet Isham of Lamport on 30 May 1627; Sir Justinian Isham (1610-1675), 2nd Baronet Isham, English scholar and royalist politician, who was a Member of Parliament; Sir Thomas Isham II (1656-1681), 3rd Baronet of Lamport, best known for his diary which he wrote from 1671-1673 of his observations as a teenage member of the English aristocracy; Sir Justinian Isham II (1658-1730), 4th Baronet of Lamport, Member of Parliament; Sir Justinian Isham (1687-1737), 5th Baronet of Lamport; Sir Edmund Isham (1690-1772), 6th Baronet of...
Another 136 words (10 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Ipsam Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Ipsam family

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants: Henry Isham, who was on record in Virginia in 1626; Robert Isham, who came to Virginia in 1635, at age 14; Dan and Roger Isham, who both arrived in Virginia in 1629.



  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  2. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  3. Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
  4. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  5. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  6. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)


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