Perham History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The Perham surname is a habitational name derived from place names such as Parham in Suffolk and Sussex, derived from the Old English words "pere," meaning "pear," and "ham," or "homestead." 1 2

Early Origins of the Perham family

The surname Perham was first found in Suffolk, at Parham, a village and civil parish that dates back to at least the Domesday Book where it was listed as Perreham and literally meant "homestead or enclosure where pears grow." 3

Here we found the first record of the family, that of Turmod de Perham who was listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 as holding lands there at that time. Later, William de Perreham was recorded in the Pipe Rolls for Sussex in 1187 and William de Parham was recorded in 1264. Later again, John Parham was recorded in Wiltshire in 1366. 4 The "Sussex Parham was Perham A.D. 959, and also in the 13th century." 1

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 proved the widespread use of the family in the 13th century: Richard de Parham, Cambridgeshire; John de Perham, Sussex; and Nicholas de Perham, Wiltshire. 5 In early Norfolk records, we found Ralph de Parham, Norfolk (no date.) 6

Early History of the Perham family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Perham research. Another 77 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1187, 1264, 1366 and 1504 are included under the topic Early Perham History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Perham Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Parham, Param, Parram, Perham, Pearham, Perram and others.

Early Notables of the Perham family

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

Perham Ranking

In the United States, the name Perham is the 14,796^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 7

Perham migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Perham Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Perham, who arrived in New England in 1666 8

Contemporary Notables of the name Perham (post 1700) +

Sidney Perham (1819-1907), American politician, 33rd Governor of Maine (1871-1874), Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Maine's 2nd district (1863-1869)
Walter Perham, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Massachusetts, 1932 9
Sidney Perham (1819-1907), American Republican politician, Presidential Elector for Maine, 1856, 1892; U.S. Representative from Maine 2nd District, 1863-69; Governor of Maine, 1871-74 9
John B. Perham, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Michigan, 1892 9
Harold C. Perham, American Republican politician, Member of Maine State House of Representatives from Oxford County (3rd), 1931-32 9
Frederic E. Perham (b. 1869), American Republican politician, Member of New York State Assembly from New York County 29th District, 1904-05 9
Michael Perham (b. 1992), English boy who became the youngest person to sail around the world solo
Michael Francis Perham (1947-2017), British Anglican prelate, Bishop of Gloucester (2004–2014)
Dame Margery Freda Perham DCMG CBE FBA (1895-1982), British historian and writer of African affairs
Michael Francis Perham (b. 1947), current Bishop of Gloucester
... (Another 1 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Perham family +

Halifax Explosion

Mr. Charles Perham (1895-1917), Canadian Deck hand aboard the Tug Hilford from North Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 10

Citations +

Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Rye, Walter, A History of Norfolk. London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, 1885. 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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 17) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Halifax Explosion Book of Remembrance | Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. (Retrieved 2014, June 23) . Retrieved from https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/what-see-do/halifax-explosion/halifax-explosion-book-remembrance