| ![Show Contents]() Tam History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England The name Tam came to England with the ancestors of the Tam family in the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Tam family lived in Oxfordshire. The name is an indication that its original bearer once lived near the River Thames. Early Origins of the Tam familyThe surname Tam was first found in Oxfordshire where the name is likely derived from the River Thame. Aluered de Tame was listed in the Domesday Book of 1086. 1 The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list Claricia de Thame in 1279. 2 Today, Thame is a market town and civil parish. "This town, which is evidently of Roman origin, is mentioned as a place of some importance at the commencement of the 10th century, when Wulfhere, King of Mercia, granted a charter dated 'in the vill called Thames.' In the year 970, Osketyl, Archbishop of York, died at Thame. It suffered much from the Danish invasions, particularly in 1010, and a fortification was erected here. At the Conquest it belonged to the Bishop of Lincoln, and till the reign of Edward VI. formed part of the extensive possessions of succeeding prelates, who conferred many benefits on the town, among which was the diverting through it the road that previously passed on its side. " 3 The family originally held estates in Chinnor, about 4 miles (6.4 km) southeast of Thame. Early History of the Tam familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Tam research. Another 249 words (18 lines of text) covering the years 1492, 1493 and 1500 are included under the topic Early Tam History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Tam Spelling VariationsMultitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Thame, Tharm, Tharme, Temes and others. Early Notables of the Tam familyMore information is included under the topic Early Tam Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Tam RankingIn the United States, the name Tam is the 3,596th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 4 However, in Canada, the name Tam is ranked the 629th most popular surname with an estimated 8,223 people with that name. 5
 Tam migration to the United States | + |
Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Tam or a variant listed above:
Tam Settlers in United States in the 17th Century- Martin Tam, who landed in Virginia in 1638 6
Tam Settlers in United States in the 20th Century- Carrie Tam, aged 15, who settled in America, in 1906
- Loch Ling Tam, aged 11, who immigrated to the United States from Birkenhead, England, in 1916
- Ah Tam, aged 51, who landed in America from Liverpool, England, in 1918
- Arthur Tam, aged 28, who immigrated to the United States, in 1920
| Contemporary Notables of the name Tam (post 1700) | + |
- J. S. Tam, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Iowa, 1888 7
- Eddie Tam, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Hawaii Territory, 1948 7
- Tam Lenfestey (1818-1885), Guernsey poet who published in newspapers and in book form
- Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- "Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
- 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, October 20) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
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Tam migration to the United States 
