Show ContentsWermingham History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Wermingham is an ancient Norman name that arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Wermingham family lived in Northampton, at Warmington, a village and civil parish. The place dates back to c. 980 when it was listed as Wyrmingtun. By the time of the Domesday Book, the name had evolved to Wermintone and was derived from the Old English personal name "Wyrma" + the suffix "tun." The name literally translates to "estate associated with a man called Wyrma. The last census lists a population of 874.

In Warwickshire, there's another Warmington in the Stratford District Council area. In this case, the name also dates back to the Domesday Book 1 where it was listed as Warmintone. Literally, the place name means "estate associated with a man called Waerme or Waermund," again from the Old English personal name. 2 The last census for this village listed only 297 people residing there.

Early Origins of the Wermingham family

The surname Wermingham was first found in Northamptonshire where they had been granted lands by King William after the Norman Conquest, for their support at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. They acquired the lands from the King through Peterborough Abbey and provided two fully equipped men at arms for the Abbey. The Mill at Warmington provided 325 eels annually for the King's table. 3 This mill was restored after it had fallen into disrepair in the 19th century to now include a retail showroom.

Early History of the Wermingham family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wermingham research. Another 35 words (2 lines of text) covering the years 1461, 1556, 1577 and 1612 are included under the topic Early Wermingham History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wermingham Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Warmington, Wermington and others.

Early Notables of the Wermingham family

Another 33 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Wermingham Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Wermingham family

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World under extremely harsh conditions. Overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Wermingham or a variant listed above: John and James Warmington settled in Annapolis Maryland in 1722.



  1. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  2. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  3. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.


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