Ackoomb History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestors of the bearers of the Ackoomb family name are thought have lived in ancient Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found in Yorkshire. The surname Ackoomb is associated with the parish of Acomb, which was located on the outskirts of the city of York.

Early Origins of the Ackoomb family

The surname Ackoomb was first found in Yorkshire, at Acomb which is now a suburb within the City of York Unitary Authority. The place name is most likely derived from the Old English acum, which meant "at the oak trees." The village dates back to at least the Domesday Book where it was listed as Achum, Acum and Acun, and was land held by the Archbishop of York. The village was designated as a manor held by St. Peter. There was land enough for 8 ploughs and there were 14 rent-paying tenants. 1

By 1222, the village was listed as Akum. 2 East and West Acomb, Northumberland have traditionally been quite a bit smaller than the Yorkshire village with West Acomb being the larger of the two. In both of these latter cases, the first record of the place name was with the Akum spelling in 1268. Hadrian's Wall runs about 1 mile (1.5 km), north east of Acomb, Northumberland.

Some of the first records of the family were Philip de Akum, who was registered in Yorkshire in 1210 3 and Willelmus de Acom who was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. 4

Early History of the Ackoomb family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ackoomb research. Another 142 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1325, 1379, 1525, 1574, 1670, 1692 and 1767 are included under the topic Early Ackoomb History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ackoomb Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Ackoomb include Acombe, Acomb, Acome, Acom, Acum, Akum, A Combe and others.

Early Notables of the Ackoomb family

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

Migration of the Ackoomb family

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled 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 ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Ackoomb or a variant listed above: Robert Acom who settled in Virginia in 1642; and Thomas Acome who settled in Virginia in 1642.

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
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)