Buckingham History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  England 


In ancient Anglo-Saxon England, the ancestors of the Buckingham surname lived in the parish of Buckingham in Oxfordshire. "This place is of great antiquity, and is supposed to have derived its name from the Saxon Bucca, a 'stag' or 'buck,' ing, a 'meadow,' and ham, a 'village;' being surrounded with extensive forests well stocked with deer. In 915, Edward the Elder fortified both sides of the river, where the town is situated, with high ramparts of earth, to protect the inhabitants from the incursions of the Danes; the remains are still visible. In 941, the Danes perpetrated dreadful outrages in the neighbourhood, and in 1010 took possession of the town as a place of safety. In the reign of Edward III., Buckingham sent three representatives to a council of trade held at Westminster. " 1

Early Origins of the Buckingham family

The surname Buckingham was first found in Oxfordshire where the first record of the family was listing in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273: John de Bukingham. 2

"The Buckinghams are well represented in the South Molton district. There was an old Exeter family of Buckenham, members of which three times filled the office of mayor in the reign of Henry VIII." 3

The Buckenham or Bokenham variants could have originated in either Old Buckenham or New Buckenham, parishes in the union of Guiltcross, hundred of Shropham, Norfolk. In this latter case, "this place owes its origin to William D'Albini, Earl of Chichester, who, disliking the situation of a castle which had been built at Old Buckenham about the time of the Conquest, demolished that structure, and erected another here, in the reign of Henry II." 1

Osbern Bokenham or Bokenam (1383-1447?), was an early poet in the Suffolk dialect, born, according to his own statement, on 6 Oct. 1393. His birthplace was near 'an old pryory of blake canons,' which may be identified with Bokenham - the modern Old Buckenham, Norfolk, famous at one time for its Augustinian priory. " 4

John Bokyngham or Buckingham (d. 1398), was Bishop of Lincoln, Rector of Olney, Prebendary of Lichfield, and dean in 1349. "He was appointed to the archdeaconry of Northampton in 1361, and in 1352 received from the king the prebend of Gretton in the church of Lincoln. He was keeper of the privy seal to Edward III. " 4

Early History of the Buckingham family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Buckingham research. Another 140 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1273, 1524, 1530, 1531, 1648, 1649, 1701, 1702, 1704, 1705, 1713, 1773, 1786, 1825, 1855 and 1867 are included under the topic Early Buckingham History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Buckingham Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Buckingham are characterized by many spelling variations. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages, even literate people changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Buckingham include: Buckingham, Buckinghame, Beckingham, Beckinhame, Buckinham, Bukingham, Buckenham, Bockingham and many more.

Early Notables of the Buckingham family

Notables of the family at this time include

Buckingham Ranking

In the United States, the name Buckingham is the 4,272nd most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 5


Buckingham migration to the United States +

Many English families tired of political and religious strife left Britain for the new colonies in North America. Although the trip itself offered no relief - conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and many travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute - these immigrants believed the opportunities that awaited them were worth the risks. Once in the colonies, many of the families did indeed prosper and, in turn, made significant contributions to the culture and economies of the growing colonies. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Buckingham or a variant listed above:

Buckingham Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
Buckingham Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Buckingham Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Buckingham migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Buckingham Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Buckingham migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Buckingham Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Buckingham migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Buckingham Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Buckingham (post 1700) +


Suggested Readings for the name Buckingham +
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