Fordham History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  England 


The Norman Conquest of England in 1066 added many new elements to an already vibrant culture. Among these were thousands of new names. The Fordham family lived in Essex, in the town of Fordham. Ancient records reveal the name Fordham is derived from the Old English ford, which means ford, and ham, which means homestead. Towns bearing this name also exist in Norfolk and Cambridgeshire. Fordham Essex is arguably the most important of these towns, but all were held by Norman nobles in the 11th century.

Early Origins of the Fordham family

The surname Fordham was first found in Essex where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Fordham. In the Domesday Book, 1 a survey of England undertaken for Duke William of Normandy in 1086 A.D. after his conquest of England at Hastings in 1066, there were three villages or manors named Fordham, one in Cambridgeshire, one in Norfolk and one in Essex, all were held by Norman nobles.

The one which was most influential and gave rise to the name Fordham was that of Fordham in Essex which was held by William de Warrene and others. In the survey of 1086 the village consisted of a Mill, 6 Beehives, and 25 goats. It was the Norman custom that the senior son should continue the main line name, but that the second son should adopt the name of the manor.

"A small Gilbertine priory was founded in the reign of Henry III., by Sir Robert de Fordham, [in Fordham, Cambridgeshire] as a cell to the great monastery of the same order at Sempringham, in Lincolnshire; but scarcely a vestige remains." 2

John Fordun (d. 1384?), was the writer upon whom Walter Bower based the earlier part of his great work, the 'Scotichronicon.' Fordun wrote fifteen of the first twenty-three chapters of book. 3

Early History of the Fordham family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fordham research. Another 78 words (6 lines of text) covering the year 1388 is included under the topic Early Fordham History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fordham Spelling Variations

Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Fordham, Fordeham, Fordsham, Fordesham, Fordam and others.

Early Notables of the Fordham family

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

Fordham Ranking

In the United States, the name Fordham is the 5,920th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 4


Fordham migration to the United States +

To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Fordham or a variant listed above:

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

Fordham migration to Australia +

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

Fordham Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Fordham 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:

Fordham Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Fordham (post 1700) +
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