Auldolm History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The ancient history of the Auldolm name begins with the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the family resided in an enclosed place. The surname Auldolm literally means dweller at the old enclosure or dwelling.

Early Origins of the Auldolm family

The surname Auldolm was first found in Essex, Suffolk and Yorkshire at Aldham. In all cases, the place name meant "the old homestead," or "homestead of a man called Ealda," from the Old English personal name + "ham." 1

Aldham, Essex and Aldham, Suffolk were both listed in the Domesday Book of 1086 and both were listed under the same spelling, Aldeham. 2

Another branch of the family was found at Elford in Staffordshire. "Before the Conquest the manor [of Elford] belonged to Earl Algar, and in the reign of Henry III. was held by William de Alderne, whose descendants continued to enjoy it until the marriage of the heiress of Sir John Alderney with the Stanleys, when the property passed to that family." 3

Aldhelm (640?-709), was Bishop of Sherborne, the son of Kenten. "Aldhelm was no less great as a builder than as a scholar. He built a church dedicated to SS. Peter and Paul to be the head church of his monastery. He also built two other churches at Malmesbury. One of these, St. Mary's, succeeded St. Peter's as the chief church in the tenth century. " 4

Early History of the Auldolm family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Auldolm research. Another 50 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1616, 1652 and 1660 are included under the topic Early Auldolm History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Auldolm 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 Auldolm include Aldham, Aldam, Aldem, Aldum, Aldeham, Aldom, Eldham, Eldam, Eldum, Haldiman and many more.

Early Notables of the Auldolm family

Distinguished members of the family include Thomas Aldham or Aldam (c. 1616-1660), an English Quaker who was imprisoned in York in 1652 for speaking in a "steeple-house" (church), and fined 40 shillings for refusing to pay...
Another 35 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Auldolm Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Auldolm 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 Auldolm or a variant listed above: Daniel Aldam aged 27 who settled in Maryland in 1775.

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print