The ancestors of the name Ballam date back to the
Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the Ballam family lived in
Suffolk, where they held a
family seat in the village of Baylham, from which they took their name.
Early Origins of the Ballam family
The surname Ballam was first found in
Suffolk, in the village and civil parish of Baylham. The village dates back to the
Domesday Book of 1086 when it was first listed as Beleham and probably meant "homestead or enclosure at a river-bend" from the Old English words "begel" + "ham" or "hamm."
[1]CITATION[CLOSE]
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)The parish, in the union and hundred of Bosmere and Claydon, East division of Suffolk, 3 miles from Needham-Market was small but contained about 275 inhabitants in the late 1890s. [2]CITATION[CLOSE]
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Early History of the Ballam family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ballam research.
Another 354 words (25 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1212, 1275, 1500, 1568, 1577, 1635, 1684, 1830, 1600 and 1642 are included under the topic Early Ballam History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Ballam 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 Ballam 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 Ballam include: Baalham, Balan, Baylham, Balum, Balam, Ballam, Balaam and many more.
Early Notables of the Ballam family (pre 1700)
More information is included under the topic Early Ballam Notables in all our
PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Ballam family to Ireland
Some of the Ballam family moved to
Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 88 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Ballam family to the New World and Oceana
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 Ballam or a variant listed above: Charles Baalam who sailed to New
England in 1656. Charles Balam arrived in Barbados in 1679 and William Balam sailed to Philadelphia in 1856.
Contemporary Notables of the name Ballam (post 1700)
- John J. "Johnny" Ballam (1882-1954), American Marxist political activist and trade union organizer, founding member of the Communist Party of America and leader of the Trade Union Unity League
- Michael Ballam (b. 1952), American general director of the Utah Festival Opera, a professor of music at Utah State University
- Louis S. Ballam, American politician, Delegate to New Hampshire State Constitutional Convention from Walpole, 1956 [3]CITATION[CLOSE]
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 14) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html - John J. Ballam, American politician, Candidate for Governor of Massachusetts, 1924, 1932; Workers Candidate for U.S. Senator from Massachusetts, 1926, 1928; Candidate for Governor of New Jersey, 1931 [3]CITATION[CLOSE]
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 14) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html - Charles H. Ballam (1901-1981), Newfoundland-born, Canadian union leader, officeholder and delegate at Newfoundland National Convention