Show ContentsBedinghan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancestors of the name Bedinghan date back to the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the Bedinghan family lived in either of the places called Bodenham, in Herefordshire and Wiltshire, or in the settlement of Bodham, in Norfolk. The place-names are derived from the Old English personal name Bota, which experts theorize is derived from the Old German boto, from the Germanic root bud, which means to announce, and the Old English word ham which means homestead or settlement. Thus, the surname signifies a person who lived at or near Bota's settlement.

Early Origins of the Bedinghan family

The surname Bedinghan was first found in Herefordshire at Bodenham, a parish, and anciently a market-town, in the union of Leominster, hundred of Broxash [1] situated on a bend in the River Lugg, about seven miles south of Leominster. The place name dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 where it was first listed as Bodeham [2] and literally meant "homestead or river-bend of land or a man called Boda," from the Old English personal name + "hamm." [3]

Hugh de Bodenham, Lord of Bodenham, grandfather of Roger who lived in the reign of Henry III is the ancestor of the family. [4]

Early rolls give a glimpse of the many spelling in use over the centuries. Robert de Bedingham was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls for Norfolk in 1206; William de Bedyngeham was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1296; and Richard Bedyngham was recorded in 1461. [5]

Early History of the Bedinghan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bedinghan research. Another 236 words (17 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1206, 1273, 1296, 1401, 1403, 1409, 1461, 1525, 1559 and 1610 are included under the topic Early Bedinghan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bedinghan 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 Bedinghan 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 Bedinghan include: Bedingham, Beddingham, Bedinham, Bodingham, Bedyngham, Bedyngeham and many more.

Early Notables of the Bedinghan family

Distinguished members of the family include John Bodenham, High Sheriff of Herefordshire (1401-1403); John Bodenham, High Sheriff of Herefordshire in 1409; John Bodenham (c. 1559-1610), an anthologist and...
Another 27 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bedinghan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Bedinghan family

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 Bedinghan or a variant listed above: a number of settlers who arrived by the 19th century.



  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  2. Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
  3. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  4. Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
  5. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)


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