Belem History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Wales

Etymology of Belem

What does the name Belem mean?

Belem is an ancient Norman name that arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Belem family lived in Essex, where they held a family seat from the mid-13th century on. The name is taken from that of the village of Belencombre in the Dieppe region of Normandy where the family lived prior to Norman Conquest of England. It took its present form after being transferred to England at the time of the Conquest.

Early Origins of the Belem family

The surname Belem was first found in Essex, where they held a family seat after 1066. The name is associated with the village of Belencombre in the Dieppe region of Normandy and took its present form after being transferred to England with the conquest.

Early History of the Belem family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Belem research. Another 216 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1235, 1273, 1500, 1654, 1677 and 1794 are included under the topic Early Belem History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Belem Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Bellchamber, Belchamber, Bellchambers, Belchambers, Belencombre, Belencumbre, Bellchambe and many more.

Early Notables of the Belem family

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

Belem migration to the United States +

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World 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 stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Belem or a variant listed above:

Belem Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Abra Belem, who landed in Virginia in 1662 1

Sources +

Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)