The Berminham name has descended through the generations from the ancient
Anglo-Saxon culture. Their name comes from having lived in or around the city of Birmingham in
Warwickshire. This place-name predates the
Domesday Book and is thought by historians to have evolved from the Old English
Beornmundingaham, meaning,
homestead of the people of Beornmund. [1]CITATION[CLOSE]
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4) Another source claims that the place name's "etymology is involved in great uncertainty. Dugdale, from its Saxon termination, deduces it from the first Saxon lord; while others assign to it an origin of much higher antiquity, inferring that, with more probability, the first Saxon proprietor took his name from that of the town, which they suppose to have been originally 'Bromwych,' from the quantity of broom formerly growing in the neighbourhood".
[2]CITATION[CLOSE]
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Early Origins of the Berminham family
The surname Berminham was first found in
Warwickshire. While the family is generally understood to have hailed from this area, we must look to
Staffordshire to find the first record of the name, specifically Peter de Bremingeham who was listed there in the
Pipe Rolls of 1170. Gilbert de Birmingeham was listed in the Feet of Fines for
Lincolnshire in 1271 and John de Burmyngham was listed in
Warwickshire in 1333.
[3]CITATION[CLOSE]
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X) The place name dates back to the
Domesday Book of 1086 when it was first listed as Bermingeham.
[4]CITATION[CLOSE]
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8) The family is just as populous in
Ireland as "the noble and warlike family of the Bremichams, earls of Louth, in
Ireland were instrumental in assisting
Strongbow, Earl of Pembroke, in the conquest of that country. "
[2]CITATION[CLOSE]
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print. Little Barningham in
Norfolk was an ancient
family seat. "A charter for a market and a fair was granted by
Edward I. to Walter de Berningham, who at that time possessed the manor."
[2]CITATION[CLOSE]
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print. William de Bermingham, who attended Edward I. into Gascony, was made prisoner at the siege of Bellegarde in 1297 and his descendant William, who was summoned to parliament by the title of William, Lord Birmingham, in the 1st of Edward III.
Early History of the Berminham family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Berminham research.
Another 58 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1328, 1050, 1170, 1515, 1584 and 1992 are included under the topic Early Berminham History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Berminham Spelling Variations
Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Berminham has undergone many
spelling variations, including Bermingham, Berminean, Bermingcham, Berminham, Bremingham, Birmingham and many more.
Early Notables of the Berminham family (pre 1700)
More information is included under the topic Early Berminham Notables in all our
PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Berminham family to Ireland
Some of the Berminham family moved to
Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 156 words (11 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 Berminham family to the New World and Oceana
To escape the unstable social climate in
England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Berminham were among those contributors: James Bermingham, Martin, Michael, Richard and William, all arrived in Philadelphia between 1853 and 1878. Bridget Birmingham, Daniel, Gillespie, James, John, Margaret, Mary, Michael, Pat, Thomas, and Biddy, all arrived at the same port between 1849 and 1878..
Berminham Family Crest Products
See Also
Citations
- ^ Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
- ^ Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
- ^ Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- ^ Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)