Show ContentsBinghan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Binghan is a name that first reached England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Binghan family lived at Bingham in the county of Nottinghamshire. The name of that place is derived from the Old Norse word bingr, meaning stall or manger, and the Old English word ham, meaning settlement or village. Another reference claims the family descended from "De Buisli, from Buisli or Builly, near Neûchatel, Normandy (often supposed to be of Saxon origin.)" 1 The same reference claims "Roger de Busliaco held 149 lordships in barony 1086, chiefly in York [Yorkshire] and Notts [Nottinghamshire], which were entitled the Honour of Tickhill. He also held Sutton, Somerset, from Roger de Arundel. One of his lordships was Bingham, Notts, and estate of great value and importance." 1 Whichever origin the reader chooses, there is no doubt that Norfolk was the stronghold of the family since ancient times.

Early Origins of the Binghan family

The surname Binghan was first found in Nottinghamshire at Bingham, a market town in the Rushcliffe borough that has existed since at least the Domesday Book where it was listed as Bingheham 2 which probably meant "homestead of the family or followers of a man called Bynna" from the Old English personal name + ham. 3 "This place was possessed previously to the Conquest by two Saxon chieftains, and appears to have been anciently more extensive than at present: it had a college, or guild, in honour of St. Mary. " 4

One of the first records of the family was Simon Binham or Bynham (fl. 1335), English chronicler, a monk of the priory of Binham, Norfolk, one of the cells belonging to the abbey of St. Albans. 5

A few years later, William Binham or Bynham (fl. 1370), the English theologian, was a native of Binham in Norfolk, where there was a Benedictine priory dependent on the abbey of St. Albans. 5 One may presume that the above two people were related as they both came from the same priory, but there is no written proof.

Early History of the Binghan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Binghan research. Another 88 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1090, 1246, 1300, 1528, 1573, 1584, 1599, 1606, 1607, 1615, 1625, 1639, 1645, 1654, 1658, 1659, 1662, 1668, 1673, 1682, 1689, 1692, 1714, 1723, 1890 and 1915 are included under the topic Early Binghan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Binghan Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Binghan are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Binghan include Bingham, Binham, Bingam, Binghame and others.

Early Notables of the Binghan family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir Richard Bingham or Byngham (1528-1599), English Governor of Connaught, the third son of Richard Bingham, of Melcombe-Bingham, Dorsetshire. "In 1584, Bingham was appointed Governor of Connaught, and knighted at Dublin Castle by Lord-Deputy Perrot on 12 July. " 5 John Bingham (1607-1689), was an English divine, born at Derby, and as he was in his eighty-second year when he died in 1689...
Another 70 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Binghan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Binghan family to Ireland

Some of the Binghan family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 148 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 Binghan family

Faced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Binghan, or a variant listed above: Thomas Bingham who settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1673; William Bingham settled in Barbados in 1635; and John Bingham settled in Virginia in 1653..



The Binghan Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Spes mea Christus
Motto Translation: Christ is my hope.


  1. The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
  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. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  5. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print


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