Bodham History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Bodham

What does the name Bodham mean?

In ancient Anglo-Saxon England, the ancestors of the Bodham surname lived in an area with a broad valley, or a hillside. Bootham is a district near the center of the city of York, North Yorkshire. Blidworth Bottoms is a hamlet in Nottinghamshire. Angram Bottoms is a 24 acres biological site near to the village of Angram in the Yorkshire Dales. Today Pitt Town Bottoms is a historic town and suburb of Sydney, in New South Wales, Australia.

Early Origins of the Bodham family

The surname Bodham was first found in Norfolk and North Yorkshire where one of the first records of the name was Dowe de Bothemes who was listed in the Assize Rolls of 1246. A few years later, Laurence de Biouthom who was listed in 1287 and a de Bothum who was listed in the Feet of Fines of 1303. Just five years later, Richard del Botham was listed in the Court Rolls in the Manor of Wakefield in 1307. 1

Early History of the Bodham family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bodham research. Another 24 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bodham History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bodham 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 Bodham 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 Bodham include: Bottom, Botham, Bootham, Bodham and others.

Early Notables of the Bodham family

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

Migration of the Bodham 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 Bodham or a variant listed above: John Bottam who settled in Virginia in 1623; John Bottom settled in Virginia in 1623; Richard Bottom settled in Virginia in 1633; Parker Bottom settled in New England in 1850.

Contemporary Notables of the name Bodham (post 1700) +

William Bodham Donne (1807-1882), English examiner of plays, his grandfather was an eminent surgeon at Norwich 2

Sources +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 30 June 2020