Show ContentsChurchman History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Churchman is rooted in the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. It is a name for someone who worked as a churchwarden; the custodian of a church. Further research revealed that the name is derived from the Old Norman word kirkja, which meant church, and man, the Old English word for man. The original bearers of the name were responsible for taking care of the buildings and grounds of the local church, which was an honored occupation. The name is primarily found in the north of England, where the Old Norman language had a great impact due to the waves of immigration from Scandinavia in the 9th and 10th centuries. Norman is a contraction of Norsemen; we call them the Vikings. While they came for rapine and pillage, many of them stayed to raise families. There are many names in the north of England that show the influence of these settlers on the English language.

Early Origins of the Churchman family

The surname Churchman was first found in Yorkshire where they held a family seat from medieval times.

Early History of the Churchman family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Churchman research. Another 85 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1230, 1259, 1270, 1273, 1379, 1662 and 1674 are included under the topic Early Churchman History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Churchman 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 Churchman 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 Churchman include: Kirkman, Kirkeman, Kerman, Churchman, Kyrkman, Kyrkeman and many more.

Early Notables of the Churchman family

Another 47 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Churchman Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Churchman migration to the United States +

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 Churchman or a variant listed above:

Churchman Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • John Churchman, who landed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1632 aboard the ship "Lyon", bound for Cambridge 1
  • Hugh Churchman, who landed in Lynn, Massachusetts in 1640 1
  • Ann Churchman who sailed to Virginia in 1663
Churchman Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Edward Churchman, who settled in Virginia in 1737
Churchman Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • T C Churchman, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 1
  • Geffery Churchman, who arrived in Virginia in 1884 1

Churchman migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Churchman Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Edward Churchman, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Morley" in 1840 2
  • Sarah Churchman, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Morley" in 1840 2
  • Anne Churchman, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Morley" in 1840 2
  • Charlotte Churchman, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Morley" in 1840 2
  • Mary Louisa Churchman, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Morley" in 1840 2
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Churchman migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 3
Churchman Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century
  • Thomas Churchman, a bonded emigrant who arrived in Barbados in 1651
  • Margaret Churchman, a bonded emigrant who arrived in Barbados in 1679

Contemporary Notables of the name Churchman (post 1700) +

  • James Churchman, American politician, U.S. Consul in Valparaiso, 1861-63 4
  • Ysanne Churchman (1925-2024), English actress from Sutton Coldfield, Warwickshire who worked as an actress and narrator on British radio, TV and film for over 50 years (1938-1993)


Suggested Readings for the name Churchman +

  • The Browns and Churchmans of Nottingham: Chester County, Pennsylvania and Cecil County, Maryland by Amos Day Bradley.

  1. 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)
  2. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) MORLEY 1840. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1840Morley.htm
  3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
  4. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 17) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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