The name Dounman has a long
Anglo-Saxon heritage. The name comes from when a family lived in the parish of Dunham, in the county of
Norfolk. The place-name is made up of two old English elements:
dun, which is a word for hill; and
ham, which means home. The translation of the name is
home on the hill.
Early Origins of the Dounman family
The surname Dounman was first found in
Norfolk at Downham Market, often referred to as Downham, a town and civil parish. The place dates back to c. 1050 and was listed later in 1086 in the
Domesday Book as Dunham. However, there are several more listings of the place name including Little Downham in
Cambridgeshire, Downham,
Lancashire and Downham,
Essex. Wilmslow in
Cheshire was an ancient
family seat for the family. "The church is a handsome and very ancient structure in the decorated and later English styles, with a square tower; it comprises a nave, chancel, and two aisles, of which the east end of one and the west end of the other are inclosed as sepulchral chapels, for the families of Dunham and Trafford."
[1]CITATION[CLOSE]
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print. Downham Estate is a housing estate in Downham, south east London named in honour of Lord Downham, who was chairman of the London County Council between 1919-1920. Downham Hall is an English country house in Downham,
Lancashire, but this estate was never held by anyone with the family name.
Early History of the Dounman family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dounman research.
Another 153 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1190, 1332, 1511, 1577, 1561 and 1577 are included under the topic Early Dounman History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Dounman Spelling Variations
Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few
hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Dounman have been found, including Dunham, Dunnam, Downham, Dounham, Downnam and others.
Early Notables of the Dounman family (pre 1700)
More information is included under the topic Early Dounman Notables in all our
PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Dounman family to Ireland
Some of the Dounman family moved to
Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in
Ireland is included in all our
PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Dounman family to the New World and Oceana
Families began migrating abroad in enormous numbers because of the political and religious discontent in
England. Often faced with persecution and starvation in
England, the possibilities of the New World attracted many English people. Although the ocean trips took many lives, those who did get to North America were instrumental in building the necessary groundwork for what would become for new powerful nations. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America bore the name Dounman, or a variant listed above: John Dunham of Plymouth who in 1633 purchased land at Dartmouth. Later John Dunham of Barnstable settled in 1655. By 1850 the Dunham name had reached as far west as San Francisco..
Dounman Family Crest Products
See Also
Citations
- ^ Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.