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Show ContentsDownam History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
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Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

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The ancient history of the Downam name begins with the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from when the family resided 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 Downam family

The surname Downam 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

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 Downam family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Downam research. Another 153 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1190, 1332, 1511, 1561, 1577, 1579, 1585, 1634 and 1652 are included under the topic Early Downam History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Downam Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Downam include Dunham, Dunnam, Downham, Dounham, Downnam and others.

Early Notables of the Downam family

Distinguished members of the family include

  • George Downham or Downame (d. 1634), was Bishop of Derry and elder son of William Downham, Bishop of Chester. He was probably born at Chester, to which see his father was elected 1 May 1561. He was el...
  • John Downham or Downame (d. 1652), was an English Puritan divine, younger son of William Downham, Bishop of Chester. 2

Ireland Migration of the Downam family to Ireland

Some of the Downam 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.

United States Downam migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Downam or a variant listed above:

Downam Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Sarah Downam, who arrived in Virginia in 1696 3
  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  2. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  3. 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)
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