The surname Fullam was first found in Middlesex at Fulham, a parish, in the union of Kensington, Kensington division of the hundred of Ossulstone. "Fulham is a spot of considerable antiquity: the Danes, on their invasion of England, fixed their head-quarters here, in 879; and, after wintering in the place, set sail for Flanders in the spring." [1]
This ancient Saxon parish was first listed as Fulanham (c. 705) and then later as Fuleham in the Domesday Book of 1086. [2] Literally the place name means "land in a river-bend of a man called Fulla" from the Old English personal name + "hamm." [3]
Conjecturally, the surname is descended from the tenant of the lands of Fulham, held by Fulcred who held the lands from the Bishop of London and who was recorded in the Domesday Book census of 1086.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fullam research. Another 51 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1651, 1750, 1799, 1393, 1412, 1294 and 1519 are included under the topic Early Fullam History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Fullem, Fullam, Fulham and others.
More information is included under the topic Early Fullam Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Some of the Fullam family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 90 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Fullam or a variant listed above: