The name Grandam is of Anglo-Saxon origin and came from when the family lived in Grantham, a town located in the county of Lincolnshire. The name was derived from the Old English word grand which may have been derived from the personal name Granta and the Old English word ham meaning "homestead" [1]
The surname Grandam was first found in Lincolnshire at Grantham, a market town within the South Kesteven district, which was first listed in the Domesday Book as Grantham. [2] [3]
The place name probably meant "homestead or village of a man called Granta" derived from the Old English personal name + ham. Alternatively, the name could have been derived from the Old English word "grand" meaning "gravel" + ham. [4]
One of the first records of the family was Thomas de Grantham who was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls for Hertfordshire in 1220. [5]
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Grandam research. Another 103 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1328, 1544, 1573, 1630, 1604, 1629, 1589, 1612, 1655, 1640, 1641, 1718, 1634, 1692 and 1634 are included under the topic Early Grandam History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Grandam 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. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. The variations of the name Grandam include: Grantham, Grantam, Grantem, Grantum, Granthem and others.
Notables of this surname at this time include: Sir Thomas Grantham (1573-1630), an English politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1604 to 1629, matriculated at Christ Church, Oxford (1589); and his son, Thomas Grantham (1612-1655), an English politician, Member of Parliament for Lincoln for 1640, fought on the Parliamentary side in the English Civil War; and Sir Thomas Grantham (1641-1718), an English tobacco trader and naval officer, Commander of...
Another 71 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Grandam Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
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 Grandam or a variant listed above: John Grantham arrived in Pennsylvania in 1772; another John settled in New England in 1778; Peter Grantham settled in New York in 1807; James Grantham arrived in Philadelphia in 1851.