Hannolm is one of the many new names that came to England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Hannolm family lived in Hanham, Gloucestershire. Ancient records reveal the name Hannolm is derived from the Old English roots han, which means rock, and ham, which means village or settlement.
The surname Hannolm was first found in Gloucestershire where they held a family seat some say at the time of the Norman Conquest by Duke William of Normandy in 1066 A.D. Conjecturally, they are descended from Hunbald who held the lands of Hanham, now a suburb of Bristol, from Arnulf de Hesdin at the time of the taking of the Domesday Book survey in 1086 A.D. However, it was not until the 12th century when the first person of the name was officially recorded, that being of Peter de Hanham, Lord of the Manor of Hanham.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hannolm research. Another 72 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1667, 1559, 1547, 1554 and are included under the topic Early Hannolm History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Anglo-Norman names are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. When the Normans became the ruling people of England in the 11th century, they introduced a new language into a society where the main languages of Old and later Middle English had no definite spelling rules. These languages were more often spoken than written, so they blended freely with one another. Contributing to this mixing of tongues was the fact that medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, ensuring that a person's name would appear differently in nearly every document in which it was recorded. The name has been spelled Hanham, Hannam, Haname, Hannan, Hannem, Hanhams, Hannams, Hanam, Hanams, Hannum and many more.
Another 29 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hannolm Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Some of the Hannolm family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 50 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
For many English families, the political and religious disarray that plagued their homeland made the frontiers of the New World an attractive prospect. Thousands migrated, aboard cramped disease-ridden ships. They arrived sick, poor, and hungry, but were welcomed in many cases with far greater opportunity than at home in England. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Among early immigrants bearing the name Hannolm or a variant listed above were: Thomas Hanham who settled in Virginia in 1608; twelve years before the "Mayflower"; another Thomas settled in Virginia in 1773; John Hanam arrived in San Francisco, Cal. in 1850. In Newfoundland, James Hanham settled in Hants Harbour in 1829.