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![Show Contents]() Housham History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 England
The Housham family name dates back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. The name comes from when an early member worked as a person employed "at the house." In most cases, this was a religious house or convent. The surname Housham is derived from the Old English word hus, which means house, and the word man, which means servant. 1 Early Origins of the Housham familyThe surname Housham was first found in Yorkshire where Johannes Howsman was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. A few years earlier John Houseman was found in Colchester, Essex in 1365. 2 "This surname, early found in Yorkshire, crossed the border and settled in the neighbourhood of Lancaster. A well-known vicar of Lancaster bore this name at the beginning of the century. Two hundred years earlier the name occurs in local Wills." 3 Early History of the Housham familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Housham research. Another 61 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1365, 1604, 1622, 1630, 1636, 1696, 1714, 1759 and 1838 are included under the topic Early Housham History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Housham Spelling VariationsHousham has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Many variations of the name Housham have been found, including Houseman, Housemayne, Houssemayne, Housman, Howseman and many more. Early Notables of the Housham familyAnother 35 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Housham Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Housham familyIn an attempt to escape the chaos experienced in England, many English families boarded overcrowded and diseased ships sailing for the shores of North America and other British colonies. Those families hardy enough, and lucky enough, to make the passage intact were rewarded with land and a social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families became important contributors to the young colonies in which they settled. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Houshams to arrive on North American shores: William Houseman, who sailed to Barbados in 1635; John Houseman to Virginia in 1699; William Howsman to Nova Scotia in 1749; Henry Houseman to Carolina in 1774.
- Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
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