Show ContentsKelm History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Kelm arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Kelm family lived at Kelham in Nottinghamshire, a parish northwest of Newark. The name Kelm is derived from the Old Norse expression for at the ridges. It is most commonly found in Northamptonshire and Nottinghamshire.

Early Origins of the Kelm family

The surname Kelm was first found in Nottinghamshire. "A Norman family, who derive their name from Kelham, near Newark-upon-Trent, co. Nottingham, where they were seated at an early period. They still bear in their arms three covered cups, in allusion to the office of cup-bearer to Alan, earl of Richmond, the Conqueror's son-in-law, which was held by their ancestor. " [1]

This was the place that Charles I. spent his last night before he gave himself up to the Scottish army, who encamped on the spot in May, 1646. [2]

Early History of the Kelm family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kelm research. Another 73 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Kelm History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kelm Spelling Variations

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 Kellam, Kelham and others.

Early Notables of the Kelm family

More information is included under the topic Early Kelm Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kelm Ranking

In the United States, the name Kelm is the 9,678th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [3]


United States Kelm migration to the United States +

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 Kelm or a variant listed above were:

Kelm Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Maria Ursula Kelm, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1751 [4]
Kelm Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Ludwig Kelm, who landed in Texas in 1850-1906 [4]
  • Carl Kelm, who arrived in America in 1873 [4]

Contemporary Notables of the name Kelm (post 1700) +

  • Larry Dean Kelm (1964-2014), American NFL football linebacker who played from 1987 to 1993
  • Thomas A. Kelm, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Minnesota, 1956, 1964 (alternate) [5]
  • Elmer F. Kelm, American Democratic Party politician, Secretary of Minnesota Democratic Party, 1937; Minnesota Democratic State Chair, 1945; U.S. Collector of Internal Revenue for Minnesota, 1946-51 [5]
  • Arnold Kelm, American Democratic Party politician, Democratic Candidate for Michigan State House of Representatives 97th District, 1978, 1980 [5]


The Kelm Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Beneficiorum memor
Motto Translation: Mindful of benefits.


  1. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  2. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  3. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  4. 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)
  5. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 11) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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