Kidham History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• England
• Ireland

The ancient Anglo-Saxon surname Kidham came from the Dutch personal name Kygeir which meant people's spear. The surname Kidham was adopted in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. In Old English, patronyms were formed by adding a variety of suffixes to personal names, which changed over time and from place to place. For example, after the Norman Conquest, sunu and sune, which meant son, were the most common patronymic suffixes. In the 12th and 13th centuries, the most common patronymic names included the word filius, which meant son. By the 14th century, the suffix son had replaced these earlier versions. Surnames that were formed with filius or son were more common in the north of England and it was here that the number of individuals without surnames was greatest at this time.

Early Origins of the Kidham family

The surname Kidham was first found in Sussex where another reference claims that name is an occupational name for "one who travels with goods for sale. Most if not all the Kidders of England spring from Maresfield, co. Sussex, where they may be traced back as far as the reign of Edward II." ^[1]

Early History of the Kidham family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Kidham research. Another 73 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1691, 1633, 1703, 1703 and 1691 are included under the topic Early Kidham History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Kidham Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Kidham family name include Kidder and others.

Early Notables of the Kidham family (pre 1700)

Another 40 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Kidham Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Kidham family to Ireland

Some of the Kidham family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Kidham family

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, the Canadas, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Kidham surname or a spelling variation of the name include: John Kidder, who settled in Boston in 1633; James Kidder settled in Cambridge in 1633; Benjamin Kidder settled in Baltimore in 1775; along with William.

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