Packenam History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

In ancient Anglo-Saxon England, the ancestors of the Packenam surname lived in the parish of Pakenham found in the county of Suffolk. 1

This place-name was a habitation name which denoted where the Packenam family held their land. The original bearers of the Packenam surname took their name from the parish where they dwelt, so that they could be identified whenever they moved from their original dwelling place.

Early Origins of the Packenam family

The surname Packenam was first found in Suffolk at Pakenham, a village that dates back to Saxon times when it was first listed as Pakenham c. 950. By the Domesday Book of 1086, the village was listed as Pachenham 2 and literally meant "homestead or village of a man called Pacca," from the Old English personal name + "ham." 3

The first record of the family was William de Pekenham, listed in Pakenham (1196-1200.) Later Edmund de Pakenham was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk in 1327. 4

There were also early records in Norfolk: William de Pakenham and John de Pakeham in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 1 and Henry de Pakenham and Thomas de Pakeham in 1373. 5

Early History of the Packenam family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Packenam research. Another 80 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1482, 1497, 1518, 1542, 1543, 1547, 1552, 1554, 1574, 1626, 1713, 1743, 1774, 1776, 1785, 1792, 1794, 1817, 1835, 1860 and 1933 are included under the topic Early Packenam History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Packenam Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, early Anglo-Saxon surnames like Packenam 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. The variations of the name Packenam include: Pakenham, Packenham, Pagenam and others.

Early Notables of the Packenam family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Robert Pagman, Packman, Pagenham, Pakenham (fl. 1497-1552), English Army officer and politician, Member of the Parliament of England for Great Bedwyn in 1547. He was Clerk comptroller, the counting house by 1518, Clerk of the Accounts by 1543; and Clerk of the green cloth by 1547. Anne Pakenham, daughter of Sir Hugh Pakenham married Sir William Sidney (1482?-1554) an English courtier under Henry VIII and Edward VI and together...
Another 75 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Packenam Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Packenam family to Ireland

Some of the Packenam family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 96 words (7 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Packenam family

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 Packenam or a variant listed above: George Pakenham settled in Virginia in 1643.

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Rye, Walter, A History of Norfolk. London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, 1885. Print