The name Saleham originated with the
Anglo-Saxon tribes that once ruled Britain. It is derived from the baptismal name
Soloman, which was an ancient
personal name. Baptismal names began to appear as surnames relatively late in the growth of the naming tradition. This is a little surprising, given the popularity of biblical figures in the Christian countries of Europe. Nevertheless, surnames derived from baptismal names grew in popularity during the Middle Ages, and have become one of the foremost sources for surnames. The surname Saleham also has origins as a
nickname for a man who was considered to be wise or fortunate.
Early Origins of the Saleham family
The surname Saleham was first found in
Surrey where they were Lords of the manor of Caterham from ancient times. Alternatively, the name could have been derived from Selham, a small village in the Chichester district of West
Sussex. The village dates back to the
Domesday Book where it was listed as Seleham and literally meant "homestead by a copse of sallow-trees."
[1]CITATION[CLOSE]
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Early History of the Saleham family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Saleham research.
Another 239 words (17 lines of text) covering the years 1240, 1303, 1371, 1468, 1800, 1426, 1390, 1411, 1414, 1435, 1414 and 1435 are included under the topic Early Saleham History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Saleham Spelling Variations
One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The
spelling variations under which the name Saleham has appeared include Saleman, Salman, Selman, Selyman, Seleman and others.
Early Notables of the Saleham family (pre 1700)
Another 33 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Saleham Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Saleham family to the New World and Oceana
At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in
England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left
England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Saleham arrived in North America very early: George Selman who settled in Barbados in 1634; Michael Selman arrived in Philadelphia in 1741; another Michael Selman arrived in Philadelphia in 1844.