Sellham History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The earliest origins of the name Sellham date back to the time of the Anglo-Saxons. The name 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 Sellham also has origins as a nickname for a man who was considered to be wise or fortunate.

Early Origins of the Sellham family

The surname Sellham 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

A scan of early rolls revealed Ailricius Seliman in the Pipe Rolls for 1169 for Northumberland, Thomas Selman in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1275 for Wiltshire, John Seliman in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1279 for Cambridgeshire, Robert Salyman in the Subsidy Rolls for Essex in 1327 and Claricia Selimaon and Henry Selmon in the Subsidy Rolls for Worcester for 1327. 2

Early History of the Sellham family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Sellham research. Another 120 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1240, 1303, 1371, 1390, 1411, 1414, 1426, 1435, 1468, 1541 and 1800 are included under the topic Early Sellham History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sellham Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Sellham include Saleman, Salman, Selman, Selyman, Seleman and others.

Early Notables of the Sellham family

Notables of the family at this time include John Selman (died 1426), English politician, Member of Parliament for Plympton Erle (1390-1411); and John Selman (fl.1414-1435), English politician, Member of Parliament for Plympton Erle (1414-1435.)Thomas Soulemont, Soleman or...
Another 36 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Sellham Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sellham migration to the United States +

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Sellham or a variant listed above:

Sellham Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Henry Sellham, who arrived in New England in 1758 3
Jacob Sellham, who landed in New England in 1758 3

Citations +

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)
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)