The name Syllham is of
Anglo-Saxon origin and came 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 Syllham also has origins as a
nickname for a man who was considered to be wise or fortunate.
Early Origins of the Syllham family
The surname Syllham 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 Syllham family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Syllham 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 Syllham History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Syllham Spelling Variations
Before English spelling was standardized a few
hundred years ago,
spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Syllham include Saleman, Salman, Selman, Selyman, Seleman and others.
Early Notables of the Syllham family (pre 1700)
Another 33 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Syllham Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Syllham family to the New World and Oceana
A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck
England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in
England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants: George Selman who settled in Barbados in 1634; Michael Selman arrived in Philadelphia in 1741; another Michael Selman arrived in Philadelphia in 1844.