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Wakeham History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Wakeham History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Wakeham family

The surname Wakeham was first found in Devon where they were mentioned as men of great influence in the Church and public affairs. Traditionally, the Wakeman, in the ancient Saxon village before the Norman Conquest in 1066, was a man who sounded the horn during the evening to mark the time when criminal offences took on a greater penalty.

The Wakeman of Ripon, Yorkshire has blown his horn faithfully every day at 9:00pm at the four corners of the obelisk in Ripon Market since 886. This "Setting the Watch" tradition is further shown by having the horn on the Arms of Ripon and again appearing on the Harrogate borough coat of arms.

Early History of the Wakeham family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wakeham research. Another 71 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1539, 1541, 1549, 1592, 1659, 1662, 1679 and 1688 are included under the topic Early Wakeham History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wakeham 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 Wakeham 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. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. The variations of the name Wakeham include: Wakeman, Wakman, Wakeham, Waikham and others.

Early Notables of the Wakeham family

Notables of this surname at this time include: John Wakeman (died 1549) an English Benedictine, the last Abbot of Tewkesbury and first Bishop of Gloucester; Sir George Wakeman (died 1688), English royal physician to Catherine of Braganza, Consort of Charles II of England; and John Wakeman, Bishop of Gloucester. He was the son of Edward Wakeman (1592-1659) of the Inner Temple. "George Wakeman, who was a zealous Roman Catholic, was educated...
Another 71 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Wakeham Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wakeham Ranking

In Newfoundland, Canada, the name Wakeham is the 799^th most popular surname with an estimated 51 people with that name. 1

Wakeham migration to the United States +

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 Wakeham or a variant listed above:

Wakeham Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Jane Wakeham, who landed in Virginia in 1701 2
Jean Wakeham, who arrived in Virginia in 1704 2

Wakeham Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

William Henry Wakeham, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1842 2

Wakeham migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Wakeham Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century

John Wakeham, who settled in Salvage, Newfoundland in 1681 3

Wakeham Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Jim, John and Ben Wakeham (brothers), who settled in St John's, Newfoundland 3

Wakeham migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Wakeham Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

John Yobsley Wakeham, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Platina" in 1839 4
Ann Wakeham, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Platina" in 1839 4
Elizabeth Wakeham, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Platina" in 1839 4
Samuel Wakeham, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Lysander" in 1840 5
Ann Wakeham, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Lysander" in 1840 5
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Wakeham migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Wakeham Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Thomas Wakeham, aged 32, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "City of Auckland" in 1872
Mary Wakeham, aged 31, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "City of Auckland" in 1872

Contemporary Notables of the name Wakeham (post 1700) +

Julia Wakeham, American actress, known for W.C. (2007), Lifting the Lid: The Making of 'W.C.' (2009) and Where the Sea Used to Be (2012)
Peter Francis Wakeham (b. 1936), English footballer
John Wakeham PC, DL (b. 1932), Baron Wakeham, English businessman and British Conservative Party politician, Chancellor of Brunel University
Deborah Wakeham, Canadian actress, writer and producer, known for her work on Spider-Man (2002), Major League (1989) and Needful Things (1993)
Dan Wakeham (b. 1981), British professional snowboarder
Sir William Arnot "Bill" Wakeham (b. 1944), British chemical engineer, former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Southampton

Citations +

The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
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)
Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) PLATINA 1839. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1839Platina.htm
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) LYSANDER 1840. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1840Lysander.htm