HALLAM

Hallam is an English surname that finds its roots in the Old English word halh, meaning “nook” or “recess”, and the suffix ham, meaning “homestead”. The combination indicates a person who lived in a sheltered nook or a remote valley.

In addition to the Anglo‑Saxon origin, the surname has a recognised Old Norse derivation from the elements hallr (“rock”) and heimr (“home” or “settlement”). This loots the name to those living near rocky outcrops and to places that were settled during the early Viking invasions of England.

Hallam is primarily a locational surname. Two settlements in Derbyshire – Kirk Hallam and West Hallam – provide the earliest documentary evidence. Kirk Hallam is recorded in a 1242 account as Kirkehalum and West Hallam appears in the 1230 Pipe Rolls as Westhalum. In Yorkshire the name also applies to a district surrounding Sheffield, occasionally called Hallamshire, first documented at the end of the 13th century.

The earliest extant record of the family name is that of Adam de Hallum, dated 1297 in the Yorkshire Pipe Rolls during the reign of King Edward the First, who reigned from 1272 to 1307.

There are several documented 16th‑ and early 17th‑century entries that show the use of the name in London. On 1 August 1593 Margaret Hallam was christened at St. Mary, Whitechapel, Stepney. On 3 June 1607 Katherine Hallam married Thomas Barker at St. Bride’s, Fleet Street, and on 10 April 1611 Anne Hallam married Richard Manesfield at St. Giles, Cripplegate.

The surname has three common modern spellings – Hallam, Hallum, and Hallums – and occasionally a fourth, Hallams. Variations such as Hallen, Halom, and Hallah are found but are considered distinct from the primary form.

In Britain the name remains most frequent in the Sheffield area and in Greater Manchester. Over the last few centuries bearers of the surname have migrated widely, so that Hallam families can now be found in Australia, the United States, and Canada.

Although Hallam is distinctly English, its linguistic neighbours include surnames such as Hale, Hall, Hales, and Halle, all of which share the “halh” element but are not interchangeable with Hallam.

Typical given names associated with the Hallam surname

Male

• Andrew
• Christopher
• David
• John
• Mark
• Michael
• Paul
• Peter
• Richard
• Stephen

Female

• Elizabeth
• Emma
• Jacqueline
• Joanne
• Margaret
• Michelle
• Patricia
• Rebecca
• Sarah
• Susan
• Victoria

Similar and related surnames

Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.

How to communicate the surname Hallam in...

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Morse

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Semaphore

Origin: English

Region of origin: British Isles

Country of origin: England

Religion of origin: Christian

Language of origin: English

Famous people named Hallam

• Roger Hallam - Social scientist
• John Hallam - 1941–2006; Northern Irish character actor (1941 to 2006)
• Jordan Hallam - Football player
• Henry Hallam - Historian (1777 to 1859)
• Albert Hallam - Cricketer (1869 to 1940)
• Tracey Hallam - Badminton player
• Elizabeth Hallam-Smith - Librarian, information professional and historian
• Chris Hallam - Welsh Paralympian and wheelchair athlete (1962 to 2013)
• Norman Hallam - Football player (1920 to 1)
• Maurice Hallam - Cricketer (1931 to 2000)
• Gwion Hallam - Welsh children's writer
• Jack Hallam - International football player (1869 to 1949)
• Natalie Hallam - Actress
• Peter James Hallam - Figure skater

Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.

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