KINGHAM
The surname Kingham is of strictly English origin, deriving from a locational name linked to the village of Kingham in Oxfordshire. The place itself features in the Domesday Book of 1086 under the form Caningeham, and appears in the Feet of Fines for Oxfordshire of 1220 as Kaingeham. The name is believed to have arisen from the Old English personal name Caega combined with ham, meaning village or homestead, thus giving the sense of a settlement belonging to the followers of Caega – Caegingaham.
Alternate explanations for the element ham trace it to the Old English word cyning (king) together with ham, rendering the literal meaning “the king’s homestead” or “the village of the king.” This etymology suggests that the name may originally have identified persons who lived in, or served, a royal household, or who had some association with the royal court.
In the early modern period the surname appears in parish records. The first recorded spelling belongs to a child christened on 10th May 1607 at St. Michael’s, Wood Street, London, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, who is often referred to colloquially as “Good Queen Bess.” Subsequent records note the marriage of Edward Ralph and Mary Kingham at St. George’s, Hanover Square, London, in 1749.
Locational surnames such as Kingham were typically adopted by the lord of the manor or by inhabitants of the place, and were used by those who relocated to other villages or towns for work or trade. Therefore, the surname indicates a geographic origin, rather than a familial occupation or lineage beyond that settlement.
Typical given names associated with the Kingham surname
Male
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Richard
- Robert
- Stephen
Female
- Anne
- Emma
- Jane
- Joan
- Julie
- Karen
- Lorraine
- Louise
- Margaret
- Nicola
- Patricia
- Sarah
- Susan
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 Kingham in...
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Morse
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There are approximately 2,121 people named Kingham in the UK. That makes it roughly the 3,998th most common surname in Britain. Around 33 in a million people in Britain are named Kingham.
Surname type: Location or geographical feature
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Kingham
- Tess Kingham - Politician
- Henry Kingham - Football player
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.