PACKHAM
Packham is a locational surname of English provenance that has endured for many centuries.
The name Packham is derived from Old English elements: the word pæcc meaning “pack” or “bundle” and ham meaning a “homestead” or “village”. In early usage it would have referred to someone who lived near or worked with packs or bundles – for example a packer or a carrier.
Alternatively, the surname is seen as a derivation of one of two Anglo- Saxon placenames. One is Pagham in Sussex, recorded as Pecgan ham in the Saxon Chronicles of 680 and as Pageham in the Domesday Book of 1086. The other is Pakenham in Suffolk, recorded as Pakenham in the Saxon Chronicles circa 950 and as Pachenham in the Domesday Book. In each case the element ham denotes an enclosure or water-meadow, while the first element comes from an Old English personal name: Paecga in Sussex, and Pacca in Suffolk.
In the Middle Ages, as migration for employment became common, people often adopted the name of their former village as a form of identification. This practice led to the dispersal and variation of the surname across the country. The earliest surviving record of the name is the appellation of Robert de Pakynham, dated 1100 in the “Medieval Suffolk Registers”, during the reign of King Henry the First, known as “The Lion of Justice” (1100‑1135).
Several variant forms of the surname are attested historically: Padgham in Sussex and Pakenham in Suffolk. Church register entries from Sussex further illustrate the use of the name. For instance, the marriage of Robert Pekham and Joane Salter on 4th December 1578 at Cocking, and that of Mary Packham and Henry Chautler on 28th June 1607 at Barcombe, are both recorded.
Today the surname Packham continues to be borne by individuals in England and in other English-speaking regions. While its exact prevalence varies across modern censuses, the name remains recognisable as a historically rooted locational surname of Anglo-Saxon origin.
Typical given names associated with the Packham surname
Male
- Alan
- Andrew
- Anthony
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Jonathan
- Mark
- Michael
- Peter
- Richard
Female
- Caroline
- Catherine
- Claire
- Elizabeth
- Jean
- Jennifer
- Karen
- Margaret
- Patricia
- Samantha
- 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 Packham in...
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There are approximately 2,884 people named Packham in the UK. That makes it roughly the 3,089th most common surname in Britain. Around 44 in a million people in Britain are named Packham.
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 Packham
- Chris Packham - Naturalist
- Jenny Packham - Fashion designer
- Will Packham - Football player
- David Packham - Mayor of Kensington and Norwood (1832 to 1912)
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.