STATHAM
The surname Statham is of English origin and is traditionally regarded as locational, deriving from a former settlement whose name is recorded in the county of Cheshire.
Its earliest etymology is commonly linked to the Old English elements stān ‘stone’ and ham ‘homestead’, a composition that would denote a stone based dwelling or a village situated upon a rocky scarp.
Other linguistic research associates the name with the pre 7th century Old English term stoeth, meaning a landing stage or wharf; this interpretation gives the surname the sense of a settlement established at a ferry point or a river mouth.
The first extant record of the family name appears in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, where a John de Statham is mentioned in the year 1273, during the reign of King Edward I.
Subsequent medieval documentation preserves further early forms of the name. In 1413 the name is listed as Richard de Stathum in the Catalogue of Derbyshire Charters, and in 1450 a Henry Stathum is recorded in the Calendar of Inquisitiones Post Mortem for Nottinghamshire.
Throughout history the surname has manifested in a range of spellings, including Statham, Staten, Staton, Statum, Stathum, Staton, Stathame and even Stathim; reflecting both regional pronunciation and orthographic variation in parish registers and land deeds.
In contemporary Britain the name is most frequent in England and Wales, with strong concentrations in Cheshire, the West Midlands and Lancashire; it is also present in Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Diaspora communities carry the name to the United States, Canada and Australia, where clusters are found in Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, Ontario, British Columbia and Quebec.
Prominent bearers of the surname include the Lancashire and England cricketer Brian Statham of the 1950s, the Irish emigrant Patrick Staton who sailed from Belfast to New York in 1846, the 18th century English politician John Statham, and the baronet James Statham who purportedly served in the American Revolutionary War. In the 19th century Matthew Statham is credited with establishing an American factory that introduced the first gas fired furnace, and Edgar Statham published scientific works that attracted international attention in the late 1700s. The modern actor Jason Statham, whose parents resided in West London, is another well known contemporary possessor of the name.
Beyond individual achievements, the Statham family has historically been linked to a culture of enterprise and scholarship; members have occupied military, political, business and academic positions and have contributed to disciplines ranging from engineering to linguistics. The surname is thus associated with industriousness, resilience and a legacy of personal endeavour that continues to be reflected in its modern bearers.
Typical given names associated with the Statham surname
Male
- Andrew
- Brian
- David
- James
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Richard
Female
- Alison
- Christine
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Helen
- Lisa
- Margaret
- Mary
- Rebecca
- 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 Statham in...
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There are approximately 3,828 people named Statham in the UK. That makes it roughly the 2,436th most common surname in Britain. Around 59 in a million people in Britain are named Statham.
Famous people named Statham
- Jason Statham - Actor, film producer, martial artist and former diver
- Brian Statham - Cricketer (1930 to 2000)
- Derek Statham - Football player
- Brian Statham - Football player
- Heathcote Dicken Statham - Composer (1889 to 1973)
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.