Beckham History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Early Origins of the Beckham family

The surname Beckham was first found in Oxfordshire. While the earliest record of the name lie in this shire, there is a village named Beckingham in the North Kesteven district of Lincolnshire and another village and civil parish in the Bassetlaw district of Nottinghamshire so named. De Bekingham was the first listing of the name in Lincolnshire. 1

Elias de Beckingham (d. 1305?), was an early English judge, placed on the commission of justices for Middlesex in 1274. "He received the commission of justice of assize in 1276. In 1282-3 he acted as keeper of the rolls of the common pleas, and in 1285 was appointed one of the justices of that bench. " 2

Early History of the Beckham family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Beckham research. Another 147 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1095, 1097, 1412, 1455, 1487, 1510, 1556, 1600, 1699 and 1731 are included under the topic Early Beckham History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Beckham 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 Beckham 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 Beckham include: Beckingham, Beckinham, Beckington, Beckinton and others.

Early Notables of the Beckham family

Another 35 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Beckham Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Beckham Ranking

In the United States, the name Beckham is the 2,944^th most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 3

Beckham 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 Beckham or a variant listed above:

Beckham Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Charles Beckham, who landed in Maryland in 1669 4

Beckham Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Josephine Beckham, who landed in America in 1848 4

Beckham migration to Australia +

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

Beckham Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Miss. Sarah Beckham, British Convict who was convicted in London, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Asia" on 9th March 1847, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 5
William Beckham, aged 24, who arrived in South Australia in 1857 aboard the ship "Marion" 6

Beckham 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:

Beckham Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Captain Beckham, Australian settler travelling from Sydney aboard the ship "Diana" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 11th July 1840 7
Thomas Beckham, who landed in Auckland, New Zealand in 1841

Contemporary Notables of the name Beckham (post 1700) +

John Crepps Wickliffe Beckham (1869-1940), American attorney and politician, 35th Governor of Kentucky (1900-1907), United States senator from Kentucky (1915-1921)
Tony Beckham (b. 1978), American NFL football player
Tim Beckham (b. 1990), American baseball player
Lauren Beckham (b. 1984), American personal trainer and figure competitor
J. C. W. Beckham (1869-1940), American politician and former Governor of Kentucky and US Senator
Gordon Beckham (b. 1986), American baseball player
Brice Beckham (b. 1976), American actor
Bob Beckham (1927-2013), American country singer and owner of Combine Records
Barry Beckham (b. 1944), American novelist, publisher and college teacher
Walter C. Beckham, American fighter pilot and flying ace in the U.S. Army Air Forces, during World War II, credited with 18 aerial victories
... (Another 10 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th February 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1847
South Australian Register 1857. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Marion 1857. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/marion1857.shtml
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html