Contents [hide]

Leatham History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

Leatham History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Etymology of Leatham

What does the name Leatham mean?

The present generation of the Leatham family is only the most recent to bear a name that dates back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. Their name comes from having lived in Latham in the West Riding of Yorkshire, in Lathom in Lancashire and Laytham in the East Riding of Yorkshire. The place-name Latham was originally derived from the Old Norse word hlathum, which is the plural form of hlath, which means a barn. Therefore the original bearers of the Leatham surname were dwellers at the barns. 1 2

Early Origins of the Leatham family

The surname Leatham was first found in Lancashire at Lathom, a village and civil parish about 5 km northeast of Ormskirk. The place name dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 where it was listed as Latune 3 and later as Lathum in 1200, and Lathom in 1223. One of the earliest records of the name was Robert Fitzhenry de Lathom who held lands throughout south Lancashire in 1189. The lands were "bestowed by Robert de Lathom upon the newly-founded priory of Burscough in 1189." 4

Presumably one of his descendants, Robert de Lathom in 1292 was sued by Richard, son of John de Burscough concerning a tenement in Burscough, but the case was non-suited." 4

"This place was the seat of the Lathom family, of whom Robert de Lathom, in the reign of Edward I., received the grant of a weekly market and an annual fair, and whose baronial mansion of Lathom House, remarkable for its extent and magnificence, and formidable for its strength, afterwards became so conspicuous in history. " 5

At Whiston in the parish of Prescot, "in the reign of Richard II. the Lathoms had estates here, which descended through several generations; and the Torbocks, of whom the Lathoms were a branch, were, at a very remote period, possessed of Rudgate, in this manor." 5

The parish of Huyton was another ancient family seat. "The Lathoms were early proprietors, being mentioned in the reign of Henry III. The original church was of considerable antiquity, having been granted to the priory of Burscough, at the time of its foundation, by the first (aforementioned) Robert de Lathom." 5

Early History of the Leatham family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Leatham research. Another 106 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1200, 1610, 1677 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Leatham History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Leatham Spelling Variations

Until the dictionary, an invention of only the last few hundred years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently, spelling variations in names are frequently found in early Anglo-Saxon and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Leatham include Latham, Lathem, Lathom and others.

Early Notables of the Leatham family

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

Leatham Ranking

In the United States, the name Leatham is the 18,133^rd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 6

Migration of the Leatham family to Ireland

Some of the Leatham family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Leatham migration to Canada +

Thousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Leatham were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records:

Leatham Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Thomas Leatham, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1749

Leatham migration to Australia +

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

Leatham Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. William Leatham, English convict who was convicted in Surrey, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Aurora" on 3rd November 1833, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 7
Mr. Thomas Leatham, (b. 1832), aged 25, Cornish agricultural labourer departing from Plymouth aboard the ship "Fitzjames" arriving in Port Jackson, New South Wales, Australia on 1st April 1857 8
Mrs. Sarah Leatham, (b. 1828), aged 29, Cornish settler departing from Plymouth aboard the ship "Fitzjames" arriving in Port Jackson, New South Wales, Australia on 1st April 1857 8

Leatham 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:

Leatham Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. W. (H. W.) Leatham, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Joseph Fletcher" arriving in New Plymouth, North Island, New Zealand in September 1852 9
John Leatham, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Nimroud" in 1860
Alice Leatham, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Nimroud" in 1860
Elizabeth Leatham, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Nimroud" in 1860
George Leatham, aged 37, a shoemaker, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Waitangi" in 1874
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Leatham (post 1700) +

Robert Jennings Leatham (b. 1961), American professional shooter, twenty-four-time the USPSA National champion and seven-time International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC) World Champion
Charles Leatham, American politician, Mayor of Frostburg, Maryland, 1908 10
Gerald Arthur Buxton Leatham (1851-1932), English amateur first-class cricketer, who for Yorkshire County Cricket Club between 1874 and 1886
Lady Victoria Diana Leatham (b. 1947), née Cecil, an English antiques expert and television personality
Albert Leatham (1859-1948), English cricketer for Gloucestershire from 1883 to 1897
Admiral Sir Ralph Leatham KCB (1888-1954), English Royal Navy officer, Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth during World War II
Edward Aldam Leatham (1828-1900), English Liberal Member of Parliament, Member of Parliament for Huddersfield (1859-1865), and (1868-1886)
William Leatham (1785-1842), English leading banker in Wakefield, a Quaker and an abolitionist, father of William Henry Leatham and Edward Aldam Leatham
Lady Victoria Diana Leatham M.B.E. (b. 1947), née Cecil, British Antiques Expert and Television personality, was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire on 8th June 2018, for services to the community in Northamptonshire and Cambridgeshire 11
John Leatham (b. 1946), former Australian rules footballer who played with Carlton in 1967
... (Another 3 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Leatham Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Aequanimitate
Motto Translation: Equanimity

Citations +

Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges, A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
'Townships: Scarisbrick', in A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 3, ed. William Farrer and J Brownbill (London, 1907), pp. 265-276. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/lancs/vol3/pp265-276 [accessed 21 January 2017].
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 20th August 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/aurora
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_nsw_1850_59.pdf
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 15) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
"Birthday and New Year Honours Lists (1940 to 2019)." Issue 62310, 4 July 2019 | London Gazette, The Gazette, June 2018, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/62310/supplement/B1