Show ContentsBampton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Bampton

What does the name Bampton mean?

The ancestors of the Bampton surname lived among the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. The name comes from when they lived in one of numerous places in England named Bampton. Among these are two villages, and parishes in the counties of Devon, Oxford, Cumberland, and Westminster.

Early Origins of the Bampton family

The surname Bampton was first found in Devon, at Bampton, a market-town and parish, in the union of Tiverton, hundred of Bampton. "Bampton is supposed by Bishop Gibson to have been the Beamdune of the Saxon Chronicle, where, in 614, the Britons were defeated with great slaughter by Cynegils, King of the West Saxons." 1

The first on record was Robert de Bampton, son of Walter de Douay who held Bampton at the time of the Conquest. He had only one daughter "who brought the manor to the Paganells. " 2

Later it was the birth place and home to John de Bampton, Archdeacon of Lewes from 1395 to 1419. Many believe that this Carmelite monk whose intervention as a royal official to collect unpaid taxes in Brentwood led to the Peasant's Revolt (Wat Tyler's Rebellion) in 1381.

Bampton Castle in Devon, is a Saxon mound built into a castle which fell in 1607 and only the motte remains today. Another Bampton Castle was fund in Oxfordshire which one reference claims that "in about 1142 AD during the reign of Stephen, Matilda a motte castle was built." This latter castle was demolished before 1789.

John Bampton (fl. 1340), was an early theologian of the fourteenth century, born at Bampton, in Devon. 3

Early History of the Bampton family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bampton research. Another 352 words (25 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1208, 1300, 1332, 1400, 1500, 1642, 1690, 1700, 1718, 1751 and 1785 are included under the topic Early Bampton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bampton Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Bampton include Bampton, Bempton, Bamtone, Bamton, Bammton, Bameton and many more.

Early Notables of the Bampton family

Notables of the family at this time include

  • John Bampton (1690-1751), the Canon of Salisbury in Wiltshire from 1718 to 1751, eponym of the Bampton Lectures


Bampton migration to the United States +

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants:

Bampton Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Mrs. F. W. Bampton, aged 38, who settled in America, in 1894
Bampton Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Mrs George F. Bampton, aged 30, who landed in America, in 1908
  • Nellie Bampton, aged 24, who landed in America, in 1912
  • Ruth Bampton, aged 9, who immigrated to the United States, in 1912
  • Fred Bampton, aged 27, who settled in America from Mount Sorrell, England, in 1912
  • George Bampton, aged 36, who immigrated to the United States, in 1912
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Bampton migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Bampton Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Thomas Bampton, who sailed to Nova Scotia in 1749
  • Mr. Paul Bampton U.E. who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1783 4
Bampton Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Charles Bampton was recorded in the Algoma District of Ontario in 1871

Bampton migration to Australia +

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

Bampton Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Francis Bampton, English convict who was convicted in Southampton, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Augusta Jessie" on 27 September 1834, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 5
  • Henry Bampton, aged 25, a smith, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Victoria Regia"

Bampton 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:

Bampton Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • George Bampton, who landed in Nelson, New Zealand in 1842
  • George Bampton, aged 23, a gardener, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bombay" in 1842 6
  • Catherine Bampton, aged 22, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Bombay" in 1842 6
  • William Bampton, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Wild Duck" in 1860

Contemporary Notables of the name Bampton (post 1700) +

  • Rose Bampton (1907-2007), prominent American opera singer from Lakewood, Ohio
  • Deborah "Debbie" Bampton MBE (b. 1961), English former international footballer who played as a midfielder; she was capped 95 times for England, scoring three goals all in all
  • Dave Bampton (b. 1985), English footballer
  • Mr. Edmund Bampton, British sheriff, held the joint position of Sheriff of Nottingham, England from 1633 to 1634
  • Peter Aloysius Bampton (1896-1968), Australian footballer swho played with Port Adelaide (1919-1928)
  • Melissa "Mel" Bampton, Australian radio announcer, best known for her work on the Triple J network
  • Danny Bampton (b. 1980), Australian former rugby league player who played in the 1990s and 2000s for the Brisbane Broncos


  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  2. Worth, R.N., A History of Devonshire London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, E.G., 1895. Digital
  3. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  4. Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
  5. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th August 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/augusta-jessie
  6. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 7th November 2010). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html


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