Belham History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland

Etymology of Belham

What does the name Belham mean?

In ancient Scotland, the Picts were the ancestors of the first to use the name Belham. It was a name for a bellman or town crier.

Early Origins of the Belham family

The surname Belham was first found in Caithness (Gaelic: Gallaibh), the northern tip of Scotland, a Norse/Viking controlled region from the 9th century, which became the Earldom of Caithness, where they had been settled from ancient times, long before the Norman Conquest in 1066.

Early History of the Belham family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Belham research. Another 73 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1398, 1505, 1663 and 1735 are included under the topic Early Belham History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Belham Spelling Variations

The arts of spelling and translation were yet in their infancies when surnames began, so there are an enormous number of spelling variations of the names in early Scottish records. This is a particular problem with Scottish names because of the numerous times a name might have been loosely translated to English from Gaelic and back. Belham has been spelled Bellman, Beelman, Belman, Bellmon and others.

Early Notables of the Belham family

More information is included under the topic Early Belham Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Belham family

This oppression forced many Scots to leave their homelands. Most of these chose North America as their destination. Although the journey left many sick and poor, these immigrants were welcomed the hardy with great opportunity. Many of these settlers stood up for their newfound freedom in the American War of Independence. More recently, Scots abroad have recovered much of their collective heritage through highland games and other patriotic functions and groups. An examination of passenger and immigration lists has located various settlers bearing the name Belham: Christian Bellman who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1732; Melchior Beelman who arrived in Philadelphia in 1738; Peter Belman arrived in Philadelphia in 1749..