Bodam History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Bodam

What does the name Bodam mean?

The history of the Bodam family goes back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It is derived from the family living in an area with a broad valley, or a hillside. Bootham is a district near the center of the city of York, North Yorkshire. Blidworth Bottoms is a hamlet in Nottinghamshire. Angram Bottoms is a 24 acres biological site near to the village of Angram in the Yorkshire Dales. Today Pitt Town Bottoms is a historic town and suburb of Sydney, in New South Wales, Australia.

Early Origins of the Bodam family

The surname Bodam was first found in Norfolk and North Yorkshire where one of the first records of the name was Dowe de Bothemes who was listed in the Assize Rolls of 1246. A few years later, Laurence de Biouthom who was listed in 1287 and a de Bothum who was listed in the Feet of Fines of 1303. Just five years later, Richard del Botham was listed in the Court Rolls in the Manor of Wakefield in 1307. 1

Early History of the Bodam family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bodam research. Another 24 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bodam History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bodam Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Bodam include Bottom, Botham, Bootham, Bodham and others.

Early Notables of the Bodam family

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

Migration of the Bodam family

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Bodam or a variant listed above: John Bottam who settled in Virginia in 1623; John Bottom settled in Virginia in 1623; Richard Bottom settled in Virginia in 1633; Parker Bottom settled in New England in 1850.

Sources +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)