Bolm History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Bolm

What does the name Bolm mean?

The ancestors of the bearers of the Bolm family name are thought have lived in ancient Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found in the township of Balne, in the parish of Snaith, Lower division of the wapentake of Osgoldcross in the West Riding of Yorkshire. 1 Interestingly, Balne dates back to the 12th century when is was first listed with the same spelling used today, Balne - very few villages have held that same spelling over the centuries. It is thought that the place name meant "a bathing place," from the Latin word "balneum." 2

Early Origins of the Bolm family

The surname Bolm was first found in Yorkshire, where Robert de Balne was registered in Yorkshire in 1175. Early in the family's history they branched to Cornwall, where Alice de Balne was recorded in 1297. 3

By the time of the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379, a stronghold of the family was found in the parish of Wadworth, again in the West Riding of Yorkshire. For it is here that Johannes Balm; Willelmus de Balne; Emma de Balne; and Thomas de Balme all held lands at that time. 4

Also of note was Henry de Balnea (fl. 1400?), an English monk of the Carthusian order, "author of a work entitled 'Speculum Spiritualium,' which was preserved at Norwich in Tanner's days. " 5

Early History of the Bolm family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bolm research. Another 169 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1500 and 1745 are included under the topic Early Bolm History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bolm 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 Bolm include Balm, Balme, Baln, Balne, Ballm, Ballme, Ballne and others.

Early Notables of the Bolm family

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

Migration of the Bolm 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 Bolm or a variant listed above: Sophie Balm, who arrived in Texas in 1845. William Balm sailed to Delaware in 1855.

Contemporary Notables of the name Bolm (post 1700) +

Adolph Rudolphovitch Bolm (1884-1951), Russian-born, American ballet dancer and choreographer
Hermann-Ernst Bolm (1919-1944), highly decorated Hauptmann der Reserves in the Wehrmacht during World War II, recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Kirsten Bolm (b. 1975), German hurdler

Sources +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print