Estam History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Estam

What does the name Estam mean?

The name Estam was brought to England in the great wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Estam family lived in Cheshire, at the Manor of Eastham.

Early Origins of the Estam family

The surname Estam was first found in Cheshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Eastham. At the taking of the Domesday Book in 1086, a census initiated by Duke William of Normandy after his conquest of England at Hastings in 1066, Eastham consisted of a village and Mill on the banks of the Mersey and the tenant-in-chief was Earl Hugh, the Earl of Chester who later became the Earl of Carlisle. Eastham was one of many holdings in Cheshire by Earl Hugh and conjecturally the Easthams are descended from a relative or a Norman noble tenant who operated the Mill. Two or three centuries later when the village of Liverpool took shape, there was a ferry from Eastham, a part of the borough of Bebington.

Early History of the Estam family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Estam research. Another 89 words (6 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Estam History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Estam Spelling Variations

Norman surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. The frequent changes in surnames are largely due to the fact that the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England, as well as the official court languages of Latin and French, also had pronounced influences on the spelling of surnames. Since medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings. The name has been spelled Eastham, Eastam, Estham, Esteham, Esterham and others.

Early Notables of the Estam family

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

Migration of the Estam family

Many English families emigrated to North American colonies in order to escape the political chaos in Britain at this time. Unfortunately, many English families made the trip to the New World 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 stormy Atlantic. Despite these hardships, many of the families prospered and went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the United States and Canada. Early North American immigration records have revealed a number of people bearing the name Estam or a variant listed above: Michael Esterham who landed in North America in 1710.