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Oldham History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Oldham History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

Etymology of Oldham

What does the name Oldham mean?

The name Oldham first arose amongst the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It is derived from their having lived in Oldham, in Lancashire. This was a town near the city of Manchester; it has since been absorbed by that city. The place-name Oldham is derived from the Old English elements old, which means old, and ham, which means farm. The place-name therefore translates as "the old farm." Alternatively, Oldham could have meant "dweller by the long-cultivate river flat." 1

Early Origins of the Oldham family

The surname Oldham was first found in Lancashire at Oldham, an enfranchised borough, a parochial chapelry, and the head of a union, in the parish of Prestwich, hundred of Salford. Now part of Greater Manchester, the first record of the placename was found in 1226-1228 when it was listed as Aldholm. 2 "Oldham was for a long period celebrated for the manufacture of hats, which was established so early as the fifteenth century." 3

Another possible origin of the name was found. "This place [(Werneth, Lancashire) which adjoins to the town of Oldham], anciently Fernet, was held in the reign of Henry III. by Alwardus de Aldholme, founder of the family of Oldham. His daughter and co-heiress conveyed the manor to the Cudworths, a branch of a Yorkshire family; and from them the estate passed by sale to Sir Ralph Assheton, of Middleton." 3

We can only assume that both sources are referring to that same family at different times. Early rolls list the first record of the name not in Lancashire but as Achard de Aldeham in the Feet of Fines for Kent. Richard de Oldham was listed in Lancashire in 1384. 1 The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed Agnes de Oldom and Robertus de Oldom. 4

Further to the north, Hoddam is parish in the county of Dumfries, Scotland. "This parish comprehends the ancient parishes of Hoddam, Luce, and Ecclesfechan, which were united in 1609. Hoddam, in ancient charters, is spelt Hodholm and Hodolm, signifying 'the head of the holm,' and is supposed to have derived that appellation from its situation on the bank of the river Annan, where the ground is flat and rich, and what is usually called holm land." 5

Early History of the Oldham family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Oldham research. Another 104 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1452, 1480, 1486, 1505, 1519, 1653 and 1683 are included under the topic Early Oldham History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Oldham Spelling Variations

One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Oldham has appeared include Oldham, Oldum, Oldan, Oldhams and others.

Early Notables of the Oldham family

Distinguished members of the family include

Richard Oldham (died 1486), English cleric, Abbot of the Abbey of St Werburgh, Chester, and later became Bishop of Sodor and Man in 1480
Hugh Oldham (c.1452-1519), Bishop of Exeter

Oldham Ranking

In the United States, the name Oldham is the 2,400^th most popular surname with an estimated 12,435 people with that name. 6

Oldham migration to the United States +

At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Oldham arrived in North America very early:

Oldham Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Margaret Oldham, who landed in America in 1620 7
James Oldham, who landed in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1623 7
John Oldham, who landed in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1623 7
Lucretia Oldham, who arrived in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1623 aboard the ship "Anne", sister of John Oldham 7
John Oldham (c. 1600-1636) who immigrated to Plymouth in 1623 aboard the "Anne", was involved in establishing the unsuccessful settlement on Cape Ann (1626), and was murdered by the Pequot in an event leading to the Pequot War (1637)
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Oldham Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Charles, George, Hugh, James, John, Robert, and William Oldham all, who arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1860
Alice Oldham, aged 22, who arrived in New York in 1864 7
Eliza Oldham, aged 6, who landed in New York in 1864 7
Ellen Oldham, aged 16, who arrived in New York in 1864 7
Maria Oldham, aged 47, who arrived in New York in 1864 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Oldham migration to Australia +

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

Oldham Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

John Oldham, English convict from Middlesex, who was transported aboard the "Albion" on September 21, 1826, settling in New South Wales, Australia 8
Mr. John Oldham, British Convict who was convicted in Coventry, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Dunvegan Castle" on 13th March 1830, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 9
Frederick Bagot Oldham, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Lord Goderich" in 1838 10
William Oldham, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Lord Goderich" in 1838 10
Sarah Oldham, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Lord Goderich" in 1838 10
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Oldham 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:

Oldham Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. John Oldham, (b. 1830), aged 22, Irish settler born in County Cork travelling from London aboard the ship "Slains Castle" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 1st December 1852 11
Mr. William Oldham, (b. 1826), aged 26, Irish settler born in County Cork travelling from London aboard the ship "Slains Castle" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 1st December 1852 11
J. Oldham, British settler travelling from Liverpool aboard the ship "Tornado" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 26th September 1859 11
Alfred Oldham, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Mermaid" in 1859 12
Elizabeth Oldham, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Mermaid" in 1859 12
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Oldham (post 1700) +

John Oldham (1923-2020), American college and professional basketball player, college basketball coach and athletic director
Donnie Ray Oldham (1951-2005), American NFL football defensive back
Christopher Martin Oldham (b. 1968), American former NFL football cornerback
Dewey Lindon "Spooner" Oldham (b. 1943), American songwriter and session musician
William Fitzjames Oldham (1854-1937), British-American bishop
Scott Oldham (b. 1969), American journalist
George Ashton Oldham (1877-1963), American religious leader
Denver Oldham (b. 1936), American pianist, a Steinway artist
James C Oldham, Professor of Law and Legal History at Georgetown University
Cowan Oldham, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Tennessee, 1952 13
... (Another 29 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of Scotland. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Albion voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1826 with 192 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/albion/1826
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 12th August 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/dunvegan-castle
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) LORD GODERICH 1838. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1838LordGoderich.htm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 5th November 2010). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 7) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html