The name Dumhen first arose amongst the Anglo-Saxon
tribes of Britain. It is derived from their having lived in the parish of Dunham, in the county of Norfolk
. The place-name is made up of two old English elements: dun,
which is a word for hill; and ham,
which means home. The translation of the name is home on the hill.
Early Origins of the Dumhen family
The surname Dumhen was first found in Norfolk
at Downham Market, often referred to as Downham, a town and civil parish. The place dates back to c. 1050 and was listed later in 1086 in the Domesday Book
as Dunham. However, there are several more listings of the place name including Little Downham in Cambridgeshire
, Downham, Lancashire
and Downham, Essex
. Wilmslow in Cheshire
was an ancient family seat
for the family. "The church is a handsome and very ancient structure in the decorated and later English styles, with a square tower; it comprises a nave, chancel, and two aisles, of which the east end of one and the west end of the other are inclosed as sepulchral chapels, for the families of Dunham and Trafford." CITATION[CLOSE]
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Downham Estate is a housing estate in Downham, south east London named in honour of Lord Downham, who was chairman of the London County Council between 1919-1920. Downham Hall is an English country house in Downham, Lancashire
, but this estate was never held by anyone with the family name.
Early History of the Dumhen family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dumhen research.Another 305 words (22 lines of text) covering the years 1190, 1332, 1511, 1577, 1561 and 1577 are included under the topic Early Dumhen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Dumhen 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 Dumhen has appeared include Dunham, Dunnam, Downham, Dounham, Downnam and others.
Early Notables of the Dumhen family (pre 1700)
Another 16 words (1 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Dumhen Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Dumhen family to Ireland
Some of the Dumhen family moved to Ireland
, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.Another 37 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Dumhen family to the New World and Oceana
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 Dumhen arrived in North America very early: John Dunham of Plymouth who in 1633 purchased land at Dartmouth. Later John Dunham of Barnstable settled in 1655. By 1850 the Dunham name had reached as far west as San Francisco..