Surname Bingham - Meaning and Origin

Tracing My Ancestral Roots: A Deep Dive into the Historical Journey of the Surname 'Bingham'

The journey of uncovering my familial roots through the iGENEA DNA ancestry test has been remarkable, particularly in regards to understanding the origin and history of my surname, Bingham. An English surname, Bingham derives from Old English and suggests an agrarian past, and is linked to significant periods of history and key figures.

I. Bingham

Bingham: What does the surname Bingham mean?

The surname Bigham is of English origin and is derived from an Old English pre 7th Century place name. It is a locational name and can be traced back to the town of Bingham in Nottinghamshire. The meaning of the name Bigham is thought to be "homestead (Old English 'ham') of the family or followers (indicated by 'ing') of a man called Beagnoth", which is itself a compound of the elements "beag", meaning ring, and "noth", meaning bold or daring. Therefore, the overall meaning can suggest the "dwelling or homestead of Beagnoth's followers." Like many surnames, it was initially given as an identifier to distinguish between people with the same first name, specifically referencing where a person came from. As with many surnames, many different spellings of the name Bigham can be found throughout history, with some examples including Byingham, Byngham, and Bingam.

Bingham: Where does the name Bingham come from?

The surname Bingham is of Anglo-Saxon origin and derived from the town of Bingham in Nottinghamshire, England. This locational surname means "homestead of the family or followers of a man named Binningas," from the Old English personal name combined with "ham" (home, homestead). The Bingham family was first settled in the East Midlands region of the UK. They held a family seat there from very ancient times, long before the Norman Conquest in 1066.

Today, the surname Bingham is most common in the United States. According to recent census data, it's quite prevalent in Utah, due to important historical figures such as the Mormon pioneer and Utah politician, Erastus Bingham. It is also fairly common in other parts of the United Kingdom and English-speaking countries like Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Variations of the surname Bingham

The surname Bingham has various spelling variations throughout history, often due to regional dialects and phonetic spelling during the era when literacy wasn't widespread. Some versions of the name include Bingam, Bingum, Byngam, Byngum, Bingan, Bingon, Bingeman, and Bingaman. It's also found as Bing, which can be a reduced form of Bingham.

Bingham is an English toponymic surname, which means it is derived from a place name. It originates from the village of Bingham, located in Nottinghamshire, England. Thus, other surnames of the same origin might include Nottingham, after the county, or other local place names.

There are also variations of the surname Bingham across different languages. For example, in Germany, the surname can be found as Bingaman or Bingemann. In Ireland, the Norman de Bingham family eventually had descendants with surnames like Binchy or Bingey.

It should be noted that the use of different versions of the surname Bingham might not necessarily mean the families are directly related, as many surnames were often adopted based on occupation, location, or descriptive attributes.

Famous people with the name Bingham

• Hiram Bingham III: An American academic, explorer, and politician famous for rediscovering the lost Inca city of Machu Picchu.
• Traci Bingham: American actress and model known for her role in the television series Baywatch as Jordan Tate.
• Hiram Bingham IV: A U.S. diplomat recognized for his humanitarian work during World War II.
• Ryan Bingham: A Grammy Award-winning American singer/songwriter and musician popular in the Americana genre.
• George Caleb Bingham: An influential American artist who specialized in genre subjects and landscapes.
• Kate Bingham: A British venture capitalist who led the UK's COVID-19 vaccine task force.
• Robert Bingham: A successful American author and publisher.
• Sir Francis Bingham: A well-known British barrister and judge in the late 19th and early 20th century.
• John Bingham: A famous British journalist and spy novelist who supposedly inspired John le Carre’s character George Smiley.
• John Armor Bingham: An American politician known as the "father of the Fourteenth Amendment".
• Hiram Bingham II: An American missionary known for translating the Bible into Gilbertese language.
• Stephen Bingham: An attorney and civil rights activist.

Other surnames

Binghamton New York