Surname Rotheram - Meaning and Origin

Rotheram: What does the surname Rotheram mean?

The last name Rotheram is an uncommon English surname of Anglo-Saxon origin. It is believed to have originated from a place name derived from the Old English words "hreod", meaning reeds, and "ham", meaning village or settlement. Therefore, the literal translation of Rotheram is a place of reeds.

For centuries, Rotheram was an especially common surname in the east-midlands county of Nottinghamshire, where there was still an active population of the name in the 1980s. The first recorded spelling of the surname was in 1275, when William de Rotherham was listed in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire. The earliest American record of the surname was in 1718, when William Rotheram settled in Pennsylvania.

In modern times, the surname Rotheram is most likely to represent a branch of a larger family tree with roots in the small village of the same name, located in the east of Nottinghamshire.

The name Rotheram is likely to have had multiple meanings and connotations throughout history, from a place of reeds to denoting a geographic location, however its purpose today remains to honour the history of a specific place, community, or family.

Rotheram: Where does the name Rotheram come from?

The last name Rotheram is most commonly associated with the areas of Yorkshire and Lancashire in the United Kingdom. It is believed to originate from an area located in the northwest of England, close to the Forest of Bowland. It is likely that the name was derived from a place name within this region.

Today, Rotheram is still a relatively popular surname, particularly within Yorkshire and Lancashire. There are relatively small numbers of Rotherams living throughout other parts of the United Kingdom, however, such as Greater London, Kent and Norfolk. The surname is also quite commonly found across Australia and the United States, where it may have been brought by emigrants from the UK in the past.

Rotheram is often shortened to ‘Rother’ for convenience, leading to other forms of the surname found in these areas, such as ‘Rothers’ and ‘Rothershaw’. As a result, it can be found with various spellings around the world.

In general, the surname remains quite rare in comparison to more common surnames. It is believed to be derived from a relatively small geographical region and the numbers of people who have immigrated from here in the past. However, it remains a relatively recognizable type of surname due to its unique spelling and origin.

Variations of the surname Rotheram

Rotheram is an English surname and many different variants and spellings exist. Rotherham is one of the most common variations, where an extra "h" is added. Other variations include Rotheham, Rothem, Rotherom, Rotherhum, Rotherom, Rotheim, Rotherimm, Rotheem, Rotherhoom, Rotham, Rothham, Rothomi, Rethem, Rotherime, Rotherhume, Rothermine, Retheme, Rotherhme, Rothemme, and Rhotherham.

Surnames that originate from the same source as Rotheram often have quite similar spellings; examples include Rothe, Ratham, Retroham, Ranthem, Raethe, Rauthem, Reitham, Rathham, Rathem, Ratheme, Redham, Redehm, and Ratheham.

Because there have been many small variations in spelling over the years, some variants and pronunciations are rarely used today or are simply extinct. Examples include Rotherame, Rotherane, Rotherhame, Rothemane, Redhamme, and Retheman.

For those interested in etymology, Rotheram is derived from the Old English "hrotha", which means red, and "ham", which means homestead or enclosed area; the combination of the two gives us a meaning of "the red homestead".

Famous people with the name Rotheram

• Mark Rotheram: British television and film director
• Rob Rotheram: former professional footballer
• George Rotheram: British philosopher, theologian, and historian
• Jim Rotheram: American attorney and former president of the Georgia Bar Association
• Arthur Rotheram: English cricketer
• Lee Rotherham: British policy analyst and director of special projects at The TaxPayers' Alliance
• Tess Rotheram: British singer and songwriter
• Betty Rotherham: British author, editor, and illustrator
• Frank Rotheram: English cricketer
• Edward Rotheram: British consul in Brazil and a longtime aide of Queen Victoria

Other surnames

RotherRotherhamRotherickRothermalRothermelRothermerRothermundRothermundtRothero