Wellhams
of Worcester

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Origins of the name

The Wellham name can be traced back to the 1600s, in Essex and Suffolk. Earlier traces of the name are most common during the 18th and 19th centuries in these Saxon counties, then the name spreads throughout England and abroad during the colonisation of America, Australia and during the time of British rule in India.

Anglo Saxon settlements circa 600AD

Early derivation

The earliest traces of the name Wellham can be found in Essex, Suffolk, Middlesex and Norfolk, and it originally derives from the Saxon and Germanic vocabulary. The Anglo Saxons that arrived in England during 449 AD, named their settlements after there environment.

For example, here are a few Anglo Saxon words which have been used, joined together to form place names: Dun meaning Hill, Ham meaning Homestead or Village, Worth, meaning Enclosure, Leah meaning clearing, Well meaning Spring or Spa and Ey meaning island. Of course, landscapes and river routes have changed since the 5th Century, so they may not relate to their surroundings today.

The head of the tribe would be named after the village, much in the same way as other cultures. The other members of the tribe were named after their occupation, for example Smith may have been the blacksmith and later Cooper, who would have made barrels. This was the case for many years in England, until as in Ireland Wales and Scotland the children carried the name of their father regardless to their future occupations, or positions. In Scotland the whole village would have the same name, for example Campbell or McDonald.

The names of settlements have, of course, been changed over the years, due to many different influences such as Danish rule from 1017-1066, and The Norman invasion during 1066 onwards. The Anglo Saxon Germanic dialect was no longer prominent in some parts of England due to the merging with the French language.

The Anglo-Saxons,
by James Campbell (Editor)

During a search I made into the 1901 Census for the Wellham name, I found some obvious Saxon/Germanic first names such as Hagar Wellham from Middlesex, Gertrude Wellham from Essex and Wilhelmina Wellham from Suffolk. There were many other Anglo Saxon first names, most of which thrive today.

The German connection

In Germanic the meanings were slightly different. Hamm meant settlement/meadow, or settlement enclosed by the bend of a river. The settlements of Wortham and Eye exist today in Suffolk, as do many other settlements, villages and towns with Anglo Saxon names. The name Ey has changed to Eye and Wortham has contracted form Worth ham. In much the same way the name Wellham has, in some cases been shortened to Welham, as can be seen in place names called Welham today.

The village of Wellheim in Germany

In modern German the word for home is now heim. I have found a place in Germany called Wellheim. It is situated amongst many tributaries, which lead to the Rivers Danube and Altmuhl. It can be found on a map between Munich and Nuremburg, on the crossroads of the S2047 and E15. There are many other towns in Germany that begin with 'Well' in northern Germany, formerly Saxony such as Welle (meaning sea/waves), Wellhaine, Wellen, Wellesweiler and many more. All of them are associated with or near water.

The people from the area of Wellheim would have made their way to the east coast of England by the river Rhein, which would have taken them directly to the coast at the Hague in Holland, for easy access to England. Other similar German town names are, Weilham, Wallham,Weiglham and Waltham, the last of which is also a popular name for people and towns in England.

Water association

The descriptions for 'well' and 'ham' in the Oxford English Dictionary are, 'well', (4a) a mineral spring. (b) a spa. spring as from a fountain; flow copiously. [Old English], meaning abundant and plentiful. 'Ham' found under hamlet, is said to be based on the middle low German word 'hamm'. Consequently, because the name Wellham either means Spring/Spa Village, or in Germanic, perhaps Spring Meadow, I have looked into the places named Wellham or Welham in England to see if there is a connection to water.

The River Welland in Leicestershire

Welham in Leicestershire has the River Welland, which runs from south west below the village, past the village to the east and away to the north east. There is also a tributary to the west of the village coming from the north, with another tributary further to the south.

The village of Welham in Nottinghamshire is west of Retford a town east of South Yorkshire. The tributary called Idle is to the west of the village, which flows into the River Trent.

The village of Eye as mentioned earlier is a good example, to the east of the River Dove, which runs from the south west below Eye and then heads north into the River Waveney. There is another tributary to the north of Eye, which may have once encircled Eye, meaning island in Saxon.

The places named after the Wellhams seem to be spread far and wide across England, and to other countries and continents.

One 'L' of a difference

The Wellham name has been linked with Welham and Wellum in previous census forms. The name Welham has shown up in the same household as Wellham in England during 18th and 19th centuries.

A misspelling of the name is apparent in the case of the Christening of Abigail Wellum or Wellham, 24th March 1805 Diss Norfolk England. Father Charles Wellum or Wellham and Mother Mary Anne Grear.

Early traces

Some of the earliest traces of the Wellham name include: