Wennam

Recorded in various spellings including Wennam, Wenham, Weinham and Wennham, this is an English locationa surname,. It originates from two villages called Wenham in the counties of Norfoilk and Suffolk. The place name and hence the later surname translates as the "house (ham) by the wenn" an olde English pre 7th century word for a tumuli or burial ground. Locational surnames are by their nature "from" names. that is to say names gievn to people as easy identification either because they own the village of the name and hence were the lords of the manor, or more usually because they have left the village and moved somewhere else. Spelling over the centuries being at best erratic and local accents very thick, soon lead to the development of "sounds like" forms. In this case early examples of the surname recording include Selithe de Wenham, who may well have been the lord of the manor, in the Hundred Rolls of Suffolk in the year 1273, and Hawiss de Wenham of Someset in the ninth year of the reign of king Edward 11nd or 1316. Other recordings include Richard Weynham at All Hallows church, London wall, onm September 27th 1653, and Louisa Weinham who married Henry ellis at St Pancras Old Chruch, on December 22nd 1841.