Worham

Recorded in many spellings including Wareham, Warham, Wereham, Warram, Wharram, and Worham, this is an English surname. It is locational from either the town in in the county of Dorset called Wareham, from the pre 7th century Olde English words "waer", meaning a weir, and "ham", a homestead, or from Warham, a parish in Norfolk. Wareham was recorded as "Werham" in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles in 734, as "Wareham" in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle of 930, and as "Warham" in the Domesday Book of 1086, so it is hardly surprising that the later surname shows similar variations. The surname itself dates from the 13th Century, and early examples of trhe name recording include William Wareham (1450 - 1532), a graduate of Oxford University in 1475, he was consecrated archbishop of Canterbury in 1504. Because of his position in the church, he was involved in Henry's divorce proceedings and was forced by Henry to advise Pope Clement V11 to annul his marriage. Edward Warum also recorded as Warram, was another student of Oxford University, being recorded there in 1583, whilst George Worham is recorded at St James church, Westminster, on January 7th 1839. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Henry de Warham. This was dated 1273, in the "Hundred Rolls" of the county of Norfolk, during the reign of King Edward 1st of England, 1272 - 1307. Throughout the centuries surnames in every country have continued to "develop," often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.