★ Be on time for a wonderful present this year · Order by Dec 8 (US) · Dec 9 (UK & AU) · All dates ›

Ham Surname Meaning & Origin

What the Ham last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.

Order your pack and our heraldry team researches and paints the Ham coat of arms for you.

Meaning and origin of the Ham last name

Meaning of the Ham last name: someone who came from Ham (meadow on a stream). For the English last name Ham, Smith's 1956 dictionary offers this meaning: someone who came from Ham (meadow on a stream), the name of many places in England. Around 184,071 people carry the Ham name today, with many in the United States, Mexico and Australia.

Arms associated with the Ham name

Sharing a surname establishes no coat of arms entitlement; heraldry follows documented individual lineages.

Get your full Ham family history

This is only a glimpse of the Ham story. The full Ham history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Ham coat of arms. Get the full Ham report.

Ham name FAQ

What does the Ham name mean?

Someone who came from Ham (meadow on a stream).

Where does the Ham surname come from?

It originates in England, and is also found in the United States and Mexico.

Is there a Ham coat of arms?

Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Ham coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.

Sources: Elsdon C. Smith, Dictionary of American Family Names (1956), individual surname entries; modern indexed dictionary entries supersede conflicting interpretations.; Forebears, Surnam.es and individual surname distribution references.