Surname Oram - Meaning and Origin

Oram: What does the surname Oram mean?

Oram is a surname of Anglo-Saxon origin and has two main possible derivations. The first is from a nickname for someone with a reputation for speaking their mind or being frank, derived from the Old English "Ora", meaning a snub-nosed or flat-faced person, and "mann", denoting a person.

The second possible derivation of the name is locational, from the place called Oram in County Monaghan, Ireland. It is named from the Gaelic "Oram", a diminutive of the personal name 'Or', combined with the diminutive suffix "an". Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England, this was sometimes known as Poll Tax.

The variant spellings include Orum, Orman, Oramm, Orrum, and Ormond. Early examples of the surname include Aleyn Oram in 1327 in the Subsidy Rolls of Somerset, and John Oram who was christened in London in 1558. The marriage of James Oram and Constance Saux was recorded in London in 1596. The surname is first recorded in the latter half of the 13th Century.

In summary, Oram is a surname with Anglo-Saxon origins, with possible links to frankness or being snub-nosed and could be locational (from a place in Ireland). It first appeared in records in the 13th Century.

Oram: Where does the name Oram come from?

The last name Oram is of English origin, and is mostly found in the United Kingdom today. In England alone, it is the 903rd most common surname. It is most heavily concentrated around the city of Manchester, as well as in the surrounding counties of Lancashire and Cheshire.

The name Oram is also scattered throughout Scotland and Northern Ireland. In the United States, the name Oram is very rare, and significant numbers of people with the surname can only be found in the state of Michigan.

The Oram family has its roots in northern England in the 13th century. Many of the earliest families took the name from local place names in different parts of the country. The name Oram is derived from the old English word "orma," which means a snake or dragon.

The popularity of the name Oram is thought to have remained steady throughout the centuries, with many Orams staying in the same small villages and towns in northern England over the generations.

Today, people with the last name Oram can be found living in the UK, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and the United States. The name is still fairly uncommon around the world, and this may be why many Orams continue to to take pride in their historical roots and unique surname.

Variations of the surname Oram

The surname Oram has English, Scottish, and Swedish origins.

The traditional English spelling of this surname is Oram, with other variants including Orram, Oram, Orum, Orem, and Oremm. The Scottish variant is spelled Orrum, and the Swedish variant is spelled Orum.

In some cases, the surname Oram has been documented as a patronymic form of various first names such as Orie, Ormand, Orme, Ormus, Orpal, Orston, Orwald, and more.

Over time, some unrelated families have adopted the Oram surname. For example, some families of Eastern European descent have also been documented using the Oram surname.

The most common alternate spelling of Oram is Oram. This variation has been used in some of the earliest recorded documents of the family.

In some cases, the surname Oram has been modified to sound more like local variations of the name. For instance, in some instances, the spelling has been changed to Orem, Oroan, Oryan, Oreman, or Orrin.

In some areas, Oram is also found in the form of a hyphenated surname such as Orr-Oram or O'Raham.

In the U.S. and Canada, the surname Oram is sometimes anglicized to O'Ram, Orrain, or O'Ream.

All these different forms of the surname Oram represent the same name with different spellings and regional variations.

Famous people with the name Oram

• Margaret Oram: Canadian direct-to-video film producer who made the Genie Award-nominated documentary, Two Worlds Colliding.
• Edward Oram: British philosopher and botanist whose work focused on the relationship between the natural world and human activity.
• Matthew Oram: English rugby league player who competed in the Super League for the Wakefield Trinity Wildcats.
• Liam Oram: London-based DJ best known as one half of the electronic duo, Lexxi.
• Christian Oram: Hollywood writer and producer whose credits include The Big Bang Theory, Royal Pains, and Awkward.
• Nicholas Oram: British actor whose TV credits include Law & Order: UK and My Mad Fat Diary.
• Alan Oram: English cricketer who played in first-class matches for Yorkshire and Oxford University.
• Jeremy Oram: British journalist for The Independent who has reported extensively on government policy and international affairs.
• Daisy Oram: British actress best known for her roles in the TV shows The Gates and Alfie.
• William Oram: Australian poet, fiction writer, and literary historian whose work has been published in various journals and anthologies.

Other surnames

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