Surname Oxnam - Meaning and Origin
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Oxnam: What does the surname Oxnam mean?
The surname Oxnam has an Anglo-Saxon origin, deriving from Oxenham, a hamlet in the county of Devon, England. The name is a combination of two Old English words: "oxa," meaning an ox, and "ham," meaning a village or homestead. Therefore, Oxnam could be interpreted as "the village where oxen are kept" or "oxen homestead." This suggests that the bearers of this name likely once lived or worked in such a location. As a geographical surname, it tended to be based on the locations where individuals lived or held land. It is also possible that the surname refers to families who were originally from Oxenham. Like most surnames that originated from place-names, it is likely that the original bearers moved from Oxenham and were then identified by their place of origin. This could have become their surname as surnames became hereditary.
Order DNA origin analysisOxnam: Where does the name Oxnam come from?
The surname Oxnam is not common in any part of the world today. At its peak, the surname was primarily concentrated in an area of England known as the Dales, an area that encompasses parts of Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Yorkshire, and South Lancashire. The earliest records with this name appear in the 14th century, indicating that the family name has likely been carried down through the generations since that time.
The spelling of this surname has changed through the years, with variants of the spelling including Osnen, Oxenden and Oxenham. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the surname was primarily concentrated in the town of Sudbury, Derbyshire, where many members of the Oxnam family are believed to have been farmers. Beyond Derbyshire, records show a few Oxnams living in the west Yorkshire area and sparse records in other counties in the north of England.
By the turn of the century, the surname had all but disappeared in the areas of England where it was previously found. This can be attributed to several common factors: people migrating to far away lands, local economic fluctuations causing people to migrate, and the influences of changing times on naming conventions and spelling variations. All these elements have likely contributed to the decreased prevalence of this surname in the present day.
Variations of the surname Oxnam
Oxnam is an occupational surname of English origin, derived from the words oxen and ham, meaning a home or settlement for oxen. It has a variety of variants in spelling and surnames stemming from similar pronunciations.
The most common alternative spelling of Oxnam is Oxenham. Oxenham originated as a middle-ish English locational surname, and evolved over time from its original spelling.
The surname Ockham is a variation on Oxnam; it originated from a middle English place that was found in Surrey. The spelling variation emerged when local dialects began influencing the spoken language.
Oxenham is also a variant, and is the more commonly used spelling in the United States and Australia. This spelling usually originates from Oxfordshire, Hampshire, and other parts of southern England.
The surname Ockenden is also a variant of Oxnam. It originated from an old English place found in Kent, and then further spread throughout England and its colonies.
Oxendine is another related surname, this one being of Anglo-Saxon origin. This variation of the Oxnam spelling was most likely used in parts of Scotland, where dialects had a tendency to favour the double-letter form of this spelling.
The names Oxnam, Oxenham, Ockham, Ockenden, and Oxendine all bear some similarity in pronunciation, spelling, and meaning, and all connect back to the same source. While the variations all have slightly different meanings and their origins are often different, most of them ultimately get their roots from the words oxen and ham.
Famous people with the name Oxnam
- Robert Bennet Oxnam: an American professor at the Graduate Theological Union at Berkeley, California, and was the president of the American Academy of Religion from 1999 to 2000.
- Thomas Oxnam: a former Bishop of the United Methodist Church. He was the twelfth president of Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary and the power behind the Oxford Movement.
- G. Bromley Oxnam: former United Methodist bishop who served in various positions within the church and was the president of the World Council of Churches in the 1950s.
- Edwin Oxnam: president of the Pacific School of Religion from 1950 to 1966 and an active leader in the peace movement of the early 1960s.
- Elmer Oxnam: leading editor and publisher of the San Francisco Chronicle from 1945 to 1952, as well as president of the Rotary Club from 1929 to 1930.
- John Oxnam: United Methodist bishop with tenure that included service as president of Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois.
- Dwight Oxnam: a leader of the Disciples of Christ and a faculty member at the Disciples Divinity House of the University of Chicago.
- George Oxnam: former President of the University of Dubuque in Iowa, who was an active pioneer in ecumenism and interdenominational dialogue.
- Barnabas MacArthur Oxnam: widely recognized leader of the Wesleyan Methodist Church in the United States during the first half of the nineteenth century.