Surname Medlam - Meaning and Origin

Medlam: What does the surname Medlam mean?

The last name Medlam has been found most often in England and Ireland. It is thought to be of Anglo-Saxon origin, stemming from the word "Medle," which means "meadow for grazing animals." This supports the idea that Medlam is a location-based surname, referring to someone who lived near a meadow.

Historically, the meadow was an important part of everyday life. For centuries, communities would establish, maintain and share meadowlands for their farms, pastures and hay crops. Meadows were essential for survival, providing food for livestock and a source of sustenance for the many countryfolk who used them.

It is likely that the Medlam family were farmers or graziers, and the name was probably adopted to commemorate their connection to the meadow that had provided them with a livelihood. Many families adopted location-based surnames to show loyalty to a specific area, and the name Medlam was probably a way of honouring that presence in their local landscape.

The name Medlam, then, is an ancient testament to the importance of the meadow in English and Irish culture. It symbolizes a family’s connection to a local area and reflects a way of life that has existed for centuries.

Medlam: Where does the name Medlam come from?

The last name Medlam is uncommon today, although it was quite a popular surname in some parts of England centuries ago. The name originated in the north-east of England in Lancashire, as shown by the earliest records of the name from the 16th century. Medlams were prominent in the small village of Baindrigg near Lancaster. The name spread to other parts of Lancashire and to parts of Yorkshire, and it remains most common in these two counties. It can also be found in larger towns and cities in Lancashire, such as Manchester, Liverpool and Preston.

The name Medlam appears in many records as both an English and Scottish surname. This suggests that the name originated in England, with some of the earliest records coming from Northumberland. The Oxford Dictionary of English Surnames lists Medlam as an English Anglicised form of the Scottish Gaelic MacGillamhuirich, meaning "son of the servant of St. Mhuirich."

Today there are thought to be about 150 people living in England and Scotland with the surname Medlam. This suggests that the name is slowly becoming rarer over time as families move and marry outside the region. Despite its relative rarity, Medlam is a proud name that still has strong links to its ancestral homeland of England's north-east.

Variations of the surname Medlam

The surname Medlam is derived from the Old English personal name "Medel" which is derived from the words "meod or meada" meaning "mead" or "pleasure." This surname is also derived from the Old English word for "meadow," "maeve."

Variants of the surname Medlam include Medlamme, Medlham, Medleham, Midlam, Meedleham, Meidleham and Meudleham.

Due to the various spelling variations of the surname, there are a number of different spellings of the surname. These include Madlam, Medlam, Medelam, Medlamme, Medlham, Medleham, Midlam, Meedleham, Meidleham and Meudleham.

Other variants of the surname Medlam include Meddleham, Meddlam, Medelee and Medele.

Surnames from the Medlam root are also common in Scotland, Ireland and Wales, and a few of these names include Metlam, Metleham, Meidlam, Meidlem, Medler and Meadam.

Because of its fairly widespread occurrence throughout Europe, the surname Medlam has many different spellings and related surnames throughout the world. It is also fairly common in the United States with several hundred families possessing this surname.

Famous people with the name Medlam

• Neil Medlam: American baseball player
• Kevin Medlam: British sprint athlete
• Isaac Medlam: American YouTube content creator
• Sean Medlam: Australian professional golfer
• Mark Medlam: English cricketer
• Luis Medlam: German professional soccer player
• Kim Medlam: New Zealand actor
• Tony Medlam: South African cricket umpire
• Ziggy Medlam: English football manager
• Russell Medlam: British track and field athlete
• Harry Medlam: Welsh rugby union player
• Willow Medlam: Canadian actress
• Richard Medlam: English theatre director
• Vince Medlam: French professional basketball player
• Peggy Medlam: American artist
• Anna Medlam: Danish model
• Remy Medlam: Italian rapper
• Stella Medlam: Russian figure skater
• Mary Medlam: Canadian Olympic athlete
• Daisy Medlam: British poet

Other surnames

Medland