Durham Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Durham last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Durham last name
Meaning of the Durham last name: hill island. Durham is a surname from the city of Durham in northeast England, from Old English "hill" and Old Norse "island", describing the steep loop of the River Wear where the cathedral stands. The last name spread through northern England and Scotland. A curious detail: Durham in North Carolina is named after a local doctor called Bartlett Durham, who gave land for its railway station.
Arms associated with the Durham name
English heralds once toured the counties to check who used a coat of arms, and heraldry associated with the Durham surname belongs to that long tradition.
Get your full Durham family history
This is only a glimpse of the Durham story. The full Durham 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 Durham coat of arms. Get the full Durham report.
Durham name FAQ
What does the Durham name mean?
Hill island. Common variants include Durhame, Derham, Durram.
Where does the Durham surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, Scotland and Canada.
Is there a Durham coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Durham coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; George F. Black, The Surnames of Scotland (New York Public Library, 1946); Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).