Needham Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Needham last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Needham last name
Meaning of the Needham last name: poor homestead. Needham is an English surname from places called Needham in Norfolk, Suffolk and Derbyshire, from Old English ned, "need", and ham, "homestead", a poor farm. The Cambridge scholar Joseph Needham, historian of Chinese science, carried this last name. Needham Market in Suffolk is one of these places.
Arms associated with the Needham name
In English heraldry, coats of arms associated with the Needham name are described in a blazon, a short formal text.
Get your full Needham family history
This is only a glimpse of the Needham story. The full Needham 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 Needham coat of arms. Get the full Needham report.
Needham name FAQ
What does the Needham name mean?
Poor homestead. Common variants include Nedham.
Where does the Needham surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, Canada and Australia.
Is there a Needham coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Needham coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).