Bingaman
A surname that likely developed as a variant of Bingham, with an added Germanic-looking ending in American usage.
The #9,873 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 94,245 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Bingaman is most plausibly a variant form of Bingham, shaped by spelling habits in English-speaking North America. The base name Bingham is usually explained as a place-based surname from an English place-name ending in -ham, meaning “homestead” or “village,” combined with an earlier personal or tribal element. The -man ending in Bingaman may be an ornamental or respelled addition, or it may reflect a family-specific adaptation rather than a separate ancient root.
History
The name is uncommon and is especially found in the United States. In older surname lists it appears alongside Bingham and related forms, which supports the idea that it belongs to that broader family of spellings. Because it is relatively rare, there is little secure historical detail beyond its likely development as a variant surname.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Its modern American distribution is sparse enough that it can be easy to overlook, yet it sits in the same spelling neighborhood as the much better-known Bingham.
From the historical record
“Benning, Bernard,* Bertody, Betanque, Biggs, Bill, Biner, Bingaman, Bingley (we have Binley), Bisco, BisH (we have Bisch), Bitts, Blackadore, Blackheath, Blackleach, Blackledge, Blantaine, Blashfield, Blinko, Bloodgood, Blowers, Bodkin, BODMAN, BOGGUST, BoLLAN, BoNGARTEN, BooS, BoSSEN-”
— Suffolk Surnames (3rd ed.)