Parham
A locational surname from English places called Parham, meaning an enclosure or homestead by the pear trees.
The #2,302 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 19,484 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Parham is a habitational surname, taken from places named Parham in Sussex and Suffolk. The name is usually explained as Old English per, meaning "pear tree," plus hām or hāmme, referring to a homestead, enclosure, or piece of land. In other words, it likely meant something like "pear-tree enclosure" or "pear-tree homestead."
History
Medieval records show people styled "de Parham" from the 13th century onward, which is typical of surnames formed from a home village. The spelling has also appeared as Perham and Parram, reflecting older regional pronunciation and later variation in records. The surname is established in England and later carried to other English-speaking countries, including the United States.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The Sussex place-name was recorded as Perham as early as 959, showing how old the surname’s place origin is.
From the historical record
“Nomenclator, A.D. 1585. PARHAM (Eng.) Bel. to Parham (Suss. ; Suff.) = the Pear(-Tree)-Enclosure [O.E. per- + ham{m, a piece Of land, enclosure] The Sussex Parham was Perham A.D. 959, and also in the 13th cent. PARIS \ (Lat.-Celt.) Bel. to Paris = the PARISS J Town of the Gaulish Tribe Parish [The Roman name of the…”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)