Beacham
An English surname usually treated as a variant of Beauchamp, altered by sound and spelling over time.
The #9,570 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 90,914 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Most authorities connect Beacham with the Norman French place-name Beauchamp, literally meaning “beautiful field” or “fine open country” from Old French beau “fair, beautiful” + champ “field.” In English records the name often drifted toward spellings like Beacham, Beecham, and Beacom as French sounds were Anglicized. Some older writers also noted possible confusion with other similar-looking names, but Beauchamp is the standard explanation.
History
The name entered England with Norman families after 1066 and became established in many spellings in medieval and post-medieval records. Later English pronunciation and local spelling habits produced a range of forms, including Beacham and Beecham. In modern usage the surname is especially associated in England with the Midlands and the south, though it is now widely dispersed.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Old French Beauchamp turned up in English surnames with several very different spellings, all preserving the same Norman origin.
From the historical record
“p.n. ; Goisfrid de Bech, t. in chief, Hertfd, 1086. See Beck Beacham. From Beauchamp ; a loc. n. in the Cotentin, France Beacom. Dch. Beckiim, Beekum ; 1 p.n. Or see Beacham : Beadle. From Bedale ; a loc. n., Yorks; or N.-Fr. Bedel, a p.n.,”
— British Family Names: their origin and meaning (2nd ed.)