Oldham

English

Etymology

Recorded as Aldehulme in the Domesday Book, the English toponym is named with Old English eald (“old”) + Old Norse holmr (“holm, islet”). Or else, the first element may be Old English Alda, a male given name, or the Cumbric/Proto-Brythonic equivalent of Welsh allt (“cliff”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ɒldəm/

• Audio:

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Proper noun

Oldham (countable and uncountable, plural Oldhams)

1. A placename
   1. A town and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England, United Kingdom (OS grid ref SD922053).
   2. A community in the Regional Municipality of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
   3. An unincorporated community in Tishomingo County, Mississippi, United States.
   4. An unincorporated community in Boone County, Missouri, United States.
   5. A minor city in Kingsbury County, South Dakota, United States.
   6. Ellipsis of Oldham County
2. (countable) A habitational surname from toponymy.

Derived terms

• Oldham County
• oldhamite

Statistics

• According to the 2010 United States Census, Oldham is the 2792^nd most common surname in the United States, belonging to 12928 individuals. Oldham is most common among White (85.84%) individuals.

See also

• Eastham
• Ham
• Newham
• Northam
• Old
• Old Ham
• Southam
• Westham

Further reading

• Oldham in the Encyclopædia Britannica (11th edition, 1911)
• Hanks, Patrick, editor (2003), “Oldham”, in Dictionary of American Family Names, volume 3, New York: Oxford University Press, →ISBN.