Tatham is an English surname of habitation origin. It derives from the village of Tatham in Lancashire, England, recorded in the Domesday Book as Matham. The place name itself comes from the Old English personal name Tata (meaning "happy" or "glad") combined with the element ham meaning "home, settlement" — hence "Tata's homestead."
Geographical Distribution
As a surname, Tatham remains most common in Lancashire and the wider North West of England. The name also spread to other English-speaking countries, notably Australia, where Tatham is a locality in the Lismore and Richmond Valley council areas of New South Wales. According to the 2010 United States Census, Tatham ranked as the 24,608th most common surname, with 1,015 bearers.
Relationship with Tatum
Tatham shares its etymology with the surname Tatum, which originated from the same root but developed through different dialectal phonetic changes. Both names are ultimately based on the Old English name Tata.
- Meaning: "Tata's homestead"
- Origin: English (habitational)
- Usage regions: United Kingdom, United States, Australia
Sources: Wiktionary — Tatham