Is Needham a Jewish Name?

Question

A member of my family insists that we have Jewish blood because a great great great grandfather had the last name of Needham. Is it a Jewish name?

Answer 1

I found this for you.

Surname: Needham

Recorded in a wide variety of spellings including Needham, Needam, Neden, Nedin, Nedon, Needon, Needing and even Netting, this interesting surname is English. It is locational from any one of the five places called 'Needham' in the counties of Derbyshire, Norfolk, and Suffolk, or possibly in a few cases from Netton, a village in Wiltshire. As Needham the derivation is from the Olde English pre 7th century elements 'ned' meaning need, with 'ham', a homestead or village, the name indicating a place that provided a poor living. A similar formation from the same period was the place called Hungerton, also meaning a poor or hungry village. Needham is the family name of the earls of Kilmorey in Ireland, who are descendants of Thomas Nedeham of Needham in Derbyshire, who was living in 1330. Netton means the cattle farm, from the Olde English word 'neata', meaning cattle. It is first recorded in 1242 as 'Netetune'. Early examples of name recordings include William Neddinge at St Botolphs Bishopgate in the city of London on October 5th 1593, Marchamont Needham (1620 - 1678) a journalist who was engaged in 1642 it would seem to write pamphlets in support of both King Charles 1st and the opposing Commonwealth, and subsequently got into trouble with both, and William Netting, a witness at St Andrews Holborn, on October 6th 1833. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of John de Nedham. This was dated 1275, in the Hundred Rolls of Derbyshire, during the reign of King Edward 1st, 1272 - 1307. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

Hope this helps.

Answer 2

I believe Needham is primarily a British Protestant surname..

Answer 3

Nope - - Needham isn't Jewish, but that doesn't necessarily mean there is zero Jewish blood in your family!  Maybe you ggg grandfather's Mother was Jewish?!  Here's what Ancestry says:

NEEDHAM Name Meaning and History

1. English: habitational name from places in Derbyshire, Norfolk, and Suffolk, so named from Old English ned ‘need’, ‘hardship’ + ham ‘homestead’, i.e. a place that provided a poor living.

2. Irish (County Mayo): English surname adopted as an equivalent of Irish Ó Niadh (see Nee).

The best way to determine for sure whether that family member is correct, is to write down all the names, places, dates, and other information they believe to be true about your ancestors...  And then start searching for documentation to back up those verbal facts.  Start with yourself, then your parents, then their parents, etc., etc., and you'll find the right answer to the question about your possible Jewish heritage.

I hope that helps - - Happy searching!

Answer 4

nope i don't think so.

Answer 5

It can be. It doesn't have to be.

There were Jews all over Europe in the middle ages when people started using surnames. If someone was John's son (Johnson) or worked as a Baker (Baker) or his arm was strong (Armstrong) or he was abnormally tall (Little - some serfs has a puckish sense of humor) or lived by a hill (Hill), he might take that surname if he was Christian, Jewish or a Druid holdout, for that matter.

Some occupations (Cantor) are Jewish. If you run across someone named Harold KosherButcher, he's probably Jewish too. Few Jews would be named John Christian, or Harold St. John.

Cohn/Cohen is predominately Jewish. As for the rest of the European surnames (all of them), they can be Jewish or Christian.

If you do some research and find out you ARE Jewish, don't start bragging abut it until you are in graduate school, and not in a pussycat field like "Art History", either; Law, Medicine, Physics, Chemistry or Biology. Being a CPA (not a book-keeper) would count. So would playing first violin on a regional orchestra, or second through fourth in a nationally-known one. Bassoon, piccolo and percussion don't count; too easy, not enough competition.

If you are a member of an armed force that routinely triumphs when outnumbered 3:1, you can start bragging. Tell the steward at the SAS Enlisted Men's Club club you want the kosher meal.

Answer 6

English I would say.

English: habitational name from places in Derbyshire, Norfolk, and Suffolk, so named from Old English ned ‘need’, ‘hardship’ + ham ‘homestead’, i.e. a place that provided a poor living.

Irish (County Mayo): English surname adopted as an equivalent of Irish Ó Niadh (see Nee).

Answer 7

sounds pretty german to me because of the "ham" at the end. but im not an expert

Answer 8

A person of the Jewish faith can have just about any name you could imagine, but that does not necessarily make it a Jewish name.

Needham

Recorded in a wide variety of spellings including Needham, Needam, Neden, Nedin, Nedon, Needon, Needing and even Netting, this interesting surname is English. It is locational from any one of the five places called 'Needham' in the counties of Derbyshire, Norfolk, and Suffolk, or possibly in a few cases from Netton, a village in Wiltshire. As Needham the derivation is from the Olde English pre 7th century elements 'ned' meaning need, with 'ham', a homestead or village, the name indicating a place that provided a poor living. A similar formation from the same period was the place called Hungerton, also meaning a poor or hungry village. Needham is the family name of the earls of Kilmorey in Ireland, who are descendants of Thomas Nedeham of Needham in Derbyshire, who was living in 1330. Netton means the cattle farm, from the Olde English word 'neata', meaning cattle. It is first recorded in 1242 as 'Netetune'. Early examples of name recordings include William Neddinge at St Botolphs Bishopgate in the city of London on October 5th 1593, Marchamont Needham (1620 - 1678) a journalist who was engaged in 1642 it would seem to write pamphlets in support of both King Charles 1st and the opposing Commonwealth, and subsequently got into trouble with both, and William Netting, a witness at St Andrews Holborn, on October 6th 1833. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of John de Nedham.