Wickham Family History

English (southeastern): habitational name from any of various places called with Old English wīc ‘specialized farm dairy farm’ + hām ‘homestead’ such as Wicham (Kent) Wickham (Berkshire Essex Hampshire) Wickhambreux (Kent) Wickhambrook (Suffolk) Wyckham (Sussex) Wycomb (Leicestershire) or Wykeham (Lincolnshire North Yorkshire).

Perhaps also from High Wycombe and West Wycombe (both Buckinghamshire), which had forms in -ham from the 16th century. In some instances, however, wīc-hām is associated with a Romano-British town and wīc is an adaptation of Latin vicus.

This is the case for Wickhambrook in Suffolk, the Roman association probably being the Roman villa at nearby Lidgate. Similarly, Wickham Market, also in Suffolk, is associated with a large Roman settlement in nearby Hacheston.

The surname is now also common in Ireland (Wexford), where it was taken in the 17th century.