Bingham is an English surname of Old Norse origin. It comes from the given name Bing, which was derived from a Old Norse personal name formed from the elements "bing" meaning "enclosure" or "hill," and "-ing," which indicates association with that place-name. The name may also have been bestowed as a diminutive of the personal names Binne or Bingo.
The surname Bingham has been traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it was recorded in Lincolnshire, England. It is believed to have originated from one of the many places called Binghame, such as those in Lincolnshire and Yorkshire, which were inhabited by families who took their name from the place they lived.
Over time, the spelling of the surname has varied due to changes in English phonetic pronunciation and scribal practices. Some variations include Bingham, Byngham, Byngham, Binghem, Bingeman, and others.
Today, Bingham is still predominantly found in England but can also be found in other parts of the world where English speakers have migrated, such as Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the United States. It is considered an established name with a long history, passed down through generations of families over centuries.
The name Bingham has seen a fluctuating but steady presence in the United States over recent decades, with an average of about 8 babies named Bingham each year between 1943 and 2022.
In the early years recorded, there were five births each year for this name in 1943 and again in 2007. The number of newborns given the name Bingham then started to increase gradually from seven births in 2011 up to a peak of thirteen births in both 2016 and 2018.
However, there was a slight decline after this high point, with ten births in 2017 followed by eight in 2018. The numbers rebounded again though, reaching eleven births in 2019. There was then another dip to six births in 2020, but it rose back up to nine births each year in both 2021 and 2022.
Overall, from 1943 to 2022, there have been a total of 119 babies named Bingham born in the United States. This data illustrates the name's consistent but variable popularity over time.