Latham (pronounced 'lay-thm') is a surname name is of Old Scandinavian origin which derives from any one of the following places: Latham, in West Yorkshire; Lathom, in Lancashire; and Laytham in East Yorkshire. All of these share the same meaning and derivation, which is "(place of or by) the barns", derived from the Old Norse "hlatha", barn. Lathom in Lancashire is recorded as "Latune" in the Domesday Book of 1086, and in the 1201 Pipe Rolls of the county as "Lathum". "Laytham" in East Yorkshire appears as "Ladone" in the Domesday Book. Locational surnames were usually acquired by those former inhabitants of a place who moved to another area, and were thereafter best identified by the name of their birthplace. The modern surname can be found as Latham, Lathom, Laytham, Leatham, Lathem, Latam, and Leedham . The marriage of John Leatham and Kathleen Lee was recorded in Carlton near Snaith in Yorkshire on 28 January 1626. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Robert de Latham (witness), which was dated 1204, in the "Yorkshire Assize Court Rolls", during the reign of King John, known as "Lackland", 1199 - 1216.
Notable people with the surname include:
Aaron Latham, American journalistArlie Latham, American baseball playerArthur Latham, Former Labour MP (Westminster) and CouncillorCassandra Latham, British witchCharles Latham, Australian politicianCharles Latham, 1st Baron Latham, British politicianCharles Latham MRCS LSA (1816–1907) English physician and surgeon from Sandbach.Chris Latham (baseball player)Chris Latham (rugby player), Australian rugby union playerChristine Latham, Canadian soccer playerSir David Latham, British judgeEarle O. Latham, First Vice President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston and U.S. State Department special emissary to Ethiopia to establish the National Bank of EthiopiaGeorge Latham (architect), (d. 1871), British architectGeorge William Latham (1827 – 1886), English landowner, barrister and a Liberal politician.Helen Latham, British actressHubert Latham, (1883-1912), pioneer aviator of the pre World War One eraJames Latham (criminal) (died 1965), American serial killerJames Latham (painter), (c.1696–1747), Irish painterJean Lee Latham,(1902–1995), American writer.Jody Latham, British actorJohn Latham (1761–1843) English physician, President of the Royal College of PhysiciansJohn Latham (1787–1853), English poetJohn Latham (jurist), former Chief Justice of the High Court of AustraliaJohn Latham (ornithologist), British ornithologistJohn Latham (artist) (1921–2006)Larry Latham, American wrestlerLaurie Latham, record producerLonnie Latham, American Baptist pastorMark Latham (1961), Australian politician (Labour), Opposition Leader 2003-05Michael Latham, former British politicianMike Latham, former English cricketerMilton Latham, former US Senator and Governor of CaliforniaPeter Latham (tennis), British racquets and real tennis playerPhilip Latham, British actorPhilip Latham, pen name of Robert S. Richardson (1902–1981), American astronomerRichard Latham (1908–1953), Brazilian cricketerRobert Gordon Latham, British ethnologistRobert Latham (editor) (died 1995), co-editor of the diary of Samuel PepysRod Latham (born 1961), New Zealand cricketerThomas Latham (cricketer) (1847–1926), English barrister and cricketerTom Latham, Republican member of the US House of RepresentativesVida Latham (1866–1958), British-American physicianWilliam P. Latham, American composerWoodville Latham, American inventor