Birmingham or Brummagem?

David Cox's painting of the Bull Ring and St. Martin's 1820's

The market is in the foreground, and immediately behind is the statue of Nelson. This was the first public statue in Birmingham, unveiled in 1809. Funds for it were raised by public subscription. In the background is St. Martin's, Birmingham's parish church. This is not the original mediaeval sandstone building which appears in an etching of 1656, as it was crumbling, and had been cased with brick in 1690.

As the face of Birmingham has changed through the centuries, so has the spelling of its name. Birmingham has grown from a tiny village on the banks of the River Rea - in the Domesday Book it was only worth twenty shillings - to become the second city in England. The name probably dates from Anglo-Saxon times.

Brem or Berm an Anglo-Saxon name
ingas descendants
ham the home

The lord of the manor in the 12th century was Peter de Bermingham. His name was spelt in various ways even in his lifetime. The spelling Birmingham was not used consistently until the 18th century. Today Brummagem or Brum are nearly as common as Birmingham, and the people are known as Brummies.

144 ways of saying Birmingham

Brymyncham
Bremisham
Bremischam
Bermengeham
Byrmincham
Bermicham
Bermyncham
Bermingeham
Burmyncham
Bermingham

Bremingham
Birmincham
Bromycham
Byrmicham
Birmyngeham
Bourmyneham
Bermynghem
Berkmyngham
Birmygam
Brimicham

Burmyngeham
Bermynehelham
Byrmegham
Bormingham
Birmyngham
Burymyngham
Brymyngeham
Bremichem
Brymyccham
Brunningham
Bruinidgham
Bromwicham

Bromincham
Birminchan
Bromisham
Brimmingham
Byrmyngeham
Barmegam
Burmedgeham
Birmingeham
Byrmingeham
Burmegham
Burmygham

Bermengham
Birmingecham
Bermicheham
Byrmingecham
Brymyncham
Byrminham
Brimisham
Burmigam
Brimigam
Birmingcham

Burmycham
Birmyngcham
Burmicheham
Bermgham
Berrmgham
Byrmigeham
Brimmigham
Brymingham
Brymyngham
Birymincham

Brummidgham
Bromidgome
Bremingem
Burmegum
Brumigam
Brumicham
Brummingsham
Burningham
Bermingaham
Bremingam

Brumwycham
Bermyngeham
Bromwycham
Burmyngham
Bermyngham
Byrmyngham
Bromicham
Brimingham
Bermingham
Bermicham

Bremicham
Bremmencham
Brimcham
Burmingham
Bromidgham
Brinningham
Brimingeham
Bermingham
Berningham
Brummigham
Bermecham
Brimidgham

Byrmingham
Byrmyncham
Birmyncham
Brumingham
Brumingam
Brummingham
Birmicham
Brinnicham
Brymegham
Birmingham

Burmigham
Bormyngeham
Bremyngham
Burmincham
Byrmycham
Brymmyngeham
Birminghame
Birmyngehame
Brymicham

Buringham
Beringham
Burmicham
Brammingham
Brumigham
Burmyngcham
Bremecham
Brimechame
Bermyngam
Brymysham

Brymincham
Byrmyngcham
Byrmingcham
Birmingcham
Burmucham
Brimmidgham
Burmegam
Burmycham
Brumegume

Brymynham
Brymygeham
Bormycham
Brymyngiam
Bremyngeham
Brimyncham
Brymmyngham
Brymycham
Brymyham
Brymyscham
Brummagem

One hundred and forty-one of these names were collected by William Hamper, a Birmingham antiquarian, in the early 19th century. In 1880 a booklet was published: AN HISTORICAL CURIOSITY, by a Birmingham Resident, ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY-ONE WAYS OF SPELLING BIRMINGHAM.

There may be more spellings in addition to those here. Hamper's list did not include Brummagem, certainly in existence at that time in the song:
Full twenty years and more have passed since I left Brummagem,
But I set out for home at last, to good old Brummagem.
But every place is altered so, there's hardly a single place I know
Which fills my heart with grief and woe - I can't find Brummagem.