Where Does The Name Thatcham Derive From?

The name Thatcham may have been derived from that of a chief by the name of 'Tace' or maybe 'Tac' or 'Tec'. He established a village in around 500 AD. The settlement went by the name of Taceham (ham means village in Saxon).

It is a possibility that that the name came from the Saxon Thaec (thatch). Wherever the name came from, it continued until after the Norman Conquest in 1066. It went through several minor changes before settling with the current name, which was adopted in the 16th century.

In the UK, to many people, the name 'Thatcham' is strongly associated with the approval ratings for car security systems issued by the Motor Insurance Repair Reasearch Centre, which is located near the town.

The approval ratings given by the Motor Insurance Repair Research Centre are:

Thatcham Cat 1 (or Cat  1): this is the approval for a combined car alarm and immobiliser.

Thatcham Cat 2: this is for a standalone immobiliser.

Thatcham Cat 3: this is for additional physical security devices such as steering wheel locks.