Hem is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. It is located near the city of Roubaix. Hem is one of the oldest communes in the North of France. Originally known as ‘Ham’, it became ‘Hem’ during the 14th century. The name means ‘the dwelling-place’ and suggests a large number of households of the size of a hamlet. Since the 1990s, the municipal authority of Hem has prioritized the town’s economic prosperity; as a result, around 15 new firms have set up in the town.