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Bungay History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Citations

Bungay History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The vast movement of people that followed the Norman Conquest of England of 1066 brought the Bungay family name to the British Isles. They lived in Suffolk at Bungay, a market town that dates back to the Domesday Book where it was listed as Bunghea, probably derived from the Old English personal name + inga + eg and meant "island of the family or followers of a man called Buna." 1 Another reference claims the placename was derived from the term "le-bon-eye," signifying "the good island," as it was nearly surrounded by the river Waveney, which was once a broad stream. Soon after the Norman Conquest, a castle was built, which, from its situation and the strength of its fortifications, was deemed impregnable by its possessor, Hugh Bigot, Earl of Norfolk, in the reign of Stephen; but that monarch, in the 6th of his reign, in the year 1140, came with his army and took it. Over the years Bungay Castle has fallen into ruins, but in 1934 the amateur archaeologist Leonard Cane convinced people that a restoration was needed. Today it is owned by the Bungay Castle Trust.

Early Origins of the Bungay family

The surname Bungay was first found in Suffolk where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Bungay at the time of the Norman Conquest of England by Duke William of Normandy in 1066 A.D. Conjecturally they are descended from William de Noyers who held the lands of Bungay from the King. At the time of the taking of the Domesday Book survey in 1086 the holdings consisted of 4 Churches, 2.5 mills, 60 goats and 100 sheep. Bungay Castle was built by the Norman Earl Hugh Bigod in the 12th century.

Reginal de Bungheye was Lord Mayor of London in 1240. Thomas Bungay (fl. 1290), was a learned Franciscan friar, born at Bungay, Suffolk, and educated at Paris and Oxford. He became the tenth reader in divinity at Oxford. He later moved to Cambridge, where he held a similar position. 2

Early History of the Bungay family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bungay research. Another 40 words (3 lines of text) covering the year 1588 is included under the topic Early Bungay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bungay Spelling Variations

A multitude of spelling variations characterize Norman surnames. Many variations occurred because Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England also had a pronounced effect, as did the court languages of Latin and French. Therefore, one person was often referred to by several different spellings in a single lifetime. The various spellings include Bungey, Bungay, Bunker, Bunkar, Bunkey, Bunkay, Bungy and many more.

Early Notables of the Bungay family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Bungay of Suffolk

Bungay Ranking

In Newfoundland, Canada, the name Bungay is the 290^th most popular surname with an estimated 155 people with that name. 3

Bungay migration to Canada +

Many English families left England, to avoid the chaos of their homeland and migrated to the many British colonies abroad. Although the conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and some travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute, once in the colonies, many of the families prospered and made valuable contributions to the cultures of what would become the United States and Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Bungay or a variant listed above:

Bungay Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

William Bungay was at Fair Island, Newfoundland in 1831 4
Jonathon Bungay was a fisherman in Jersey Harbour in 1853
Henry Thomas Bungay was in Bonavista in 1871

Bungay migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Bungay Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Samuel Bungay, aged 28, who arrived in South Australia in 1849 aboard the ship "Emily" 5
Samuel Bungay, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Emily" in 1849 5

Bungay migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Bungay Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Newton Bungay, aged 38, a labourer, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Chile" in 1874
Susan Bungay, aged 35, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Chile" in 1874
Caroline Bungay, aged 9, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Chile" in 1874
Elizabeth Bungay, aged 7, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Chile" in 1874
Emily Bungay, aged 4, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Chile" in 1874
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Bungay (post 1700) +

Frank Bungay (b. 1905), English professional footballer from Sheffield
Stephen Bungay (b. 1954), British historian and author, specialist in the Battle of Britain

Historic Events for the Bungay family +

Halifax Explosion

Mr. Edward A. Bungay (1863-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 6
Mr. Howard Wilson Bungay (1899-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 6
Mr. Edward Jr A Bungay (1901-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who survived the Halifax Explosion (1917) but later died due to injuries 6
Miss Gladys Bungay (1907-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 6

SS Newfoundland

Mr. Jacob Bungay (b. 1893), Newfoundlander from Newtown, who on the 30th March 1914 he was part of the Seal Crew of the "SS Newfoundland" leaving the ship to intercept the Stephano which took him to the hunting grounds, he disembarked to begin sealing, but was caught in a thickening storm, attempting to return to the Newfoundland he and the 132 crew made camp for two days the sealers were stranded on the ice in a blizzard attempting to return to the ship, he survived

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The EMILY 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Emily.htm
Halifax Explosion Book of Remembrance | Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. (Retrieved 2014, June 23) . Retrieved from https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/what-see-do/halifax-explosion/halifax-explosion-book-remembrance