Chun History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The Norman Conquest of England in 1066 brought much change to the island nation, including many immigrants with new names. Among these immigrants were the ancestors of the Chun family, who lived in Kent, where they held lands and a family seat at Fairbourne (later Fairlawn). "This family is said to be from. Castle Chiowne, Chioune, Chun, or Choon, which some interpret a 'house in a croft.'" 1

Early Origins of the Chun family

The surname Chun was first found in Kent, where the Chun family was anciently seated as Lords of the Manor of Fairbourne (later Fairlawn). At the taking of the Domesday Book in 1086, a survey initiated by Duke William after his conquest of England at Hastings in 1066, this estate was held by Hugh le Vendee, nephew of Herbert and Ralph de Courbepine from the tenant in chief, the Bishop of Bayeux, and it is from Hugh which the family is conjecturally descended. 2

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included listings for the name as a forename and a surname: Chun Mervyn, Cambridgeshire; Chun Pimme, Cambridgeshire; Chun Pistor, Cambridgeshire; William Chaun, Lincolnshire; and Hugh Chone, Oxfordshire. 3

Early History of the Chun family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Chun research. Another 169 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1379, 1583, 1596, 1613, 1639, 1659 and 1668 are included under the topic Early Chun History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Chun 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 Chowne, Chown, Chiowne, Chioune, Choon, Chiown, Cone, Chone, Cowne, Cown, Coun, Coune, Chune, Choone and many more.

Early Notables of the Chun family

Another 34 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Chun Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Chun Ranking

In the United States, the name Chun is the 3,489^th most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 4

Migration of the Chun family

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 Chun or a variant listed above: George Chown who settled in New York State in 1812; Elizabeth Chune settled in Barbados in 1670; Barney Chune settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1822.

Contemporary Notables of the name Chun (post 1700) +

Theresa Chun, American Republican politician, Candidate for Hawaii State Senate 9th District, 2000 5
Noreen Leilehua Chun, American Libertarian politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Hawaii 2nd District, 1998 5
Lisa Chun, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from California, 2004 5
L. Chun, American politician, Industrial Candidate for Presidential Elector for Pennsylvania, 1916 5
Chun Doo-Hwan (b. 1931), South Korean soldier and politician

Historic Events for the Chun family +

Flight 191

P Chun (d. 1979), American passenger from Chicago, Illinois, USA, who flew aboard American Airlines Flight 191 and died in the crash 6

Citations +

Charnock, Richard, Stephen, Ludus Patronymicus of The Etymology of Curious Surnames. London: Trubner & Co., 60 Paternoster Row, 1868. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 25) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Flight 191's Victims - latimes. (Retrieved 2014, April 16) . Retrieved from http://articles.latimes.com/1985-08-04/news/mn-4349_1_fort-lauderdale-area