Contents [hide]

Cummings History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables World Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Cummings History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland
Scotland

It is generally believed that this name comes from a Breton personal name, derived from element "cam," meaning "bent," or "crooked;" or perhaps from the herb called "cummin" (cumin).

Or the name may have come from the place name Comines, in Northern France, bordering the Belgium border. Regarding this latter scenario, multiple sources agree with this postulation, but all include wording similar to "there is no positive evidence in favor of this view." 1 2 3

Early Origins of the Cummings family

The surname Cummings was first found in Norfolk, Lincolnshire, and Yorkshire in England, in the 12th and 13th centuries. Robert of Comyn (Comines,) (died 1069) was a noble who accompanied William the Conqueror and was made Earl of Northumberland. "He so commended himself to the king by his military skill that he was chosen at the end of 1068 for the difficult task of reducing the north of England to obedience. William I conferred on him the earldom of Northumberland, vacant by the flight of Gospatric. Comin was the founder of the family of Comyn, many of whom played an important part in the history of Scotland." 4

"The first of the name connected with Scotland is Willelmus Comyn, a churchman, chancellor to David I. He was promoted to the bishopric of Durham by the Empress Matilda, but had many controversies with his clergy. Later he was poisoned by some of their number who mixed poison with the wine of the Sacrament and give it to him to drink. Richard Cumyn, second of the name in Scotland, made a gift of the church of Lyntun-ruderic (Linton-Roderick) to the Abbey of Kelso for the weal of the souls of Earl Henry (d. 1152) and his own son, John. He also witnessed charters by William the Lion after 1165 (REM., I, 2). By his marriage with Hextilda, granddaughter of Donald Bane, king of Scots, he had a son, William, who became chancellor and great justiciary of Scotland. William married Marjory, daughter and heiress of Fergus, the last Celtic earl of Buchan between 1211-1224, and in right of his wife became earl of Buchan. " 2

John Comyn (d. 1212), was Archbishop of Dublin and was in his early life a trusted official and chaplain of Henry II.

Later, John Comyn (Cumyn) (c. 1215-1275) was Lord of Badenoch in Scotland and justiciar of Galloway in 1258. He founded and started the construction of Blair Castle with a tower in 1269. He was nephew of Alexander Comyn, Earl of Buchan, Constable of Scotland, and of Walter Comyn, Earl of Mentieth. 4

Alexander Comyn, 2nd Earl of Buchan (d. 1289), was Constable of Scotland, "the son of William Comyn, Earl of Buchan, the founder of Deer Abbey, and of Marjory, his second wife, who brought the title into the Comyn family. " 4

John Comyn the Elder (d. 1300?), of Badenoch, was 'claimant to the Scottish throne,' and was the second son of John Comyn, Justiciar of Galloway. His lordship of Badenoch came from his uncle, Walter Comyn, Earl of Menteith. 4

His son, John Comyn the younger (d. 1306), of Badenoch, surnamed The Red, was one of the competitors for the crown of Scotland in 1291. 4

Early History of the Cummings family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cummings research. Another 456 words (33 lines of text) covering the years 1124, 1133, 1150, 1153, 1180, 1189, 1212, 1258, 1263, 1264, 1266, 1274, 1275, 1286, 1289, 1296, 1300, 1302, 1306 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Cummings History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cummings Spelling Variations

The medieval practice of spelling according to sound and repeated translation between Gaelic and English created many spelling variations of the same name. Cummings has been recorded as Cumin, Cumins, Cumine, Cummin, Cummins, Cummine, Comings, Comins, Commin and many more.

Early Notables of the Cummings family

Notable among the family at this time was John Comyn (died 1274), was justiciar of Galloway, the son of Richard Comyn and nephew of the powerful Walter Comyn, Earl of Menteith. His son John Comyn the Elder (died 1300), of Badenoch, 'claimant to the Scottish throne,' was the second son of John Comyn, justiciar of Galloway. Alexander Comyn (d. 1289)...
Another 60 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Cummings Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cummings World Ranking

In the United States, the name Cummings is the 336^th most popular surname with an estimated 79,584 people with that name. 5 However, in Canada, the name Cummings is ranked the 828^th most popular surname with an estimated 6,486 people with that name. 6 And in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Cummings is the 788^th popular surname with an estimated 52 people with that name. 7 Australia ranks Cummings as 868^th with 4,565 people. 8 New Zealand ranks Cummings as 964^th with 774 people. 9 The United Kingdom ranks Cummings as 614^th with 10,709 people. 10

Migration of the Cummings family to Ireland

Some of the Cummings family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 142 words (10 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cummings migration to the United States +

Descendents of Dalriadan-Scottish families still populate many communities across North America. They are particularly common in Canada, since many went north as United Empire Loyalists at the time of the American War of Independence. Much later, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the highland games and Clan societies that now dot North America sprang up, allowing many Scots to recover their lost national heritage. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America bore the name Cummings, or a variant listed above:

Cummings Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Isaac Cummings, who arrived in Massachusetts in 1630 11
William Cummings, who arrived in Salem, Massachusetts in 1637 11
Isaac Cummings, who landed in Watertown, Massachusetts in 1642 11
Samuel Cummings, who arrived in Maryland in 1663 11

Cummings Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Archibald Cummings, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1725-1726 11
Frances Cummings, who arrived in New England in 1733 11
Archibald Cummings, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1741 11
Thomas Cummings, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1773 11
John Cummings, who arrived in New York in 1774
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Cummings Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

George Cummings, aged 28, who arrived in New York in 1800 11
James Cummings, aged 3, who arrived in New Castle, Delaware in 1801 11
George Cummings, aged 34, who landed in New York in 1802 11
Robert Cummings, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1808 11
John Cummings, who arrived in New York, NY in 1811 11
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Cummings Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Edward Cummings, who landed in Alabama in 1917 11

Cummings migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Cummings Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

John Cummings, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1749
Elizabeth Cummings, who landed in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1778
Mr. Allen Cummings U.E. who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1783 12
Mr. John Cummings U.E. who settled in Charlotte County, New Brunswick c. 1783; he is listed with the Loyalists and Disbanded Soldiers whose names appear as Passamaquoddy New Brunswick Loyalists 12
Mrs. Margaret Cummings U.E. who settled in Charlotte County, New Brunswick c. 1783s; he is listed with the Loyalists and Disbanded Soldiers whose names appear as Passamaquoddy New Brunswick Loyalists 12
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Cummings Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Bridget Cummings, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1830
Henry Cummings, aged 30, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Neptune" in 1834
Martha Cummings, aged 11, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Neptune" in 1834
Mr. Bartholomew Cummings, aged 6 months who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Naparina" departing from the port of Dublin, Ireland but died on Grosse Isle in August 1847 13
Miss. Bridget Cummings, aged 3 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Covenanter" departing 17th June 1847 from Cork, Ireland; the ship arrived on 9th August 1847 but she died on board 14
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Cummings migration to Australia +

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

Cummings Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Samuel Cummings, English convict from Middlesex, who was transported aboard the "Ann" on August 1809, settling in New South Wales, Australia 15
Mr. James Cummings, English convict who was convicted in Durham, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Claudine" on 20th May 1821, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 16
Mr. William Cummings, Scottish convict who was convicted in Aberdeen, Scotland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Burrell" on 22nd July 1830, arriving in New South Wales 17
Mr. Daniel Cummings, English convict who was convicted in London, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Eden" on 30th September 1848, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Island) 18
William Cummings, English Convict from Essex, who was transported aboard the "Aboukir" on December 24, 1851, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 19
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Cummings 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:

Cummings Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Eliza Cummings, aged 40, a housekeeper, who arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand aboard the ship "Ambrosine" in 1860 20
Mr. P. Cummings, Australian settler travelling from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia aboard the ship "Bessie" arriving in Dunedin, South Island, New Zealand on 11th May 1861 20
Miss Maria Cummings, (b. 1839), aged 25, British domestic servant travelling aboard the ship "Amoor" arriving in Lyttleton, South Island, New Zealand on 1st July 1864 20
James Cummings, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Armstrong" in 1865
Mary Cummings, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Armstrong" in 1865
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Cummings Settlers in New Zealand in the 20th Century

Charles Cummings, aged 20, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "S. S. Waimana" in 1926

Contemporary Notables of the name Cummings (post 1700) +

Elijah Eugene Cummings (1951-2019), American politician, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives for Maryland (1996-2019), Chair of the House Oversight Committee (2019)
Pat Cummings (1956-2012), American NBA professional basketball player
Homer Stillé Cummings (1870-1956), American lawyer, U.S. Attorney General (1933-39)
Maria Susanna Cummings (1827-1866), American writer
Edward Estlin Cummings (1894-1962), American writer and painter
Candy William Arthur Cummings (1848-1924), American baseball pitcher
Mrs. Jane Frances Cummings C.B.E., British Chief Nursing Officer for England and Regional Director for London NHS England, was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire on 29th December 2018 for services to Nursing and the NHS by her Majesty The Queen 21
John Scott Cummings (1943-2017), British politician, Member of Parliament for Easington (1987-2010)
James Bartholomew "Bart" Cummings AM (1927-2015), one of the most successful Australian racehorse trainers with 12 wins in the Melbourne Cup, known as the "Cups King," inductee into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame
David Cummings, British musician and scriptwriter
... (Another 2 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Cummings family +

HMAS Sydney II

Mr. James Cummings (1920-1941), Australian Able Seaman from Manly, New South Wales, Australia, who sailed into battle aboard HMAS Sydney II and died in the sinking 22

HMS Repulse

Mr. Thomas Henry Dawson Cummings, British Marine, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and survived the sinking 23
Mr. William R D Cummings, British Leading Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and survived the sinking 23

HMS Royal Oak

Harry Cummings (1899-1939), British Ordnance Artificer 1st Class with the Royal Navy aboard the HMS Royal Oak (1939) when she was torpedoed by U-47 and sunk; he died in the sinking 24

RMS Lusitania

Mr. John Cummings, English Scullion from Halifax, Yorkshire, England, who worked aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking 25

SS Caribou

Mr. Thomas Henry Cummings (b. 1922), Newfoundland passenger who was Royal Air Force from Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador was travelling aboard the railway ferry "SS Caribou" when it was struck by a German submarine torpedo on 14th October 1942, the most significant sinking in Canadian waters at that time, he died in the sinking

St. Francis Dam

Mr. Gordon E. Cummings, American resident in Santa Clarita killed when the St. Francis Dam failed and flooded the area in 1928
Miss Mavis Cummings, American resident in Santa Clarita killed when the St. Francis Dam failed and flooded the area in 1928
Mr. Gordon Cummings, American resident in Santa Clarita who survived when the St. Francis Dam failed and flooded the area in 1928

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
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)
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 22)
Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 71)
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Ann voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1809 with 200 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/ann/1809
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th February 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/claudine
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 5th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/burrell
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 15th November 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eden
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2014, November 18) Aboukir voyage to Van Diemen's Land and Norfolk Island. [These convicts appear to have all landed in Van Diemen's Land], Australia in 1851 with 280 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/aboukir/1851
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
"Birthday and New Year Honours Lists (1940 to 2019)." Issue 62507, 28 December 2018 | London Gazette, The Gazette, Dec. 2018, www.thegazette.co.uk/honours-lists
HMAS Sydney II, Finding Sydney Foundation - Roll of Honour. (Retrieved 2014, April 24) . Retrieved from http://www.findingsydney.com/roll.asp
HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html
Ships hit by U-boats crew list HMS Royal Oak (08) - (Retrieved 2018 February, 9th) - retrieved from https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/ship68.html
Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 6) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/