Contents [hide]

Cummins History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Citations

Cummins 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 Flanders, Northern France. 1

"This ancient family claim descent from the great house of Comines in France. They seem to have come into Britain at the Conquest, though they do not appear eo nomine in Domesday. " 2

Early Origins of the Cummins family

The surname Cummins was first found in Norfolk, Lincolnshire, and Yorkshire in England, in the 12th and 13th centuries. Robert of Comyn (Comines,) a noble who accompanied William the Conqueror in 1066 and was made Earl of Northumberland. 3

Other early records of the family shown with a myriad of early spellings include: Godwinus filius Cumine in the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk in 1173; Eustachius filius Cumini in the Assize Rolls for Lincolnshire in 1219; Petrus filius Kymine in the Subsidy Rolls for Yorkshire in 1301; Hugh Coumini listed in France in 1157; Walter Cumin in the Pipe Rolls for Wales in 1158; John Comin in Lincolnshire in 1175-1179; and William Cumyn in the Pipe Rolls for Hampshire in 1230. 4

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included: Florentina Comin, Oxfordshire; Peter Comyn, Wiltshire; Stephen Comyng, Essex; and Thomas Comyn, Gloucestershire. 5 Another source notes that Admund le Comyn was listed in Norfolk, 14 Edward II (during the fourteenth year of King Edward III's reign.) 6

Today Commins is a small hamlet in Denbighshire and Commins Coch is a small village in the county of Powys, Wales.

Saint Comman of Ross-Commain (fl. 550), was son of Faelchu and "descendant of Fiacha Araidhe, of the family of Rudhraighe, and race of Ir, king of Ulster, A.D. 236." 7

Early History of the Cummins family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cummins research. Another 487 words (35 lines of text) covering the years 1124, 1133, 1153, 1289, 1296, 1302, 1306, 1667, 1688, 1690, 1696, 1714, 1729, 1730, 1740, 1747, 1751, 1775, 1833, 1835, 1844, 1849, 1851, 1867, 1870, 1875, 1876 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Cummins History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cummins Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Cumin, Cumins, Cumine, Cummin, Cummins, Cummine, Comings, Comins, Commin and many more.

Early Notables of the Cummins family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Alexander Comyn (d. 1289), Earl of Buchan, a Scotish-Norman nobleman, son of William Comyn and Marjory, Countess of Buchan, the heiress of the last native Scottish Mormaer of Buchan, Fergus...
Another 37 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Cummins Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cummins Ranking

In the United States, the name Cummins is the 1,443^rd most popular surname with an estimated 22,383 people with that name. 8 However, in Australia, the name Cummins is ranked the 582^nd most popular surname with an estimated 6,662 people with that name. 9

Migration of the Cummins family to Ireland

Some of the Cummins family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 60 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cummins migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Cummins Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Isaac Cummins, who landed in Massachusetts in 1630 10

Cummins Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Alex Cummins, who arrived in Virginia in 1738 10
William Cummins, who arrived in Boston Massachusetts in 1765 10
Coporal Cummins, who landed in Virginia in 1776 10
Thomas Cummins, who landed in Mississippi in 1799 10

Cummins Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

James, Cummins Jr., aged 20, who landed in New York in 1812 10
Matthew Cummins, aged 32, who arrived in New York in 1812 10
Edward Cummins, aged 28, who landed in Maine in 1812 10
Catherine Cummins, who landed in New York, NY in 1816 10
Christopher Cummins, who landed in New York in 1819 10
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Cummins migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Cummins Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

John Cummins, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1750
Mr. Daniel Cummins U.E. who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1783 11
Mr. William Cummins U.E. who settled in Sissiboo [Weymouth], Nova Scotia c. 1783; he served in the 42nd Regiment 11

Cummins Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Mary Cummins, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1816
Mary Cummins, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1825
Andrew Cummins, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1825
Ellen Cummins, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1830
William Cummins, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1830
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Cummins migration to Australia +

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

Cummins Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Thomas Cummins, (b. 1783), aged 26, Irish convict who was convicted in Dublin, Ireland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Boyd" on 10th March 1809, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 12
Mr. Thomas Cummins, (b. 1806), aged 20, Irish carter who was convicted in Cork, Ireland for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Boyne" on 28th October 1826, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 13
Mr. John Cummins, (b. 1800), aged 42, English solider from Manchester who was convicted in Pune (Poonah), India for life for desertion from the army, transported aboard the "Flora" in 1829, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1842 14
Mr. James Cummins, (b. 1799), aged 33, Irish ploughman who was convicted in Tipperary, Ireland for 7 years for manslaughter, transported aboard the "Eliza" on 10th May 1832, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1887 15
Mr. Thomas Cummins, (Cummons), (b. 1801), aged 31, Irish ploughman who was convicted in Tipperary, Ireland for 7 years for manslaughter, transported aboard the "Eliza" on 10th May 1832, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 15
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Cummins 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:

Cummins Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. John Cummins, British settler, as the 2nd Detachment of New Zealand Corps of Royal New Zealand Fencibles travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Minerva" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 8th October 1847 16
George Cummins, aged 22, a shepherd, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Lady Nugent" in 1850
Thomas Cummins, aged 27, a shepherd, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Lady Nugent" in 1850
Mr. Cummins, Irish settler travelling from Cork aboard the ship "Spirit of Trade" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 4th December 1858 17
Mr. John Cummins, (b. 1841), aged 21, Irish labourer from County Tipperary, travelling from London aboard the ship "Mersey" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 25th September 1862 16
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Cummins (post 1700) +

Edward Cummins, American gold Olympic medalist for golf at the 1904 games
Major-General Joseph Michael Cummins (1881-1959), American Commanding General 6th Corps Area (1941-1942) 18
George David Cummins (1822-1876), American bishop and founder of the Reformed Episcopal Church
Clessie Lyle Cummins (1888-1968), American founder of the Cummins Engine Co
Maria Susanna Cummins (1827-1866), American author
Albert Baird Cummins (1850-1926), American politician, Governor of Iowa (1902-1908) and United States Senator from Iowa (1908-1926)
John Stephen Cummins (b. 1928), Roman Catholic Bishop of Oakland, California (1977 to 2003)
Philip Damien Cummins AM (1939-2019), Australian lawyer and jurist for the Supreme Court of Victoria
Larry Cummins, Australian bushranger, member of the Frank Gardiner-Ben Hall gang; he served 15 years in prison
Conor Cummins (b. 1986), British motorcycle racer
... (Another 6 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Cummins family +

HMS Prince of Wales

Mr. Melville James Cummins, British Schoolmaster, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and survived the sinking 19

HMS Repulse

Mr. Charles Cummins, English Master at Arms from Brixham, Devon, England, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and died in the sinking 20

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, 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)
Rye, Walter, A History of Norfolk. London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, 1885. 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/
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
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
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 27th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/Boyd
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 27th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/Boyne
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 5th October 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/flora
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 28th February 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eliza
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2011, November 23) Joseph Cummins. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Cummins/Joseph_Michael/USA.html
HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html
HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html