Dunckel History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Germany

The ancient German region of the Rhineland was the original home of the ancestors of the Dunckel surname. Dunckel was a local name, a type of hereditary surname that identified people by the places where they lived. Landowners were the first to use local names, and they often attached the prefix "von", meaning "of" or "from," to the surname. Often, the use of "von" was a mark of aristocratic birth. Local names are by far the most common style of German hereditary surname. Dunckel was a name for someone who lived near a swamp. Ancient records reveal the name Dunckel is derived from the Old German word dunk, which referred to a small hill in a swampy area. The surname Dunckel is also of nickname origin and derived from the word dunck, or dunkel which means dark. One must assume that the original bearers of the surname Dunckel had dark physical features.

Early Origins of the Dunckel family

The surname Dunckel was first found in the Rhineland, where the name was closely identified in early mediaeval times with the feudal society which would become prominent throughout European history. The name would later emerge as a noble family with great influence, having many distinguished branches, and become noted for its involvement in social, economic and political affairs. The earliest individual member of this family to be mentioned in chronicles was Georg Dunckel who lived in Cologne on the Rhine river around 1186.

Early History of the Dunckel family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dunckel research. Another 80 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1811 and 1866 are included under the topic Early Dunckel History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dunckel Spelling Variations

One can encounter great variation in the spelling of surnames: in early times, spelling in general, and thus the spelling of names was not yet standardized; and later, spellings would change with branching and movement of families. Variations of the name Dunckel include Dunkel, Dunckel, Dunkelman, Dunkelmann, Dunkell, Dunkle, Dunker and many more.

Early Notables of the Dunckel family

More information is included under the topic Early Dunckel Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dunckel migration to the United States +

Hundreds of thousands of Europeans, including many Rhinelanders, made the voyage to North America between the 17th and 20th centuries. It was an escape from religious persecution and poverty and also an opportunity for people to start over and own their own land. Most landed at Ellis Island, off New York before moving on to the states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, Illinois, and California. Some also landed in Canada and settled in Ontario, while others headed west to the prairie provinces. A study of passenger and immigration lists has shown a number of people bearing the name of Dunckel, or one of its variants, reaching North America shores very early:

Dunckel Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John Dunckel, age 26, settled in America in 1709
Johannes Dunckel, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1730
John Ludwig Dunckel, who arrived in New York in 1759 1
Heinrich Dunckel, who landed in America in 1780 1
Barbara Dunckel, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1785
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Dunckel Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Johann Dunckel, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1808 1
J Z Dunckel, aged 22, who arrived in New York in 1849 1

Contemporary Notables of the name Dunckel (post 1700) +

Major-General William Caldwell Dunckel (1893-1977), American Chief of Planning Division South-west Pacific Area (1944-1945) 2
Verdon R. Dunckel, American politician, Prohibition Candidate for U.S. Representative from Michigan, 1944, 1956, 1960; Prohibition Candidate for Michigan State House of Representatives from Hillsdale District, 1948, 1950 3
Luis Miller Dunckel (1899-1975), American Republican politician, Member of Michigan State Senate 6th District, 1935-38; Michigan State Treasurer, 1939-40; Candidate in primary for Governor of Michigan, 1940 3
Wallis Dunckel (b. 1901), prominent banker and past President of Bankers Trust New York Corporation

Citations +

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)
Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2012, January 24) William Dunckel. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Dunckel/William_Caldwell/USA.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 11) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html