Show ContentsRoundy History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Roundy came to England with the ancestors of the Roundy family in the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Roundy family lived in Kent, at the Manor of Rundale, from whence their name is derived. "Randall, formerly called Roundall and Rundale, is a manor in this parish, which, though at present of little repute, was anciently of some note, as being one of the seats of the noble family of Cobham, where they are Baid to have resided before they removed to Cobham Hall." 1

"In the XIII. century, John de Cobham gave Rundale to his second son Henry, and his descendants were variously written Roundale, Rundel, Roundall, and Rundella, and so lately as 8 Henry VI. the then proprietor of the estate was styled Lord Thomas de Cobham, alias Rundella, Knight." 1 While many of the family emigrated to England, not all did. Lucas, Geoffry and John Roondel were listed in Normandy (1180-1195) and later Stephen Roundel, Geoffry, Hugh and Lucas Roondel were listed there in 1198. 2

Early Origins of the Roundy family

The surname Roundy was first found in Kent where they were a branch of the great Baronial family of Cobham, seated as Lords of the Manor of Roundell in the parish of Shorne. In the 13th century John Cobham gave the Manor of Rundale to his second son. He was styled Lord Thomas de Cobham, alias Roundell, Knight. From this scion many branches descended, many with different spellings of the name Roundell, into the counties of Devon, Cornwall and Somerset. 1

"The Roundells of Screven, in Yorkshire, have possessed Screven ever since the early part of the XV. century, the first recorded progenitor being John Roundel, of that place, 3. Henry VI. [(during the third year of the reign of Henry VI)]" 3

Much farther to the south in the parish of Mabe, Cornwall, "Spargo in this parish, is said by Norden to have been a seat of the Randolls or Rundles; but in this opinion he is supposed to have been misinformed, as their seat was at Trewoon, which is now a farm house, although Spargo is acknowledged to have been their property." 4

Early History of the Roundy family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Roundy research. Another 179 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1422, 1558, 1582, 1591, 1611, 1688 and 1743 are included under the topic Early Roundy History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Roundy Spelling Variations

Multitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Roundle, Roundall, Roundell, Roundill, Roundale and many more.

Early Notables of the Roundy family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was John Roundell of Screven living temp. Henry VI, generally understood to be the progenitor the Gledstone branch. His grandson Marmaduke Roundell married Jane Lowe in 1558 and they bore a son William Roundell who died in 1582. His son, another William was juror at the presentment as the Castle...
Another 57 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Roundy Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Roundy Ranking

In the United States, the name Roundy is the 6,521st most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 5


United States Roundy migration to the United States +

Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Roundy or a variant listed above:

Roundy Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • James Roundy, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 6

Contemporary Notables of the name Roundy (post 1700) +

  • David Roundy (b. 1973), American physicist
  • Daniel Curtis Roundy (1824-1897), American politician, Member of Wisconsin State Assembly from Walworth County, 1864 7


The Roundy Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Tenax propositi
Motto Translation: Firm of purpose.


  1. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  2. The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
  3. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  4. Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
  5. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  6. 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)
  7. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 10) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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