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Sunderland History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Citations

Sunderland History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Sunderland belongs to the early history of Britain, it's origins lie with the Anglo-Saxons. It is a product of their having lived at Sunderland, a seaport parish in Durham.

Early Origins of the Sunderland family

The surname Sunderland was first found in Yorkshire where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say they were descended from the ancient Baron Scrope of Bolton, who it was said in 1385 "was the best knight of the whole county at jousts and tournaments."

Early History of the Sunderland family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Sunderland research. Another 106 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1627, 1630, 1673, 1750 and 1762 are included under the topic Early Sunderland History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sunderland Spelling Variations

Until the dictionary, an invention of only the last few hundred years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently, spelling variations in names are frequently found in early Anglo-Saxon and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Sunderland include Sunderland, Sundeland and others.

Early Notables of the Sunderland family

Distinguished members of the family include

Thomas Sunderland of Ulverstone

Sunderland Ranking

In the United States, the name Sunderland is the 6,058^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1

Sunderland migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Sunderland were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records:

Sunderland Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Sunderland, who arrived in Boston, Massachusetts in 1640 2
Samuel and Nathaniel Sunderland who settled in Virginia in 1663

Sunderland Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Rich Sunderland, who landed in Virginia in 1703 2
Frances Sunderland, who settled in Maryland in 1719
Mary Sunderland, who settled in Maryland in 1750

Sunderland Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Thomas Sunderland, who settled in Portsmouth Virginia in 1820
William Sunderland, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1876

Sunderland migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Sunderland Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. John Sunderland U.E. who arrived at Port Roseway, [Shelbourne], Nova Scotia on October 26, 1783 was passenger number 203 aboard the ship "HMS Clinton", picked up on September 28, 1783 at Staten Island, New York, USA 3
Mrs. Mary Sunderland U.E. who arrived at Port Roseway, [Shelbourne], Nova Scotia on October 26, 1783 was passenger number 303 aboard the ship "HMS Clinton", picked up on September 28, 1783 at Staten Island, New York, USA 3

Sunderland migration to Australia +

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

Sunderland Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Rufus Sunderland, (b. 1810), aged 19, British convict who was convicted in York, Yorkshire, England for life for house breaking, transported aboard the "Bussorah Merchant" on 1st October 1829, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), he died in 1836 4
Jonas Sunderland, aged 41, who arrived in South Australia in 1852 aboard the ship "Epaminondas" 5
Pickles Sunderland, aged 30, a iron moulder, who arrived in South Australia in 1859 aboard the ship "Escort"

Sunderland 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:

Sunderland Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Sunderland, Australian settler travelling from Sydney aboard the ship "Earl of Lonsdale" arriving in Bay of Islands, North Island, New Zealand on 11th April 1841 6

Contemporary Notables of the name Sunderland (post 1700) +

Zachary Tristan "Zac" Sunderland (b. 1991), American sailor, the first person under the age of 18 to sail solo around the world
Byron Sunderland (1819-1901), American Presbyterian minister, Chaplain of the United States Senate during the American Civil War
Abigail Jillian "Abby" Sunderland (b. 1993), American former sailor who unsuccessfully attempted to become the youngest person to sail solo around the world in 2010
Paul Benedict Sunderland (b. 1952), American sportscaster, Olympic medalist
Stanley Sunderland, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Michigan, 1952 7
Anthony Sunderland, American Democratic Party politician, Mayor of Danbury, Connecticut, 1917-19, 1929-30; Candidate for U.S. Representative from Connecticut 4th District, 1928 7
Scott Sunderland (1883-1956), English film stage actor, perhaps best known for his role as Colonel Pickering in Pygmalion (1938) and as Sir John Colley Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939)
Alan Sunderland (b. 1953), English former footballer who played for the England National Teams from 1974 to 1980
Scott Sunderland (b. 1988), Australian professional racing cyclist
Scott G. Sunderland (b. 1966), former Australian professional cyclist
... (Another 3 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Sunderland family +

RMS Titanic

Mr. Victor Francis Sunderland, aged 20, English Third Class passenger from London who sailed aboard the RMS Titanic and survived the sinking in collapsible B 8

SS Atlantic

Wm. Sunderland, crew member who was aboard the ship "SS Atlantic" when it struck rocks off Nova Scotia in 1873, survived the sinking

The Sunderland 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: Devant si je puis
Motto Translation: Foremost if I can.

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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 10th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bussorah-merchant
South Australian Register Tuesday 3 February 1852. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) EPAMINONDAS 1852. Retrieved www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/epaminondas1852.shtml
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 8) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html