First found in Ayrshire, where they were seated from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Ancestors of many of the Dalriadan families who crossed the Atlantic still live along the east coast of the United States and Canada. Some Scottish settlers arrived in Canada during the American War of Independence as United Empire Loyalists, while others stayed south to fight for a new nation. The descendants of Scottish settlers in both countries began to rediscover their heritage in the 19th and 20th centuries through clan societies and highland games. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Cunningham or a variant listed above: John Cunningham, his wife and son, who settled in Barbados in 1679.

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