Show ContentsBounds History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Bounds came to England with the ancestors of the Bounds family in the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Bounds family lived in Sussex. Their name, however, does not refer to that area, but to their former place of residence, the town of Bohun, in the French maritime department of La Manche, in western Normandy. 1

Early Origins of the Bounds family

The surname Bounds was first found in Sussex. Humphrey with the Beard (died c. 1113) was a Norman soldier and nobleman fought in the Norman Conquest of England of 1066 and is the earliest known ancestor of the de Bohun family. 2

He had three sons: Robert de Bohun, who had no issue; Richard de Bohun, progenitor through the female line, of the Bohuns of Midhurst; and Humphrey I de Bohun (died c.1123) who through marriage became "the founder of the fortunes of his family." His son, Humphrey II de Bohun (died 1165) continued the lineage. His son, Henry de Bohun (1176-1220), was the 1st Earl of Hereford and Hereditary Constable of England from 1199 to 1220. 3

"Humphrey de Bohun, Earl of Hereford, inheriting the honour of Essex from his mother, Maud, sister and heiress of William de Mandeville, last Earl of Essex, was created Earl of that county by Henry III., and in a few years after stood sponsor for Prince Edward. In 1250, he assumed the cross, and proceeded to the Holy Land, and in the great content between the King and the Barons, fought under the banner of the latter, in whose army his son Humphrey was one of the most distinguished leaders, and commanded the infantry at the Battle of Evesham. " 2

Early History of the Bounds family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bounds research. Another 156 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1176, 1215, 1220, 1275, 1298, 1342, 1368, 1372, 1373, 1394, 1397, 1587, 1645, 1660, 1698, 1699 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Bounds History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bounds 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 Bohon, Bohun, Bone, Boon, Boone, Bohan, Bound and many more.

Early Notables of the Bounds family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Humphrey VII de Bohun (d. 1298), 3rd Earl of Hereford and 2nd Earl of Essex, who, along with Roger Bigod, Earl of Norfolk, led the barons in opposition to King Edward I; Humphrey de Bohun (1342-1373), 7th (and last) Earl of Hereford, 6th Earl of Essex and 2nd Earl of Northampton; and Mary de Bohun (c.1368-1394), who was the...
Another 66 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bounds Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bounds Ranking

In the United States, the name Bounds is the 3,561st most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 4

Ireland Migration of the Bounds family to Ireland

Some of the Bounds family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 75 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Bounds 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 Bounds or a variant listed above:

Bounds Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Miguel Bounds, aged 20, who landed in Puerto Rico in 1832 5
Bounds Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • William Bounds, aged 19, who immigrated to the United States from Hereford, in 1903
  • Sarah Ann Bounds, aged 25, who settled in America from Swanasea, in 1908
  • Ellen Bounds, aged 21, who landed in America from Liverpool, England, in 1908
  • Alice Bounds, aged 34, who immigrated to the United States from Belfast, Ireland, in 1913
  • May Bounds, aged 34, who immigrated to the United States from Liverpool, England, in 1919
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Bounds (post 1700) +

  • Bobby Bounds (b. 1969), former American football quarterback who played two seasons with the Cleveland Thunderbolts of the Arena Football League (AFL) (1992-1993)
  • Shelton Erskine "Buck" Bounds (1929-2020), American farmer and politician, Member of the Mississippi House of Representatives (1988-1992)
  • Ryan Wesley Bounds (b. 1973), American attorney, Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Oregon
  • Danielle Bounds (b. 1985), American model, Miss Earth United States 2010
  • Edward McKendree Bounds (b. 1835), American clergyman of the Methodist Episcopal Church South, author of eleven books
  • William F. Bounds, American politician, Mayor of Salisbury, Maryland, 1910-12, 1914-16 6
  • W. R. Bounds (b. 1868), American politician, Member of Texas State House of Representatives 59th District, 1929 6
  • Linda Bounds, American Republican politician, Candidate in primary for Texas State House of Representatives 10th District, 2012 6
  • James Bounds, American politician, Warden (Borough President) of West Stratford, Connecticut, 1888 6
  • Horace Bounds, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Arizona, 1972 6
  • ... (Another 5 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


Suggested Readings for the name Bounds +

  • The Bounds of Maryland by Ruth T. Dryden.

  1. 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)
  2. Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
  3. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
  4. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  5. 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)
  6. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 29) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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