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Bunch History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Bunch History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland

In Scottish history, few names go farther back than Bunch, whose ancestors lived among the clans of the Pictish tribe. They lived in the lands of Perthshire since the early 15th century.

Early Origins of the Bunch family

The surname Bunch was first found in Perthshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Pheairt) former county in the present day Council Area of Perth and Kinross, located in central Scotland. The family dates back to the first half of the 15th century in this area. "Alexander Bunshe held a land in the burgh in 1444. William Bunch also held land there and John Bunche was witness there c. 1450. 1

Early History of the Bunch family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bunch research. Another 100 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1468, 1478, 1488, 1500, 1505, 1508, 1526 and 1551 are included under the topic Early Bunch History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bunch Spelling Variations

The arts of spelling and translation were yet in their infancies when surnames began, so there are an enormous number of spelling variations of the names in early Scottish records. This is a particular problem with Scottish names because of the numerous times a name might have been loosely translated to English from Gaelic and back. Bunch has been spelled Bunch, Bunsche, Bunche and others.

Early Notables of the Bunch family

Notable amongst the Clan at this time was

John Bunche, Sheriff of Perth in 1505
Andro Bunch, Burgess of Perth in 1508

Bunch Ranking

In the United States, the name Bunch is the 1,060^th most popular surname with an estimated 27,357 people with that name. 2

Bunch migration to the United States +

This oppression forced many Scots to leave their homelands. Most of these chose North America as their destination. Although the journey left many sick and poor, these immigrants were welcomed the hardy with great opportunity. Many of these settlers stood up for their newfound freedom in the American War of Independence. More recently, Scots abroad have recovered much of their collective heritage through highland games and other patriotic functions and groups. An examination of passenger and immigration lists has located various settlers bearing the name Bunch:

Bunch Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Miss Elizabeth Bunch, (b. 1615), aged 20, British settler who arrived in Virginia in 1635 aboard the ship "Alice" 3
John Bunch, who arrived in Virginia in 1656 4
William Bunch, who arrived in Virginia in 1665-1666 4

Bunch Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John Bunch, who landed in Virginia in 1716 4
Robert Bunch who settled in Maryland in 1742

Bunch Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Samuel G Bunch, who landed in Savanna(h), Georgia in 1811 4
Alexander Bunch, who settled in New York City with his wife in 1820
Henry Bunch, aged 30, who arrived in Key West, Fla in 1838 4
William Bunch, who settled in Philadelphia in 1850
Nicholas Bunch, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1879 4

Bunch 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:

Bunch Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Margaret Bunch, aged 20, a domestic servant, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Apelles" in 1878

Contemporary Notables of the name Bunch (post 1700) +

Jon Bunch (1970-2016), American rock singer and songwriter
Melvin Lynn Bunch Jr. (b. 1971), American former Major League Baseball pitcher who played from 1995 to 1999
Charles E. Bunch (b. 1953), American Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of PPG Industries, Inc
Lonnie G. Bunch III (b. 1952), American educator and historian, former director of the Chicago Historical Society, founding director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture
Kenji Bunch (b. 1973), American violist and composer
Velton Ray Bunch (b. 1948), American Emmy Award winning film and television composer
Jarrod Ray Bunch (b. 1968), former American NFL football fullback who played from 1991 to 1994
Tyler Bunch (b. 1970), American puppeteer, puppet designer, director and actor who worked for the Jim Henson Company and later for Disney's The Muppets Studio
Pat Bunch, American country music songwriter
Samuel Bunch (1786-1849), American politician, Member of the United States House of Representatives for Tennessee (1833-1837)
... (Another 18 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's. Retrieved January 6th 2023 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
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)