Cunningh History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsThe Dalriadan kingdom of ancient Scotland was the home of the ancestors of the Cunningh family. Their name indicates that they lived at Cunningham in Ayrshire. However, numerous branches of the Cunningham family spread all over Scotland. Two of the most prominent branches of the Cunningham Clan, the Cunninghams of Corsehill and the Cunninghams of Caprington, trace their ancestry back to the medieval era. Early Origins of the Cunningh familyThe surname Cunningh was first found in Ayrshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Inbhir Àir), formerly a county in the southwestern Strathclyde region of Scotland, that today makes up the Council Areas of South, East, and North Ayrshire. About the year 1050, it is said that Warnebald Cunningham saved King Malcolm Canmore by hiding him in the barn and covering him with hay concealing him from his pursuer the Pretender King, MacBeth. The grateful King Malcolm later bestowed on Warnebald the lands of Cunningham and the motto "Over Fork Over." 1 Early History of the Cunningh familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cunningh research. Another 118 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1490, 1520, 1548, 1574, 1575, 1578, 1610, 1630, 1664, 1670, 1716 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Cunningh History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Cunningh Spelling VariationsTranslation in medieval times was an undeveloped science and was often carried out without due care. For this reason, many early Scottish names appeared radically altered when written in English. The spelling variations of Cunningh include Cunningham, Cunninghame, Cunyngham, Cunnyngham, Cunnynghame, Cummingham and many more. Early Notables of the Cunningh familyNotable amongst the Clan at this time was
Migration of the Cunningh family to IrelandSome of the Cunningh family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. Migration of the Cunningh familyThe descendants of the Dalriadan families who made the great crossing of the Atlantic still dot communities along the east coast of the United States and Canada. In the American War of Independence, many of the settlers traveled north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. Clan societies and highland games have allowed Canadian and American families of Scottish descent to recover much of their lost heritage. Investigation of the origins of family names on the North American continent has revealed that early immigrants bearing the name Cunningh or a variant listed above include: John Cunningham, his wife and son, who settled in Barbados in 1679.
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