Dunch History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

As a result of the frequent commercial intercourse between the Flemish and English nations, many Flemish migrants settled in Britain. The Dunch history starts with such a migration. As the population grew and people traveled further afield, it became increasingly necessary to assume an additional name to differentiate between bearers of the same personal name. A broad and miscellaneous class of surnames, nickname surnames refers either directly or indirectly to a characteristic of the first person who used the name. They can describe the bearer's favored style of clothing, physical appearance, habits, or character, among other attributes. Flemish names of this type frequently feature the prefixes lile, which meant the. The surname Dunch is a nickname for a quarrelsome person. The surname Dunch is derived from the Old English word dunch, which means a push, a knock, or a bump.

Early Origins of the Dunch family

The surname Dunch was first found in Berkshire at Little Wittenham, a parish, in the union of Wallingford, hundred of Ock. "The church contains monuments to the Dunche family. Sinodun Hill, in the neighbourhood, is surrounded by an ancient intrenchment supposed to be British." 1

Early History of the Dunch family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dunch research. Another 61 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1508, 1551, 1593, 1597, 1602, 1611, 1621, 1623, 1630, 1639, 1653, 1654, 1657, 1659, 1660, 1668, 1678, 1679, 1680, 1711, 1718 and 1719 are included under the topic Early Dunch History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dunch Spelling Variations

Flemish surnames are characterized by a large number of spelling variations. One reason for this is that medieval English lacked definite spelling rules. The spellings of surnames were also influenced by the official court languages, which were French and Latin. Names were rarely spelled consistently in medieval times. Scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to specific spelling rules, and people often had their names registered in several different forms throughout their lives. One of the greatest reasons for change is the linguistic uniqueness of the Flemish settlers in England, who spoke a language closely related to Dutch. The pronunciation and spelling of Flemish names were often altered to suit the tastes of English-speaking people. In many cases, the first, final, or middle syllables of surnames were eliminated. The name has been spelled Dunk, Dunch, Dunche, Dunke, Dunck and others.

Early Notables of the Dunch family

Prominent in the family at this time was

William Dunch (1508-1597) was an English politician, Auditor of the Royal Mint for Kings Henry VIII and Edward IV
Sir Edmund Dunch (1551-1623), an English MP and High Sheriff
Samuel Dunch (1593-1668), an English politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1621 and 1653
Sir William Dunch of Little Wittenham, Berkshire (d. 1611)
Edmund Dunch (1602-1678), an English Member of Parliament
Hungerford Dunch (1639-1680), an English politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1660 and from 1679 to 1680
John Dunch (1630-1668), an English politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1654 and 1659
Edmund Dunch (or Dunche) (1657-1719), Master of the Royal Household to Queen Anne and a British Member of Parliament

Dunch migration to the United States +

Research into various historical records has revealed some of first members of the Dunch family to immigrate North America:

Dunch Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Peter Dunch, who arrived in Maryland in 1656 2
Samuel Dunch, who landed in Maryland in 1656 2
Walter Dunch, who arrived in Maryland in 1668 2

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
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)