Dundass History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland
Ireland

Dundass is a name whose roots are found in the clans of the Boernician people of ancient Scotland. The Dundass family lived at the town of Dundas, near Edinburgh, Scotland. This place name is in turn derived from the Gaelic words dùn, meaning "a fort" and deas, meaning "south."

Early Origins of the Dundass family

The surname Dundass was first found in the region of Dundas in West Lothian. According to family lore, they descend through Helias, son of Uctred, who secured the lands of Dundas from Waldeve, son of Gospatrick, Earl of Northumberland, through a charter agreement during the reign of Malcom IV, king of Scots (1153-1165).

Some suggest that Uctred and Waldreve were in fact brothers, sons of Gospatrick. There is a record of Helias de Dundas witnessing a gift from Philip de Mubray to the monks of Dunfermline within the period 1202-1214. A saying made famous among respective Clan members is recorded as follows: "any prime minister can raise a man to the House of Lords, but it takes seven centuries of Scottish history to make a Dundas of Dundas."

Early History of the Dundass family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dundass research. Another 243 words (17 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1332, 1364, 1424, 1488, 1513, 1679, 1685, 1713, 1715, 1717, 1720, 1725, 1726, 1742, 1745, 1753, 1784, 1787, 1811 and 1875 are included under the topic Early Dundass History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dundass Spelling Variations

Scribes in the Middle Ages simply spelled according to sound. The result is an enormous number of spelling variations among names that evolved in that era. Dundass has been spelled Dundys, Dundas, Dass, Dundases, Dundass, Dundess, Dundyss and many more.

Early Notables of the Dundass family

Notable amongst the family name during their early history was Sir Archibald Dundas, Sheriff of Linlithgow in 1488; and Sir James Dundas of Arniston, Midlothian, governor of Berwick under James I; and his son, Sir James Dundas, Lord Arniston (died 1679), a Scottish member of parliament, and judge; and his son, Robert Dundas...
Another 52 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Dundass Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Dundass family to Ireland

Some of the Dundass family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dundass migration to the United States +

Most of the Boernician-Scottish families who came to North America settled on the eastern seaboard of what would become the United States and Canada. Families who wanted a new order stayed south in the War of Independence, while those who were still loyal to the crown went north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. In the 20th century, the ancestors of these families have gone on to rediscover their heritage through Clan societies and other patriotic Scottish organizations. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Dundass or a variant listed above:

Dundass Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John Dundass, who settled in Pennsylvania in 1770
John Dundass, who landed in South Carolina in 1773 1

The Dundass Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Essayez
Motto Translation: Try.

Citations +

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)