Dundys History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland
Ireland

Behind the name Dundys is a story that begins in the ancient Scottish-English border region among the clans of the Boernician tribe. The Dundys 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 Dundys family

The surname Dundys 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 Dundys family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dundys 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 Dundys History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dundys Spelling Variations

Before the printing press and the first dictionaries appeared, names and other words were often spelled differently every time they were written. Dundys has appeared under the variations Dundys, Dundas, Dass, Dundases, Dundass, Dundess, Dundyss and many more.

Early Notables of the Dundys 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 Dundys Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Dundys family to Ireland

Some of the Dundys 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.

Migration of the Dundys family

The Scots who crossed the Atlantic were often on the run from poverty as well as persecution. They brought little with them, and often had nothing of their home country to hand down to their children. In the 20th century, Clan societies and other patriotic Scottish organizations have helped the ancestors of Boernician Scots to recover their lost national legacy. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Dundys were among those contributors: William Dundas who settled in Virginia in 1679; James Dundas who settled in New England in 1752; John Dundass came to Pennsylvania in 1770; as well as Alexander, James, and John Dundas who all arrived in Philadelphia between 1800 and 1850..

The Dundys 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.