Hunderwode History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancestors of the name Hunderwode date back to the days of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. The name is derived from their residence in a forest, below a forest on a hillside, or in either of the settlements called Underwood in Derbyshire or Nottinghamshire. The surname Hunderwode belongs to both the category of habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads, and the class of topographic surnames, which were given to people who resided near physical features such as hills, streams, churches, or types of trees.

Early Origins of the Hunderwode family

The surname Hunderwode was first found in Derbyshire at Underwood, a liberty, in the parish of Ashbourn, hundred of Wirksworth. Underwood is also a hamlet, in the parish of Selston, union of Basford in Nottinghamshire, but it is the former from where the family originated. 1 Literally the place names mean "place within or near a wood," from the Old English "under" + "wudu." 2

However, we must look to Suffolk for the first records of the surname for it is there in 1188 William de Underwode was found. A few years later in Yorkshire, William Underwude de Clokton was listed in the Assize Rolls of 1219. William Under the Wode was listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire in 1332. 3

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 had two listings: John Underwode in Oxfordshire; and Hugh Underwod in Cambridgeshire. Robertus Vndrewode was listed in a Latin form of then name in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. 4

Early History of the Hunderwode family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hunderwode research. Another 75 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1632, 1789, 1791, 1794, 1847, 1853, 1858, 1873 and 1876 are included under the topic Early Hunderwode History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hunderwode Spelling Variations

Hunderwode has been spelled many different ways. Before English spelling became standardized over the last few hundred years, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. As the English language changed in the Middle Ages, absorbing pieces of Latin and French, as well as other languages, the spelling of people's names also changed considerably, even over a single lifetime. Many variations of the name Hunderwode have been found, including Underwood, Underwoode and others.

Early Notables of the Hunderwode family

Notables of this surname at this time include: Cecilia Underwood, Duchess of Inverness (1789-1873) née Gore, the second wife of Prince Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex (sixth son of King George III). Elizabeth Underwood (née Harris) (1794-1858) in Norfolk Island, New South Wales, Australia, a pioneering Australian land owner who founded the village (now a...
Another 54 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hunderwode Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Hunderwode family

In an attempt to escape the chaos experienced in England, many English families boarded overcrowded and diseased ships sailing for the shores of North America and other British colonies. Those families hardy enough, and lucky enough, to make the passage intact were rewarded with land and a social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families became important contributors to the young colonies in which they settled. Early immigration and passenger lists have documented some of the first Hunderwodes to arrive on North American shores: James Underwood settled in Salem, Massachusetts in 1630; Giles Underwood settled in Virginia in 1663; Martin Underwood and his wife Martha settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1634.

The Hunderwode 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: Omnes arbusta juvant
Motto Translation: Groves (Underwood) delight all men.

Citations +

Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)