Lunnen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

The Lunnen name has descended through the generations from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. Their name comes from having lived in the region of London. Lunnen is a habitation name from the broad category of surnames that were derived from place-names. They were derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. Other local names are derived from the names of houses, manors, estates, regions, and entire counties.

Early Origins of the Lunnen family

The surname Lunnen was first found in Berkshire, but there are two distinct thoughts as to the origin of the name.

The first is that it was derived from the Anglo-Saxon name Lunden or the Middle Welsh names Llundein or Lundein, as mentioned above. 1 In this case, it may have been a tribal or personal name. 2

The second thought is that the family were in fact, Norman. In this scenario, the first record of the family was "William de Londres, one of the conquerors of Glamorgan, 1090, ancestor of the Lords Loundres of Naas." 3

Continuing this thread, we found very early entries for the family in Bodmin, Cornwall. "The convent to which this refectory belonged, is said to have been founded originally by John de London, under the immediate patronage of Edmund Earl of Cornwall. The time of its foundation is dated by William of Worcester in the year 1229; but he calls its original founder, John, son of Ralph, lord of Kayryshays." 4

This latter entry bodes well for the aforementioned Welsh entry. So as to complicate matters, Thomas de London settled in Scotland before 1163 and William and Robert London were listed in Normandy 1180-95, according to the Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae. 3

Early History of the Lunnen family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lunnen research. Another 102 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1214, 1640 and 1714 are included under the topic Early Lunnen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lunnen Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Lunnen has undergone many spelling variations, including London, Londen, Lunnen, Lundin, Lunden, Londoner, Londner and many more.

Early Notables of the Lunnen family

Another 30 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Lunnen Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Lunnen family

To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. 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 Lunnen were among those contributors: John London who settled in Virginia in 1636; Humphrey London settled in Virginia in 1639; Richard London settled in New England in 1654; Alice London settled in Barbados in 1665.

Citations +

Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print