Lunniss History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

The Anglo-Saxon name Lunniss comes from when the family resided in the region of London. Lunniss 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 Lunniss family

The surname Lunniss 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 Lunniss family

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

Lunniss Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Lunniss has been recorded under many different variations, including London, Londen, Lunnen, Lundin, Lunden, Londoner, Londner and many more.

Early Notables of the Lunniss family

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

Migration of the Lunniss family

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Lunniss or a variant listed above: 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