Blunt History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  England 
  Ireland 
  Scotland 


The ancient Norman culture that was established in England after the Conquest of 1066 produced the name of Blunt. It was given to a person with blond hair having derived from the Anglo-Norman French word blunt, which means blond. 1

Early Origins of the Blunt family

The surname Blunt was first found in Suffolk where the Blounts or Blunts, as they are more modernly called, trace their heritage to the Normans, specifically to Rudolph, Count of Guisnes, who nobly assisted Duke William of Normandy to conquer the Saxons at Hastings, in 1066. Sir Robert de Blount (c.1029-1066) had command of the Conqueror's ships during the invasion and was amply rewarded. Sir William, his brother, commanded his foot soldiers at Hastings. 2

These two great nobles received lands in Suffolk, Sir Robert became Baron of Ixworth, Lord of Orford Castle, and Sir William got seven lordships at Saxlingham in the county of Sussex. Each of these branches flourished and there is a record of each succeeding Baron in each estate. Both are recorded in the Domesday Book with their various properties. 3

John de Blund or Blunt (c. 1175-1248), Chancellor of York, was one of the leaders of the movement for the restoration of the university of Oxford to its ancient position as a seat of learning. He was Archbishop of Canterbury-elect in 1232. 4

In Scotland, the name is more often than not a variant of Blund. John le Blunt of Eskeby from Dumfriesshire, rendered homage to King Edward I of England in 1296. Interestingly, Hugh de Abirbuthenoth, who gifted the church of Garuoch to the monastery of Arnbroath in 1292, was commonly designated Hugo Blundus or Le Blond, from the flaxen color of his hair. However, the first record in Scotland was sometime before 1200 when Rodbert Blundus witnessed a charier by Roger de Quenci. Later Adam Blundus witnessed a confirmation charter by the Chapter of Brechin c. 1212-1218. John Blund who witnessed a charter by Matilda, countess of Angus, c. 1242-1248 is probably the John Blundus who appears as a charter witness in Brechin in 1267. 5

Back in England, the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included listings of: Melodia le Blount, Huntingdonshire; Margareta le Blound, Cambridgeshire; Richard le Blont, Wiltshire; Alan le Blund, Oxfordshire; and Richard le Blunt, Wiltshire. 6

Ascelina le Blund, or Blunt was listed in Norfolk in 1272 7 and John le Blont, was listed in Somerset, 1 Edward III (during the first year of Edward III's reign.) 8 The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 included: Johannes Blont; and Ricardus Blont. 6

Later, Robert de Houton was rector of the church of St. Elphin, Warrington, Lancashire and was confirmed the 3rd of April 1330. 9

Early History of the Blunt family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Blunt research. Another 197 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1400, 1403, 1493, 1502, 1529, 1540, 1563, 1565, 1580, 1594, 1597, 1600, 1601, 1604, 1606, 1617, 1618, 1624, 1632, 1640, 1649, 1654, 1666, 1670, 1679, 1693, 1697 and 1731 are included under the topic Early Blunt History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Blunt Spelling Variations

Multitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled Blount, Blunt, Blond, Blonde, Blund and others.

Early Notables of the Blunt family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Blunt Ranking

In the United States, the name Blunt is the 3,212nd most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 10

Migration of the Blunt family to Ireland

Some of the Blunt family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 45 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Blunt migration to the United States +

Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Blunt or a variant listed above:

Blunt Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
Blunt Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Blunt Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Blunt migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Blunt Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Blunt migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Blunt Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Blunt migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Blunt Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Blunt migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 16
Blunt Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Blunt (post 1700) +


The Blunt 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: Lux Tua, via mea
Motto Translation: Thy light is my way.


Suggested Readings for the name Blunt +
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