Dunbar History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  England 
  Scotland 
  Ireland 


A Boernician family in ancient Scotland were the ancestors of those who first used the name Dunbar. They lived in the barony of Dunbar on the North Sea coast near Edinburgh. The place name comes from the Gaelic words dùn, meaning "a fort," and barr, meaning "top," or "summit."

Early Origins of the Dunbar family

The surname Dunbar was first found in the barony of Dunbar in the Lothians where they held a family seat from very ancient times; ever since the 11th century, when Cospatrick was deprived of his Earldom of Northumberland by William the Conqueror, and fled to Scotland.

There he was granted the lands of Dunbar and Lothian, Cumnock in Ayrshire, and Mochrum in Wigtown by Malcolm Ceanmore, the King of Scotland. Traditionally, the family descend from Crinan of Dunkeld, the Earl of Northumberland, ancestor of both King Duncan I (d. 1040) and the Earls Gospatrick, who were the later the Earls of March.

Of this line, Patrick V, Earl of March (c.1285-1369) gave English King Edward II sanctuary at the fortress of Dunbar Castle following the Battle of Bannockburn. He was one of the Scottish nobles, who signed, the declaration of Scottish independence to the Pope dated at Arbroath on 6 April 1320.

He was married to the infamous "Black Agnes," Agnes Dunbar, 4th Countess of Moray (1312-1369), "that brawling boisterous Scottish wench" as an English balladeer had called her. In the Earl's absence, she held Dunbar castle for several months before succumbing to the overwhelming English army in 1337. 1

Early History of the Dunbar family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dunbar research. Another 132 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1370, 1390, 1435, 1457, 1465, 1490, 1530, 1532, 1547, 1797 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Dunbar History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dunbar Spelling Variations

Spelling variations occur frequently in Scottish names that date from the medieval era. They result from a general lack of grammatical rules and the tendency to spell names according to sound. Dunbar has been spelled Dunbarr, Dumbar, Dumbare, Dumber, Dounber, Dunbar, Dounbar and many more.

Early Notables of the Dunbar family

Notable amongst the family name during their early history was

Dunbar Ranking

In the United States, the name Dunbar is the 1,136th most popular surname with an estimated 27,357 people with that name. 2

Migration of the Dunbar family to Ireland

Some of the Dunbar family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 81 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Dunbar migration to the United States +

In the 20th century, the ancestors of many of those Boernician-Scottish people still populate North America. They distributed themselves on either side of the border at the time of the War of Independence. United Empire Loyalists went north to Canada and those who wanted a new nation stayed south. Both groups went on to found great nations. Some of the first North American settlers with Dunbar name or one of its variants:

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

Dunbar migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Dunbar Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
Dunbar Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Dunbar migration to Australia +

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

Dunbar Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Dunbar 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:

Dunbar Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Dunbar (post 1700) +


The Dunbar 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: In promptu
Motto Translation: In readiness.


Suggested Readings for the name Dunbar +
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