Dundas History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:

Scotland

Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

(224)

The history of the Dundas family begins in the Boernician tribes of ancient Scotland. The Dundas family lived at the town of Dundas, near Edinburgh, Scotland. This place name is in turn derived from the Gaelic words dùn, meaning "a fort" and deas, meaning "south."

Early Origins of the Dundas family

The surname Dundas was first found in the region of Dundas in West Lothian. According to family lore, they descend through Helias, son of Uctred, who secured the lands of Dundas from Waldeve, son of Gospatrick, Earl of Northumberland, through a charter agreement during the reign of Malcom IV, king of Scots (1153-1165).

Some suggest that Uctred and Waldreve were in fact brothers, sons of Gospatrick. There is a record of Helias de Dundas witnessing a gift from Philip de Mubray to the monks of Dunfermline within the period 1202-1214. A saying made famous among respective Clan members is recorded as follows: "any prime minister can raise a man to the House of Lords, but it takes seven centuries of Scottish history to make a Dundas of Dundas."

Early History of the Dundas family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dundas research. Another 243 words (17 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1332, 1364, 1424, 1488, 1513, 1679, 1685, 1713, 1715, 1717, 1720, 1725, 1726, 1742, 1745, 1753, 1784, 1787, 1811 and 1875 are included under the topic Early Dundas History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dundas Spelling Variations

Before the first dictionaries and printing presses went into use in the last few hundred years, spelling, particularly of names, was a largely intuitive matter. Consequently, many spelling variations occur in even the simplest names from the Middle Ages. Dundas has been spelled Dundys, Dundas, Dass, Dundases, Dundass, Dundess, Dundyss and many more.

Early Notables of the Dundas family

Notable amongst the family name during their early history was

Sir Archibald Dundas, Sheriff of Linlithgow in 1488

Dundas Ranking

In the United States, the name Dundas is the 15,530^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Migration of the Dundas family to Ireland

Some of the Dundas family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dundas migration to the United States +

The east coasts of the United States and Canada are still populated by many of the descendents of the Boernician-Scottish families who made that great crossing. They distributed themselves evenly when they first arrived, but at the time of the War of Independence those who remained loyal to England went north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. This century, many of their ancestors have recovered their past heritage through highland games and other Scottish functions in North America. Many of these hardy settlers went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Investigation of the origins of family names on the North American continent has revealed that many immigrants bearing the name Dundas or a variant listed above:

Dundas Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Anthony George Dundas, who landed in Maryland in 1663 2
William Dundas who settled in Virginia in 1679

Dundas Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

James Dundas, who settled in New England in 1752
James Dundas, who landed in New England in 1762 2

Dundas Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Alexander, James, and John Dundas, who arrived in Philadelphia between 1800 and 1850
Alexander, James, and John Dundas who all, who arrived in Philadelphia between 1800 and 1850
Sidney Lawrence Dundas, aged 18, who landed in America in 1886 2
Ellen Dundas, aged 29, who immigrated to the United States, in 1892
Francis J. Dundas, aged 21, who landed in America from Fermanagh, in 1893
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Dundas Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Duncan Dundas, aged 39, who landed in America from Glasgow, in 1901
Allice Dundas, aged 35, who landed in America from Glasgow, in 1901
Arthur Bruce Dundas, aged 44, who immigrated to the United States from N. Berwick, Scotland, in 1904
Florence Dundas, aged 25, who immigrated to the United States from Newcastle, in 1905
Florence Dundas, aged 26, who landed in America from Quay on Tyne, England, in 1909
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Dundas migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Dundas Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

George Dundas, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1749

Dundas Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Thomas Dundas, who arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1843
Mr. Hebe Dundas, aged 3 years & 6 months who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Tay" departing from the port of Sligo, Ireland but died on Grosse Isle on 1st June 1847 3
Miss. Sarah Dundas, aged 5 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Rankin" departing from the port of Liverpool, England but died on Grosse Isle in June 1847 3

Dundas Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century

Dora Dundas, aged 38, who settled in Toronto, in 1906
Alice Dundas, aged 28, who settled in Toronto, in 1906
Amy Dundas, aged 66, who settled in Toronto, in 1906
Francis Dundas, aged 35, who settled in Toronto, Canada, in 1911
Amy C. Dundas, aged 73, who immigrated to Port Elgin, Canada, in 1912

Dundas migration to Australia +

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

Dundas Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

John Dundas, a tailor, who arrived in New South Wales, Australia sometime between 1825 and 1832
Peter Dundas, aged 35, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1858 aboard the ship "Bee"

Dundas 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:

Dundas Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. James Dundas, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Lady Egidia" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 9th February 1861 4
Mr. Alexander Dundas, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Lady Egidia" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 9th February 1861 4
W. Dundas, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "British Queen" in 1883 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Dundas (post 1700) +

Jennifer Dundas (b. 1971), award-winning American movie actor
Paul A. Dundas, American Democratic Party politician, Mayor of Waterville, Maine, 1938-43; Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Maine, 1940 6
John Dundas (b. 1759), American politician, Mayor of Alexandria, Virginia, 1795-96, 1798-99 6
Sir Lawrence Dundas (1710-1781), 1st Baronet, a Scottish businessman, landowner and politician
General Francis Dundas (1759-1824), Scottish general and acting governor of the Cape Colony between 1798 and 1803
Sir David Dundas (1749-1826), Scottish distinguished surgeon, a prominent figure in the Royal College of Surgeons and was Master of the College in 1804, 1811 and 1819
Sir Charles Cecil Farquharson Dundas (1884-1956), Scottish diplomat, Governor of the Bahamas (1933-1940), Governor of Uganda (1940-1943)
Sir Robert Dundas (1771-1851), Scottish nobleman
Lord Robert Dundas the Younger (1713-1787), Scottish judge
Thomas Dundas KG, KT (1795-1873), 2nd Earl of Zetland, a British nobleman and politician
... (Another 19 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Dundas 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: Essayez
Motto Translation: Try.