| {{ad}} |
|
|
|
| Origins Available: |
| | England |
As a result of the frequent commercial intercourse between the Flemish and English nations, many Flemish migrants settled in Britain. The Dunk history starts with such a migration. As the population grew and people traveled further afield, it became increasingly necessary to assume an additional name to differentiate between bearers of the same personal name. A broad and miscellaneous class of surnames, nickname surnames refers either directly or indirectly to a characteristic of the first person who used the name. They can describe the bearer's favored style of clothing, physical appearance, habits, or character, among other attributes. Flemish names of this type frequently feature the prefixes lile, which meant the. The surname Dunk is a nickname for a quarrelsome person. The surname Dunk is derived from the Old English word dunch, which means a push, a knock, or a bump.
The surname Dunk was first found in Berkshire at Little Wittenham, a parish, in the union of Wallingford, hundred of Ock. "The church contains monuments to the Dunche family. Sinodun Hill, in the neighbourhood, is surrounded by an ancient intrenchment supposed to be British." 1
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dunk research. Another 61 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1508, 1551, 1593, 1597, 1602, 1611, 1621, 1623, 1630, 1639, 1653, 1654, 1657, 1659, 1660, 1668, 1678, 1679, 1680, 1711, 1718 and 1719 are included under the topic Early Dunk History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Flemish surnames are characterized by a large number of spelling variations. One reason for this is that medieval English lacked definite spelling rules. The spellings of surnames were also influenced by the official court languages, which were French and Latin. Names were rarely spelled consistently in medieval times. Scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, rather than adhering to specific spelling rules, and people often had their names registered in several different forms throughout their lives. One of the greatest reasons for change is the linguistic uniqueness of the Flemish settlers in England, who spoke a language closely related to Dutch. The pronunciation and spelling of Flemish names were often altered to suit the tastes of English-speaking people. In many cases, the first, final, or middle syllables of surnames were eliminated. The name has been spelled Dunk, Dunch, Dunche, Dunke, Dunck and others.
Prominent in the family at this time was
Research into various historical records has revealed some of first members of the Dunk family to immigrate North America: