Show ContentsBakun History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Bakun arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Bakun family lived in Suffolk. Originally, the name Bakun was originally derived from a seigniory in Normandy. Some of the family came from Maine, and there the name was also spelt Bacco. 1 This name appeared in England after members of the Bakun family had migrated from Normandy to Suffolk.

"Some derive this surname from the Saxon baccen or buccen, a beech—tree. Upon the monument of Thomas Bacon, in Brome Church in Suffolk (England), there is a beech—tree engraven in brass, with a man resting under it. It appears, also, that the first Lord—keeper, Sir Nicholas Bacon, with his two wives, are represented in a similar manner." 2

Early Origins of the Bakun family

The surname Bakun was first found in Suffolk, where they held a family seat at Monks' Bradfield as early as the reign of Richard (1189-1199.) 3 Now known as Bradfield St. George, Monks-Bradfield is a parish, in the union of Thingoe, hundred of Thedwastry, in the west division of Suffolk. 4

Shortly after the Conquest, some of the family was also found at Letheringsett, in Norfolk. "According to the genealogy of the great Suffolk family of Bacon, one Grimbald, a relative of the Norman chieftain William de Warenne, came to England and settled near Holt. His great grandson is stated to have taken the name Bacon. " 5

Not all the family went to England as seen by William Bacon who in 1082, endowed the abbey of the Holy Trinity at Caen. "Richard Bacon occurs later; and 1154 Roger Bacon held estates in Wiltshire. In 1165 Robert, William, and Alexander Bacon held four knights' fees of ancient enfeoffment in Essex from the Barony of Montfichet. " 1

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included: John le Bacon. T. Cecilia Bacun in Norfolk; Wymer Bacon, Surrey; and Simon Bacon, Oxfordshire. Later the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed Walterus Bacun. 6

"Knightly families of Bacon or Bacune held manors in the 13th and 14th centuries in the parishes of Dengie and Mountnessing [Essex], manors which seem to have taken in each case the name of Bacon from their early lords. Probably the original Bacons of Essex branched off long ago from the great Suffolk family of Bachun, Bacun, or Bacon, itself descended from a Norman stock in the 11th century. In the 13th century, Bacun was a common name in Suffolk and Oxfordshire, and less so in Norfolk and Gloucestershire. " 7

Early History of the Bakun family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bakun research. Another 208 words (15 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1214, 1294, 1500, 1510, 1512, 1540, 1541, 1561, 1567, 1579, 1586, 1587, 1591, 1593, 1594, 1600, 1618, 1621, 1622, 1623, 1624, 1626, 1645, 1647, 1657, 1660, 1663, 1666, 1672, 1676, 1685, 1687, 1700, 1707 and 1721 are included under the topic Early Bakun History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bakun Spelling Variations

A multitude of spelling variations characterize Norman surnames. Many variations occurred because Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules. The introduction of Norman French to England also had a pronounced effect, as did the court languages of Latin and French. Therefore, one person was often referred to by several different spellings in a single lifetime. The various spellings include Bacon, Bachun, Bacun and others.

Early Notables of the Bakun family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Sir Nicholas Bacon (1510-1579), an English politician, Lord Keeper of the Great Seal. His daughter Elizabeth Bacon (c. 1541-1621) is presumed to have been the Lady Neville of My Ladye Nevells Booke, keyboard music by William Byrd ion 1591. Sir Nicholas Bacon, 1st Baronet, of Redgrave (c. 1540-1624), MP, Premier Baronet of England, was half-brother of Sir Francis Bacon; Sir Francis Bacon (1587-1657), an English judge, son of John Bacon; Sir Edward Bacon (d. 1618), of Shrublands Hall in Suffolk, an English Member of Parliament; Francis Bacon (1600-1663), an English politician who sat...
Another 150 words (11 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Bakun Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Bakun family to Ireland

Some of the Bakun family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 66 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Bakun family

Many English families left England, to avoid the chaos of their homeland and migrated to the many British colonies abroad. Although the conditions on the ships were extremely cramped, and some travelers arrived diseased, starving, and destitute, once in the colonies, many of the families prospered and made valuable contributions to the cultures of what would become the United States and Canada. Research into the origins of individual families in North America has revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Bakun or a variant listed above: Daniel Bacon who settled in Virginia in 1635.



The Bakun 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: Mediocria firma
Motto Translation: Mediocrity is safe.


  1. 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)
  2. Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
  3. Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
  4. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  5. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  6. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  7. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.


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