Bulfinch History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Bulfinch

What does the name Bulfinch mean?

The name Bulfinch is part of the ancient legacy of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. Bulfinch was a name used for a person who was called the bull-finch, probably derived from the birds Goldfinch or Finch.

Early Origins of the Bulfinch family

The surname Bulfinch was first found in Kent, where they held a family seat from ancient times.

Early History of the Bulfinch family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bulfinch research. Another 195 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1218, 1332, 1500 and 1670 are included under the topic Early Bulfinch History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bulfinch Spelling Variations

Until the dictionary, an invention of only the last few hundred years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently, spelling variations in names are frequently found in early Anglo-Saxon and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Bulfinch include Bullfinch, Bulvinch, Bolefynch, Bullfynch, Bullefinch, Bullfynche, Bullfinche and many more.

Early Notables of the Bulfinch family

More information is included under the topic Early Bulfinch Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bulfinch migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Bulfinch were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records:

Bulfinch Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Bulfinch, who arrived in Salem, Massachusetts in 1641 1

Contemporary Notables of the name Bulfinch (post 1700) +

Charles Bulfinch (1763-1830), American architect
Thomas Bulfinch (1796-1867), American writer

Sources +

Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)