Bumps History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Bumps

What does the name Bumps mean?

The ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of England produced the name of Bumps. It was given to a swift walker. Originally the name Bumps was from the Old French expression bon pas 1 which meant good pace, or good passage. 2 The surname was first found in England soon after the Norman Conquest of 1066.

Not all of the family emigrated to England as the source Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae, includes entries for Reginald, Robert, William de Boneboz who held lands in Normandy in 1198. There the name originated in Boneboz, Normandy which was held by the Earls of Mellent. 3

Early Origins of the Bumps family

The surname Bumps was first found in Gloucestershire, where William Bonpas was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of 1175. 1 Gilbert de Besant was a benefactor to Dunstable Priory. 3

Early History of the Bumps family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bumps research. Another 57 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1175, 1616, 1628, 1629 and 1670 are included under the topic Early Bumps History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bumps Spelling Variations

One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Bumps has appeared include Bumpus, Bonpas, Bumpasse, Bompase, Bumpuss, Bumpusse and many more.

Early Notables of the Bumps family

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

Migration of the Bumps family

At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Bumps arrived in North America very early: a number of settlers who arrived by the 19th century.

Sources +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
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)