Contents [hide]

Commins History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Ireland United States Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Commins History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland
Ireland

It is generally believed that this name comes from a Breton personal name, derived from element "cam," meaning "bent," or "crooked;" or perhaps from the herb called "cummin" (cumin). Or the name may have come from the place name Comines, in Flanders, Northern France. 1

"This ancient family claim descent from the great house of Comines in France. They seem to have come into Britain at the Conquest, though they do not appear eo nomine in Domesday. " 2

Early Origins of the Commins family

The surname Commins was first found in Norfolk, Lincolnshire, and Yorkshire in England, in the 12th and 13th centuries. Robert of Comyn (Comines,) a noble who accompanied William the Conqueror in 1066 and was made Earl of Northumberland. 3

Other early records of the family shown with a myriad of early spellings include: Godwinus filius Cumine in the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk in 1173; Eustachius filius Cumini in the Assize Rolls for Lincolnshire in 1219; Petrus filius Kymine in the Subsidy Rolls for Yorkshire in 1301; Hugh Coumini listed in France in 1157; Walter Cumin in the Pipe Rolls for Wales in 1158; John Comin in Lincolnshire in 1175-1179; and William Cumyn in the Pipe Rolls for Hampshire in 1230. 4

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 included: Florentina Comin, Oxfordshire; Peter Comyn, Wiltshire; Stephen Comyng, Essex; and Thomas Comyn, Gloucestershire. 5 Another source notes that Admund le Comyn was listed in Norfolk, 14 Edward II (during the fourteenth year of King Edward III's reign.) 6

Today Commins is a small hamlet in Denbighshire and Commins Coch is a small village in the county of Powys, Wales.

Saint Comman of Ross-Commain (fl. 550), was son of Faelchu and "descendant of Fiacha Araidhe, of the family of Rudhraighe, and race of Ir, king of Ulster, A.D. 236." 7

Early History of the Commins family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Commins research. Another 487 words (35 lines of text) covering the years 1124, 1133, 1153, 1289, 1296, 1302, 1306, 1667, 1688, 1690, 1696, 1714, 1729, 1730, 1740, 1747, 1751, 1775, 1833, 1835, 1844, 1849, 1851, 1867, 1870, 1875, 1876 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Commins History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Commins Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Cumin, Cumins, Cumine, Cummin, Cummins, Cummine, Comings, Comins, Commin and many more.

Early Notables of the Commins family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Alexander Comyn (d. 1289), Earl of Buchan, a Scotish-Norman nobleman, son of William Comyn and Marjory, Countess of Buchan, the heiress of the last native Scottish Mormaer of Buchan, Fergus...
Another 37 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Commins Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Commins family to Ireland

Some of the Commins family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 60 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Commins migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Commins Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Elizabeth Commins, who landed in Maryland in 1650 8
James Commins, who arrived in Virginia in 1699 8

Commins Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Commins, who landed in New York, NY in 1803 8
Thomas Commins, who arrived in America in 1810 8
Mr. Walter Commins, (b. 1860), aged 28, Cornish slater departing from Liverpool aboard the ship "Gallia" arriving in the United States on 7 April 1888 9

Commins migration to Australia +

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

Commins Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

John Commins, aged 17, a farm labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1850 aboard the ship "Joseph Soames" 10
John Commins, aged 17, a labourer, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Joseph Somes" in 1850 11
Anne Commins, aged 22, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Joseph Somes" in 1850 11
James Commins, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Joseph Somes" in 1850 11

Commins 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:

Commins Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Michael Commins, (b. 1840), aged 22, British farm labourer travelling from London aboard the ship 'Mermaid' arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 26th December 1862 12
Mr. Patrick Commins, (b. 1845), aged 20, British labourer travelling from London aboard the ship "Eastern Empire" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 4th January 1865 12

Contemporary Notables of the name Commins (post 1700) +

Eugene D. Commins (1932-2015), American physicist, professor of physics at University of California Berkeley
T. C. Commins, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Virginia, 1920 13
John Commins (b. 1966), retired Irish sportsperson who played senior hurling with Galway (1986 to 1990)
John Brian Commins (b. 1965), retired South African cricketer
Commins Menapi (1977-2017), Solomon Islands striker, manager of Western United

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Rye, Walter, A History of Norfolk. London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, 1885. Print
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
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)
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to New York 1820 - 1891 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_new_york_1820_1891.pdf
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) JOSEPH SOMES / SOAMES 1850. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1850JosephSomes.htm
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) JOSEPH SOMES / SOAMES 1850. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1850JosephSomes.htm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 12) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html