Show ContentsDunche History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

As a result of the frequent commercial intercourse between the Flemish and English nations, many Flemish migrants settled in Britain. The Dunche 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 Dunche is a nickname for a quarrelsome person. The surname Dunche is derived from the Old English word dunch, which means a push, a knock, or a bump.

Early Origins of the Dunche family

The surname Dunche 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

Early History of the Dunche family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dunche 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 Dunche History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dunche Spelling Variations

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.

Early Notables of the Dunche family

Prominent in the family at this time was

  • Edmund Dunch (or Dunche) (1657-1719), Master of the Royal Household to Queen Anne and a British Member of Parliament

Migration of the Dunche family

Some of the first North American settlers with Dunche name or one of its variants: Jacob Dunke, who settled in Philadelphia in 1739; Edward Dunk, who settled in New England in 1748; R. Dunke, who settled in New York in 1822; as well as Charles, David, Henry, Robert, and William Dunk, who all arrived in Philadelphia between 1850 and 1860..



  1. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.


Houseofnames.com on Facebook