Duncoom History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancient roots of the Duncoom family name are in the Anglo-Saxon culture. The name Duncoom comes from when the family lived in the village of Duncombe, in Durham. There is also a Duncombe in Lancashire which is in the north country too. This local name was originally derived from the Old English word dun, which literally means hill. The second part of the name, comb was originally derived from the Old English word cumb, which refers to a short, straight valley. Therefore Duncombe was literally a hill in a short, straight valley. 1

Early Origins of the Duncoom family

The surname Duncoom was first found in Buckinghamshire where early records show Richard de Ingen held a barony in this shire since the Domesday Book. 2

"Duncombe or D'Engaine, [originated in] Engen or Ingen, near Boulogne, [Normandy, France]. Richard and William de Ingen accompanied the Conqueror. The former in 1086 held a barony in Buckinghamshire. Vitalis D'Ingen, his son, temp. Henry I., had Richard, who married a daughter of Alberic de Yer, Earl of Oxford, and was Baron of Blatherwick, Northamptonshire. His son, Richard D'Engaine, 1165, held in Buckinghamshire from Paganel of Dudley; and had, 1, Vitalis, ancestor of the Barons D'Engaine by writ, 1296; 2, Ralph D'Engaine (written Dungun or Dungeom in the Testa de Neville), 3 who held Holcombe, Oxford, and in 1253 as Ralph D'Ungun was Lord of Tingewick, Buckinghamshire." 4

From this latter reference, the name was listed as Dunguns, Dengaines, Dungems and then gradually was changed to Duncombe, the more popular spelling since the 16th century.

"The manor-house of Tangley [in Wonersh, Surrey], originally a hunting-box of King John's, was in 1585 converted into a residence for the family of Sir Francis Duncombe." 5

"The Duncombes of Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire in the 16th and 17th centuries were gentry of note and position, whose names occur among the list of contributors to the fund collected at the time of the expected invasion of the Spanish Armada in 1588. Those of Bedfordshire lived at that time at Battlesden and other places, and served as sheriffs for the county. The Duncombes or Doncombes of Buckinghamshire lived in the 16th century at Great Brickell, Barliende, Wingrave, Dinton, and East Claidon." 6

Early History of the Duncoom family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Duncoom research. Another 113 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1622, 1648, 1672, 1676, 1685, 1687, 1690, 1695, 1698, 1702, 1707, 1708, 1711, 1718, 1747, 1763, 1769, 1797, 1800, 1807 and 1826 are included under the topic Early Duncoom History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Duncoom 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 Duncoom has appeared include Duncombe, Duncome, Duncomb, Duncome, Dunscomb, Dunscombe, Duncumb and many more.

Early Notables of the Duncoom family

Notables of the family at this time include Sir John Duncombe (1622-1687), an English politician, Chancellor of the Exchequer of England (1672-1676); Sir Charles Duncombe (1648-1711), English banker and politician who served as a Member of Parliament and Lord Mayor of the City of London; and William Duncombe (1690-1769), British author and playwright. Anthony Duncombe (died 1708), an English politician, Member of Parliament for Hedon (1698-1702) and (1702-1707.) Hi son, Anthony Duncombe (1695-1763), was Sheriff of London, who was created 1st Baron Feversham in 1747. He was later Lord Feversham, Baron of Downton, in the County of Wilts. However, Lord...
Another 99 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Duncoom Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Duncoom 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 Duncoom arrived in North America very early: Joe Duncomb who arrived in Virginia in 1635; John Duncombe settled in Virginia in 1637; Richard Duncombe settled in Virginia in 1660; Thomas Duncombe settled in Virginia in 1653..

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
Testa de Nevill or "Liber Feodorum" or "Book of Fees," thought to have been written by Ralph de Nevill, for King John (1199–1216)
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)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.