The ancestors of the Dunnings surname lived among the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. The name comes from when they lived in the region of Dunning in the lower part of Strathearn. Today Dunning is the process of communicating with customers to ensure the collection of accounts receivable derived from the 17th century verb "dun," meaning to demand payment of a debt.
The surname Dunnings was first found in Shropshire where they held a family seat from very early times.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dunnings research. Another 243 words (17 lines of text) covering the years 1086, 1199, 1200, 1234, 1437, 1440, 1514 and 1782 are included under the topic Early Dunnings History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Dunnings include Dunning, Dunnings, Douning, Downing, Dunnin and many more.
More information is included under the topic Early Dunnings Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Some of the Dunnings family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants: