Show ContentsDunten History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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Dunten Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Etymology of Dunten

What does the name Dunten mean?

The ancestors of the Dunten surname lived among the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. The name comes from when they lived in Dunton of which there are five parishes in England. Parishes can be found in Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Norfolk, Leicestershire and Essex. The last is of particular importance. Now known as Dunton-Waylett, it dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086. "At the time of the Norman survey, the manor of Dunton Hall belonged to Odo, Bishop of Bayeaux, by whom it was bestowed on the abbey of Bec, in Normandy; and on the suppression of alien priories it was granted to King's College, Cambridge."

The Waylett suffix like the suffix for Dunton-Basset (Leicestershire) were added later to denote the family who held their family seat there. Actually there are more entries in the Domesday Book that should be mentioned now: Dodintone, Buckinghamshire; Donitone, Bedfordshire; Dontuna, Norfolk; and Donitone, Leicestershire. All of these place names evolved to be known as Dunton. 1

The manor of Dunton, with Doughton was " given by Henry VII. to Ralph de Hauville, to be held by service of keeping the king's falcons; it passed in the reign of Elizabeth to Lord Chief Justice Coke." 2

As far as the etymology of the name, there are two schools of thought. The first is the it meant "farmstead on a hill," from the Old English "dun" + "tan." 3 The second was an "estate associated with a man called Dudda or Dodda," from the Old English personal name + "tun." 1

Early Origins of the Dunten family

The surname Dunten was first found in Norfolk where Gilbert de Dunton was registered in the Testa de Nevill, sive Liber Feodorum, temp. Henry III-Edward I. The same source notes John de Dunton, Lincolnshire. 4 The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed Isabella de Dunton, Salop (Shropshire) and Jordan de Duntone, Oxfordshire. 5

The Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire listed Richard de la Duntun in 1275 and Ralph de Dunton was listed in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1296. 6

Early History of the Dunten family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dunten research. Another 77 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1280, 1400, 1593, 1659, 1660 and 1733 are included under the topic Early Dunten History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dunten Spelling Variations

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 Dunten include Dunton, Duntin and others.

Early Notables of the Dunten family

John Dunton (1659-1733), and English writer, publisher and bookseller; he produced a periodical called the Athenian Gazette. "His father, grandfather, and great-grandfather were all named John Dunton, and had all been clergymen. His father had been fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge, and at the time of his birth...
Another 48 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Dunten Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Dunten family

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: Andrew Dunton, who settled in Virginia in 1634; Thomas settled in Virginia in 1647; Robert settled in Pennsylvania in 1682; Robert Dunton arrived in Boston Massachusetts in 1822..

  1. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  2. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  3. Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
  4. Testa de Nevill or "Liber Feodorum" or "Book of Fees," thought to have been written by Ralph de Nevill, for King John (1199–1216)
  5. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  6. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)

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