Duntun History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• England

Etymology of Duntun

The ancestors of the bearers of the Duntun family name are thought have lived in ancient Anglo-Saxon England. They were first found 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 Duntun family

Early History of the Duntun family

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

Duntun Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Duntun include Dunton, Duntin and others.

Early Notables of the Duntun 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 Duntun Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Duntun family

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Duntun or a variant listed above: 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..