Show ContentsMundy History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Mundy was brought to England in the wave of migration that followed the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Mundy family lived in Derbyshire. The name, however, is a reference to the family's place of residence prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, Mundeyville, Normandy where they inhabited the Abbey of Fecamp. 1 2

Early Origins of the Mundy family

The surname Mundy was first found in Derbyshire where "the Mundys of Marheaton, who trace their pedigree to temp. Edward I., have a tradition of Norman descent, from a place called the abbey of Mondaye. " 3

The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 proved the scattered migration of the family by that time: Simon Moneday, Huntingdonshire; Simon Mundi, Cambridgeshire; and Henry Mundi, Cambridgeshire. 4 In Somerset, Edmund Moneday, was listed there temp. Edward III. 5

Further to the south in Cornwall, another branch of the family was found in the manor of Rialton in the hundred of Pyder. "In the days of Elizabeth, a previous compact having expired, Rialton, another manor, and the bailiffry of the hundred of Pyder, were leased out either to Richard Senhouse, or to Mr. Munday, the son of a Mr. Munday, who had previously acted as steward from the time of Henry VIII. It is certain that the Munday family continued from the reign of Elizabeth to be lessees under the crown until the year 1663, when the Mundays were succeeded by Sir Francis Godolphin." 6

Early History of the Mundy family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Mundy research. Another 130 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1529, 1555, 1560, 1584, 1591, 1630, 1633, 1657, 1685 and 1739 are included under the topic Early Mundy History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Mundy Spelling Variations

Spelling variations in names were a common occurrence in the eras before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate regularly changed the spellings of their names as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Mundy have been found, including Mundy, Mondy, Monday, Munday, Mundie and others.

Early Notables of the Mundy family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

  • William Mundy (c. 1529-1591), an English composer of sacred music

Mundy Ranking

In the United States, the name Mundy is the 4,301st most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 7


Mundy migration to the United States +

For many English families, the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. For such families, the shores of Ireland, Australia, and the New World beckoned. They left their homeland at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. Many arrived after the long voyage sick, starving, and without a penny. But even those were greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. Numerous English settlers who arrived in the United States and Canada at this time went on to make important contributions to the developing cultures of those countries. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Mundy were among those contributors:

Mundy Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • William Mundy, who landed in Virginia in 1656 8
  • Bridget Mundy and her husband settled in Maryland in 1684

Mundy migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Mundy Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • John Mundy, who arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1749-1752

Mundy migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Mundy Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Henry Mundy, English convict who was convicted in Surrey, England for life, transported aboard the "Enchantress"on 6th April 1833, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 9
  • Mr. Peter Mundy, (b. 1811), aged 37, Cornish husbandry and Hatt from Mullion, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "General Hewett" arriving in New South Wales, Australia on 13th November 1848 10
  • Mrs. Jane Mundy, (b. 1822), aged 26, Cornish settler from Redruth, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "General Hewett" arriving in New South Wales, Australia on 13th November 1848 10
  • Mr. Samuel Mundy, (b. 1845), aged 3, Cornish settler from Mullion, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "General Hewett" arriving in New South Wales, Australia on 13th November 1848 10
  • Miss Jane Mundy, (b. 1847), aged 1, Cornish settler from Redruth, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "General Hewett" arriving in New South Wales, Australia on 13th November 1848 10

Mundy migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Mundy Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Martin Mundy, (b. 1827), aged 33, British farm labourer travelling from Bristol aboard the ship "Matoaka" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 2nd December 1860 11
  • Mrs. Elizabeth Mundy, (b. 1832), aged 28, British settler travelling from Bristol aboard the ship "Matoaka" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 2nd December 1860 11
  • Miss Margaret Mundy, (b. 1826), aged 35, Scottish dairy maid, from Lanarkshire travelling from Bristol aboard the ship "Rhea Sylvia" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 2nd May 1861 12
  • Mr. James Mundy, (b. 1836), aged 27, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Huntress" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 21st April 1863 11
  • Miss Eliza P. Mundy, (b. 1845), aged 18, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Huntress" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 21st April 1863 11
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Mundy migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 13
Mundy Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century
  • Elizabeth Mundy settled with her husband and servants in Barbados in 1679

Contemporary Notables of the name Mundy (post 1700) +

  • W. W. Mundy, American politician, Member of Georgia State Senate 38th District, 1923-24; Circuit Judge in Georgia Tallapoosa Circuit, 1953 14
  • Robert V. Mundy (b. 1854), American politician, Mayor of Bay City, Michigan, 1917-21 14
  • Nellie Bob Mundy, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Oklahoma, 1944 14
  • Leo C. Mundy, American Democratic Party politician, Member of Pennsylvania State Senate 21st District, 1937-44 14
  • J. Ellis Mundy, American politician, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia, 1942, 1946-53 14
  • G. B. Mundy, American politician, U.S. Attorney for the 2nd District of Alaska Territory, 1917-18 14
  • Francis P. Mundy, American politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from New York 36th District, 1978 14
  • Edward Mundy (1794-1851), American politician, Lieutenant Governor of Michigan, 1835-40; Michigan State Attorney General, 1847-48; Justice of Michigan State Supreme Court, 1848-51 14
  • E. Roy Mundy, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Washington, 1952 14
  • Margaret Anne Mary "Meg" Mundy (1915-2016), English-born American Daytime Emmy Award nominated actress and model, known for her work on Guiding Light (1952), Fatal Attraction (1987) and Ordinary People (1980)
  • ... (Another 6 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

HMS Prince of Wales
  • Mr. Alfred Mundy, British Able Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Prince of Wales (1941) and died in the sinking 15


The Mundy Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Deus providebit
Motto Translation: God will provide.


  1. 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)
  2. Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
  3. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  4. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  5. Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
  6. Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
  7. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  8. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  9. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 20th April 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/enchantress
  10. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, May 30). Ships' Passenger Lists of Arrivals in New South Wales on (1828 - 1842, 1848 - 1849) [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_nsw_1838_on.pdf
  11. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  12. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
  14. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 2) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  15. HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html


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