Surname Cundy - Meaning and Origin
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Cundy: What does the surname Cundy mean?
The last name Cundy is an English surname believed to have originated from the Middle English personal name "Cuon-dī." This name itself is derived from the Old Norse, meaning "bold prince." The Old Norse is itself derived from the the Old Danish words "kunu" and "dígr," which translate to bear and brave, respectively. This has led some experts to believe that the original holders of this surname may have been warriors who displayed great bravery in battle.
The surname Cundy is most commonly found in England, though there are bearers in other countries as well. As a Cornish surname, Cundy is likely to have originated from its homeland in the southwestern part of England. The Cundy family is known to have been prominent in Devon in the Middle Ages, when some even obtained titles of nobility.
Today, a number of variations exist for the surname Cundy. Examples of these include Cundey, Cundie, Cundy, Cunning, and Cunaday. Of these, most are found in countries of British or Norman origin, such as England, Scotland, France, Ireland, and the United States.
Overall, the last name Cundy is an interesting and meaningful name, with its origins firmly rooted in the battle-hardy past of its ancestors.
Order DNA origin analysisCundy: Where does the name Cundy come from?
The last name Cundy is a relatively uncommon surname today. This could be due to the name having multiple spellings, including Candie, Candee, Cundy, and Kondy.
It could also be due to the surname being particularly rare in certain parts of the world. Cundy is most commonly found in England, where it has origins in the East Midlands counties of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. It's also seen in parts of Wales, Ireland, and Scotland.
Outside of the UK, the name Cundy can be found in the United States and Canada, as there was a small amount of immigration from the UK during the 19th and 20th centuries. The cities of Boston and Buffalo, New York both have a significant number of people with the Cundy surname. Today, the highest concentrations of the name Cundy are found in both England and the United States.
Variations of the surname Cundy
The surname Cundy is one of the most common surnames in British origin. It is a spelling variant of the surname "Cundey", and is derived from the Old English elements "cunda" meaning "bold" and "eage" meaning "eye". Other variant spellings of the surname Cundy include Cundey, Cundie, Cundee, and Cundey.
The surname Cundy has multiple origins and was first found in the south of England, primarily in the counties of Devon and Cornwall. The name Cundy was first found in Devon where they held a family seat from very ancient times. In the Middle Ages, the surname was adopted from an agricultural form of life, as a tenant or worker on the farms of Normans who resided in the area. The name Cundy is also found to originate from the personal names or Christian names of those ancestors, such as "Cunde", a shortened form of the Old English "Cyne-Dauga" meaning "bold as a leader".
Many variations of the surname can also be traced to Scotland, where the name Cundey was found in county Fife. Here, the spelling variations of the surname such as Cundy and Cundie were recorded by the early 17th century. The name was also found in Ireland, where records of Cundy and Cundie spellings are dated back to the 1600s.
More recently, the variant spellings of Cundy and Cundey have been found in the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, where the name was taken by those who migrated in the 1700s and 1800s. In some cases, those with the surname Cundy may have also changed the spelling due to forced migration or to fit the country's language or dialect.
Famous people with the name Cundy
- Christopher Cundy: British organised crime figure
- Charlotte Cundy: BBC newsreader
- Chris Cundy: British international swimmer
- Martha Cundy: American civil rights activist
- Melville Cundy: American violinist and composer
- John Cundy: British Member of Parliament
- Thomas Cundy II: British racehorse trainer
- Robert James Cundy: Canadian parliamentarian and political figure
- Elizabeth Cundy: British stage, film, and television actress
- George Cundy: British ambassador to Denmark