Bumpus History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Bumpus

What does the name Bumpus mean?

The origins of the Bumpus surname date from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. Their name originated with an early member who was a swift walker. Originally the name Bumpus was from the Old French expression bon pas 1 which meant good pace, or good passage. 2 The surname was first found in England soon after the Norman Conquest of 1066.

Not all of the family emigrated to England as the source Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae, includes entries for Reginald, Robert, William de Boneboz who held lands in Normandy in 1198. There the name originated in Boneboz, Normandy which was held by the Earls of Mellent. 3

Early Origins of the Bumpus family

The surname Bumpus was first found in Gloucestershire, where William Bonpas was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of 1175. 1 Gilbert de Besant was a benefactor to Dunstable Priory. 3

Early History of the Bumpus family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bumpus research. Another 57 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1175, 1616, 1628, 1629 and 1670 are included under the topic Early Bumpus History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bumpus Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore, spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Bumpus has been recorded under many different variations, including Bumpus, Bonpas, Bumpasse, Bompase, Bumpuss, Bumpusse and many more.

Early Notables of the Bumpus family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

Thomas Bumpus, a prominent 17th century property owner in London

Bumpus Ranking

In the United States, the name Bumpus is the 10,944^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 4

Bumpus migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Bumpus or a variant listed above:

Bumpus Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Edward Bumpus, who arrived in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1623 5
Thomas Bumpus, who landed in Maryland in 1662 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Bumpus (post 1700) +

Hermon Carey Bumpus (1862-1943), American fifth president of Tufts College
Michael Leron Bumpus (b. 1985), American football wide receiver
Jerry Bumpus, American professor of literature and short story writer
Cornelius Bumpus (1946-2004), American woodwind and keyboard player
Paul Bumpus, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Tennessee, 1936 6
Orrie C. Bumpus, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Massachusetts, 1940 6
Judith Harriet Bumpus (1939-2010), British radio producer for the BBC

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
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)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 3) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html