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![Show Contents]() Cuningham History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland
Etymology of CuninghamWhat does the name Cuningham mean? The forbears of the name Cuningham are thought to be of the ancient Scottish kingdom of Dalriada. The name indicates that the first bearer lived at Cunningham in Ayrshire. However, numerous branches of the Cunningham family spread all over Scotland. Two of the most prominent branches of the Cunningham Clan, the Cunninghams of Corsehill and the Cunninghams of Caprington, trace their ancestry back to the medieval era. Cuningham Coat of Arms CreationThe Cuninghames have as their crest a unicorn, and the motto is, " Over fork over." The unicorn is so named from its having only one horn, which grows out of its forehead. It represents strength, a haughty mind, and one who would rather die than be brought into subjection. The horn was said to possess a powerful antidote against poison, and that other animals were glad to drink of water stirred by the horn. As to the motto, the story is that Malcolm, the first of the family, assisted Malcolm (afterwards King Malcolm Canmore) to escape when pursued by Macbeth, by forking straw or hay over him. The King afterwards rewarded him by the gift of the Thanedom of Cuninghame, and the figure on the shield like the letter Y represents the shake-fork. The other story is that the motto is derived from the fact that an ancestor had charge of the King's horses, and the shakefork was the instrument by which hay was forked to them. 1 Early Origins of the Cuningham familyThe surname Cuningham was first found in Ayrshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Inbhir Àir), formerly a county in the southwestern Strathclyde region of Scotland, that today makes up the Council Areas of South, East, and North Ayrshire. About the year 1050, it is said that Warnebald Cunningham saved King Malcolm Canmore by hiding him in the barn and covering him with hay concealing him from his pursuer the Pretender King, MacBeth. The grateful King Malcolm later bestowed on Warnebald the lands of Cunningham and the motto "Over Fork Over." 2 Early History of the Cuningham familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cuningham research. Another 118 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1490, 1520, 1548, 1574, 1575, 1578, 1610, 1630, 1664, 1670, 1716 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Cuningham History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Cuningham Spelling VariationsMedieval spelling was at best an intuitive process, and translation between Gaelic and English was no more effective. These factors caused an enormous number of spelling variations in Dalriadan names. In fact, it was not uncommon to see a father and son who spelled their name differently. Over the years, Cuningham has been spelled Cunningham, Cunninghame, Cunyngham, Cunnyngham, Cunnynghame, Cummingham and many more. Early Notables of the Cuningham familyNotable amongst the Clan at this time was Cuthbert Cunningham, 3rd Earl of Glencairn; William Cunningham, 4th Earl of Glencairn (c. 1490-1548), a Scottish nobleman; Alexander Cunningham, 5th Earl of Glencairn (died 1574), Scottish nobleman and Protestant reformer; William Cunningham, 6th Earl of Glencairn (ca. 1520-1578); James Cunningham, 7th Earl of...
Another 51 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Cuningham Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Cuningham family to IrelandSome of the Cuningham family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 49 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Cuningham migration to the United States | + |
Many settled along the east coast of what would become the United States and Canada. As the American War of Independence broke out, those who remained loyal to the crown went north to Canada as United Empire Loyalists. The ancestors of all of these hardy Dalriadan-Scottish settlers began to recover their collective history in the 20th century with the advent of the vibrant culture fostered by highland games and Clan societies in North America. Highland games, clan societies, and other organizations generated much renewed interest in Scottish heritage in the 20th century. The Cuningham were among the earliest of the Scottish settlers as immigration passenger lists have shown:
Cuningham Settlers in United States in the 17th Century- William Cuningham, who landed in Virginia in 1655 3
- James Cuningham, who arrived in Maryland in 1673 3
Cuningham Settlers in United States in the 18th Century- Tho Cuningham, who landed in Virginia in 1703 3
- Robert Cuningham, who arrived in Boston, Massachusetts in 1712 3
- Walter Cuningham, who arrived in North Carolina in 1789 3
| Contemporary Notables of the name Cuningham (post 1700) | + |
- Briggs S Cuuningham II, American racecar driver, yachtsman, yacht builder, and victorious America Cup skipper
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: Over fork over
- Polson, Alexander, The Romance of Scottish Crests and Mottoes. Inverness: Walter Alexander, Inglis Street 1929. Print
- Sims, Clifford Stanley The Origin and Signification of Scottish Surnames. 1862. Print.
- 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)
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