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Bunker History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Bunker History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Bunker

What does the name Bunker mean?

When the ancestors of the Bunker family emigrated to England following the Norman Conquest in 1066 they brought their family name with them. They lived in Suffolk at Bungay, a market town that dates back to the Domesday Book where it was listed as Bunghea, probably derived from the Old English personal name + inga + eg and meant "island of the family or followers of a man called Buna." 1 Another reference claims the placename was derived from the term "le-bon-eye," signifying "the good island," as it was nearly surrounded by the river Waveney, which was once a broad stream. Soon after the Norman Conquest, a castle was built, which, from its situation and the strength of its fortifications, was deemed impregnable by its possessor, Hugh Bigot, Earl of Norfolk, in the reign of Stephen; but that monarch, in the 6th of his reign, in the year 1140, came with his army and took it. Over the years Bungay Castle has fallen into ruins, but in 1934 the amateur archaeologist Leonard Cane convinced people that a restoration was needed. Today it is owned by the Bungay Castle Trust.

Early Origins of the Bunker family

The surname Bunker was first found in Suffolk where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor of Bungay at the time of the Norman Conquest of England by Duke William of Normandy in 1066 A.D. Conjecturally they are descended from William de Noyers who held the lands of Bungay from the King. At the time of the taking of the Domesday Book survey in 1086 the holdings consisted of 4 Churches, 2.5 mills, 60 goats and 100 sheep. Bungay Castle was built by the Norman Earl Hugh Bigod in the 12th century.

Reginal de Bungheye was Lord Mayor of London in 1240. Thomas Bungay (fl. 1290), was a learned Franciscan friar, born at Bungay, Suffolk, and educated at Paris and Oxford. He became the tenth reader in divinity at Oxford. He later moved to Cambridge, where he held a similar position. 2

Early History of the Bunker family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bunker research. Another 40 words (3 lines of text) covering the year 1588 is included under the topic Early Bunker History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bunker Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries. For that reason, spelling variations are common among many Anglo-Norman names. The shape of the English language was frequently changed with the introduction of elements of Norman French, Latin, and other European languages; even the spelling of literate people's names were subsequently modified. Bunker has been recorded under many different variations, including Bungey, Bungay, Bunker, Bunkar, Bunkey, Bunkay, Bungy and many more.

Early Notables of the Bunker family

More information is included under the topic Early Bunker Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bunker Ranking

In the United States, the name Bunker is the 4,117^th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 3

Bunker migration to the United States +

To escape the uncertainty of the political and religious uncertainty found in England, many English families boarded ships at great expense to sail for the colonies held by Britain. The passages were expensive, though, and the boats were unsafe, overcrowded, and ridden with disease. Those who were hardy and lucky enough to make the passage intact were rewarded with land, opportunity, and social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families went on to be important contributors to the young nations of Canada and the United States where they settled. Bunkers were some of the first of the immigrants to arrive in North America:

Bunker Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

James and George Bunker who settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1630
George Bunker, who settled in Charlestown, Massachusetts in 1630
George Bunker, who arrived in Charlestown, Massachusetts in 1635 4
Benjamin Bunker, who arrived in New England in 1658 4

Bunker Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Christ Bunker, aged 22, who landed in New Orleans, La in 1845 4
G. J. Bunker arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850
Andrew Bunker, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 4
M Bunker, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 4
R R Bunker, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1860 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Bunker migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Bunker Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. Bathuee Bunker U.E. who settled in Eastern District [Cornwall], Ontario c. 1783 5
Mr. Henry Bunker U.E. who settled in Prince Edward County, Ontario c. 1783 5
Mr. John Bunker U.E. who settled in Eastern District [Cornwall], Ontario c. 1783 5
Mr. John Bunker U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1783 5
Mr. John Bunker, "Bonker" U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1783 5

Bunker migration to Australia +

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

Bunker Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Lydia Bunker, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Julindur" in 1850 6

Bunker 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:

Bunker Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Edward Bunker, aged 40, a gardener, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Oxford" in 1874
Mary Ann Bunker, aged 40, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Oxford" in 1874
William Bunker, aged 11, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Oxford" in 1874
Mary Bunker, aged 7, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Oxford" in 1874

Contemporary Notables of the name Bunker (post 1700) +

Wallace Edward "Wally" Bunker (b. 1945), former American Major League Baseball pitcher who played from 1963 to 1971
Paul Delmont Bunker (1881-1943), American football player and soldier
Mark Bunker, American television journalist
Eber Bunker (1761-1836), American sea captain and pastoralist
Lawrence Benjamin "Larry" Bunker (1928-2005), American jazz drummer, vibraphonist, and percussionist
Edward Heward Bunker (1933-2005), American author of crime fiction, a screenwriter, and an actor
Ellsworth Bunker (1894-1984), American diplomat and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom
Berkeley Lloyd Bunker (1906-1999), American Democratic Party politician, Member of Nevada State House of Representatives, 1936-40; U.S. Senator from Nevada, 1940-42; Defeated, 1942, 1946 7
Benjamin Bunker, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Maine, 1884 7
Benjamin Bunker, American politician, U.S. Attorney for Nevada, 1861 7
... (Another 22 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"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)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) JULINDUR 1850. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1850Julindur.gif
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 3) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html