Where did the sir name "bunch" come from?

Answer 1

I think you mean "surname"

One origin of the surname "Bunch" is England. I found the following citation in Reaney & Wilson, "A Dictionary of English Surnames", Oxford University Press, 1995, pg.72.

Bunch:

Earliest references:
Geoffrey Bunch, 1195, Northamptonshire
William Bunche, 1327, Cambridgeshire

Meaning:
Perhaps Middle English "bunche" meaning "a protuberance, a hump on the back"

Answer 2

Bunch
This very unusual surname recorded in the spellings of Bunch, Bunche and Bunce, is believed to be of Middle English pre 14th century origins. However it derives from the word 'bunche', itself a development of the German 'bunz', meaning a barrel. As such the name was probably a medieval nickname for a portly or rotund person, one who resembled a barrel, although it is also possible the name is occupational for a maker or user of a particular type of barrel, perhaps one associated with German wines which were becoming popular at that time. In defining the precise meaning of early surnames, one must be cautious about applying twentieth century translations to 13th century words, and it maybe that the original 'meaning' was quite different in context to today. What is certain is that names which had unpleasant connotations rarely became hereditary, whilst this surname is not only one of the earliest on record, as shown below, but has remained basically unchanged since. Early
examples of the surname recording include William Bunche in the Subsidy Rolls of the county of Cambridge in 1327, whilst one of the first English settlers to the new colonies of the West Indies and Virginia was Joseph Bunce, who embarked from Gravesend, on the ship 'Peter Bonaventure of London', bound for Barbados. His subsequent fate is not known. A coat of arms also granted in Kent has the blazon of a blue field, on a fess between three silver boars, three blue eagles. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Geoffrey Bunch, which was dated 1195, the Pipe Rolls of the county of Northampton, during the reign of
King Richard 1, known as 'The lionheart', 1189 - 1199.

Answer 3

The origin of the name Bunch is Pictish, who were the ancient Celts in Scotland a good 2,000+ years before the Gaelics (Irish) arrived. One interesting fact about the Picts is that bloodlines (surnames) were passed through the mother and not the father. The Picts were a very strong and warlike people; therefore, either the Picts were somewhat enlightened thinkers for their time, respecting women, or Pictish women were extremely tough (or perhaps it was a little of both).

My maternal grandfather was Charles Bunch, who was from Paragould, Arkansas. Neither myself nor my mother knew him (my mother was raised by her step-father Robert Moore, an Irish-American WWII war hero in the South Pacific). However, this region of America was primarily settled by Irish and Scottish immigrants and the name Bunch is Scottish. Therefore, Charles Bunch was of Scottish (and perhaps Irish) stock.

So as not to leave her out of the picture, my maternal grandmother is Helen (Walter) Moore. Her maiden name Walter could be of 3 principle origins - British/Irish, German, or Dutch. However, the surname Walter is listed as a sept of both clans Buchanan and Forbes. So, regardless of original origin, the Walters have had some influence in Scotland.

Her mother, as I understand it, carried the name Bell. Bell is also a Scottish/Celtic name, as clan Bell was very strong in southwestern Scotland at one time. Bunch, Walter, and Bell are the only maternal bloodlines (surnames) that I am aware of.

Answer 4

Three answers, three choices. Most people spell it "surname".

http://www.ancestry.com/learn/facts/Fact.aspx?&fid=10&ln=bunch&fn=

Bunch

English: nickname for a hunchback, from Middle English bunche ‘hump’, ‘swelling’ (of unknown origin).

Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-508137-4