|
Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel!
You asked about the origin of your surname, Blunsum. Here is what we've been able to find out.
The name is almost certainly from an English place-name. By far the likeliest candidate is Bluntisham in Huntingdonshire. Less likely sources are Blundeston in Suffolk and Blunsdon St. Andrew and Broad Blunsdon in Wiltshire.
All of these place-names contain the Old English masculine personal name 'Blunt': Blunt's <ham>, Blunt's <tun>, and Blunt's <dun>. The Old English words <ham> and <tun> refer to human habitations. Their meaning varied over time, but roughly speaking <ham> is 'village', and <tun> is 'enclosure, homestead'. The word <dun> is
Kathryn Van Stone also contributed to this letter. We hope that this information is of use to you.
For the Academy,
Brian M. Scott
Ekwall, Eilert. The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Place-names, 4th ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 1989.
Reaney, P.H., & R.M. Wilson. A Dictionary of English Surnames. New