Sunnucks

This very unusual name is quite well recorded in England from the early 18th Century, however the origin and meaning are far from obvious. The origination is from the Spanish "Sunex" recorded heraldically in the Balearic Islands circa 1680, but the development goes back to the pre 6th Century Germanic (Goth) "Sunf-hari" meaning "Truth-Army", a personal name of the most ancient times. In the 5th Century, the Goths over ran Italy and Spain being finally defeated circa 710. The name development in England includes James Sunnex who married Sarah Head at St. James, Westminster in 1838 and Mary Ann Sunnucks whose Will was recorded at Christchurch, Hoston on July 16th 1865. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Nichlis Sunock, which was dated 1730, witness at St. Olave Stepney on March 18th, during the reign of King George II, The Last Warrior King, 1727 - 1760. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.