2000
#34,856
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 613
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.23
Very Rare Last name
Dudney
A surname derived from an Old English personal name "Dudda" meaning "butterfly" or "moth".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 693 Americans carry the last name Dudney. That puts it at #39,333 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.20 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 494,595 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dudney surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Dudney with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
693
1 in 494,595
Census rank
#39,333
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
604
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 604 bearers of the surname Dudney in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.20 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 39333rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dudney, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Black (3.5%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dudney
The surname Dudney has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 11th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "dun" meaning hill or down, and "ey" meaning an island or dry ground. This suggests that the name may have referred to someone who lived on a hill or elevated ground near a river or marsh.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Dudney can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey commissioned by William the Conqueror. It mentions a landowner named Dudenei in the county of Shropshire. This spelling variation indicates that the name has evolved over time.
During the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Dudeneye, Dudeney, and Dudney, in records from counties like Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and Warwickshire. These different spellings reflect the lack of standardized spelling conventions at the time.
In the 14th century, a notable figure bearing the surname Dudney was John Dudney, a landowner from Gloucestershire, who was born around 1320. Another individual was William Dudney, a merchant from Bristol, who lived during the late 15th century.
The 16th century saw the emergence of Thomas Dudney, a yeoman farmer from Worcestershire, born in 1542. He was mentioned in local parish records for his contributions to the community.
In the 17th century, the name Dudney was associated with several places, such as Dudney Hill in Staffordshire and Dudney Manor in Oxfordshire. This suggests that some family members may have taken their surnames from these locations.
One of the most prominent individuals with the surname Dudney was Robert Dudney, a renowned scholar and author from Gloucestershire, born in 1675. He wrote extensively on topics related to history, philosophy, and literature.
As the centuries progressed, the Dudney surname continued to appear in various parts of England, with some family members migrating to other regions and countries. While the name's origins can be traced back to the 11th century, its evolution and distribution across different areas have contributed to its rich history and significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dudney
Among Census respondents with the surname Dudney, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Black (3.5%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Dudney bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Dudney surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.4% · 546
- Black or African American3.5% · 21
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 18
- Two or more races2.5% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dudney
Dudney appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#35,096
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 642
+29 bearers (+4.7%)
Per 100,000 0.22
Rank movement Down 240 places
2020
#39,333
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 604
-38 bearers (-5.9%)
Per 100,000 0.20
Rank movement Down 4,237 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #34,856 | 613 | 0.23 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #35,096 | 642 | 0.22 | +29 bearers (+4.7%) | Down 240 places |
| 2020 | #39,333 | 604 | 0.20 | -38 bearers (-5.9%) | Down 4,237 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Dudney surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #35,096 | #39,333 | -12.1% |
| Count | 642 | 604 | -5.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.22 | 0.20 | -8.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dudney bearers went from 642 to 604 (-5.9% change). The surname moved down 4,237 positions in the national ranking, going from #35,096 to #39,333.
FAQ
Dudney surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dudney?
Name Census estimates that about 693 living Americans carry the surname Dudney. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 494,595 residents.
How common is Dudney?
Dudney ranks #39,333 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.20 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 604 people with the surname Dudney. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (693), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.2 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.20 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Dudney.
Has Dudney become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dudney went from 642 recorded bearers to 604. That is a decrease of 38 (-5.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #35,096 to #39,333.
What does the Census say about the background of Dudney?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dudney, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Black (3.5%) and Hispanic (3.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Dudney in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.4% (546 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dudney appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.4%), Black (3.5%), Hispanic (3.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Dudney (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Dudney mean?
A surname derived from an Old English personal name "Dudda" meaning "butterfly" or "moth". The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Dudney (0.20 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Dudney?
You can see how common the surname Dudney is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.