Find out how popular the last name Dunaway is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Dunaway.

Dunaway, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Dunaway surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dunaway in America

Dunaway is the 3320th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dunaway surname appeared 10,798 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Dunaway.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dunaway to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Dunaway

The surname Dunaway is believed to have originated in England, with roots dating back to the medieval period. It is thought to be a habitational name derived from the place name "Dunaway," which likely referred to a settlement or village located near a prominent hill or down. This place name is itself a combination of the Old English words "dun," meaning "hill," and "weg," meaning "way" or "path."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Dunaway surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire, a census-like record from the late 13th century. This document mentions a Richard de Dunwey, likely an early spelling variation of the surname.

The Dunaway name also appears in various historical records from the 16th and 17th centuries, including parish registers and tax records. One notable example is John Dunaway, born in 1586 in Wiltshire, England, who later emigrated to Virginia in the early 1600s and became one of the first settlers in the Virginia colony.

Another early bearer of the Dunaway name was William Dunaway, born in 1620 in Somerset, England. He was a prominent merchant and landowner in the colony of Virginia, and his descendants went on to establish several notable Dunaway family lines in the American South.

In the 18th century, the Dunaway surname gained further recognition with the birth of Thomas Dunaway (1731-1810), a British military officer who served in the American Revolutionary War. He later settled in Virginia and became a respected landowner and community leader.

Moving into the 19th century, one cannot overlook the legacy of John Dunaway (1810-1892), a prominent politician and lawyer from Tennessee. He served multiple terms in the Tennessee State Legislature and was widely respected for his legal acumen and oratory skills.

These are just a few examples of the many individuals who have carried the Dunaway surname throughout history, illustrating its enduring presence and the diverse roles its bearers have played in various societies and eras.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dunaway

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Dunaway.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Dunaway was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Dunaway has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Dunaway was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Dunaway, please contact us.

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