2000
#144,908
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Dunayer
A habitational name derived from a place name containing the Hebrew element "dun" meaning hill or mountain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Dunayer. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dunayer 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.
Bearers in the US
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Dunayer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dunayer, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dunayer
The surname Dunayer is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "dun" meaning "hill" and "aer" meaning "dweller," thus translating to "one who lives on a hill." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name may have resided in hilly or elevated areas.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Dunayer surname can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landholdings and population compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. The entry refers to a landowner named Dunayer in the county of Berkshire.
During the 13th century, variants of the name such as "Dunayre" and "Dunayere" appeared in various parish records and tax rolls across southern England, particularly in the counties of Hampshire, Wiltshire, and Somerset. These early spellings likely reflected regional dialects and the inconsistencies in written English at the time.
In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the Dunayer surname was Sir Thomas Dunayer (1520-1588), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Gloucestershire. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth I in recognition of his contributions to the local community and his philanthropic endeavors.
Another prominent individual was Mary Dunayer (1634-1712), a Puritan author and poet from Dorset. Her collection of religious verses, titled "The Pious Musings," was widely circulated among Puritan communities in the American colonies.
During the 18th century, John Dunayer (1745-1821), a successful banker from London, established the Dunayer Banking House, which played a significant role in facilitating trade between England and its colonies.
In the 19th century, the Dunayer name became associated with the industrial revolution. William Dunayer (1812-1879) was a pioneering engineer who contributed to the development of early steam engines and rail transportation systems in Britain.
Throughout history, variations of the Dunayer surname have also been found in other parts of Europe, such as Germany and France, possibly due to migration or intermarriage. However, the name's origins are firmly rooted in England, where it has been documented for centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dunayer
Among Census respondents with the surname Dunayer, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Dunayer 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 Dunayer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.3% · 97
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.9% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dunayer
Dunayer 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
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-2 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 12,326 places
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
+1 bearers (+1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 3,644 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #144,908 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | -2 bearers (-1.9%) | Down 12,326 places |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | +1 bearers (+1.0%) | Up 3,644 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 Dunayer 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 | #157,234 | #153,590 | 2.3% |
| Count | 103 | 104 | 1.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 16.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dunayer bearers went from 103 to 104 (+1.0% change). The surname moved up 3,644 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #153,590.
FAQ
Dunayer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dunayer?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Dunayer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Dunayer?
Dunayer ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 104 people with the surname Dunayer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Dunayer.
Has Dunayer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dunayer went from 103 recorded bearers to 104. That is an increase of 1 (+1.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Dunayer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dunayer, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%). 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 Dunayer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.3% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dunayer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.3%), Hispanic (3.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%). 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 Dunayer (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 Dunayer mean?
A habitational name derived from a place name containing the Hebrew element "dun" meaning hill or mountain. 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 Dunayer (0.03 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 many people have the surname Dunayer?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.