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

Duncanson, 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 Duncanson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Duncanson in America

Duncanson is the 21672nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Duncanson surname appeared 1,202 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Duncanson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Duncanson 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 Duncanson

The surname Duncanson is of Scottish origin, derived from the personal name Duncan, which itself comes from the Gaelic name Donnchad, meaning "brown warrior" or "chief". The name Duncanson emerged as a patronymic, indicating "son of Duncan".

The earliest known record of the name Duncanson dates back to the 13th century in Fife, Scotland. One of the earliest documented instances of the name is found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which recorded those who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England after the Scottish Wars of Independence.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various Scottish charters and records, such as the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, which listed individuals with the surname Duncanson involved in financial transactions or holding positions of authority.

The surname Duncanson is closely associated with the Clan Robertson, one of the oldest and most prominent clans in Scotland. The Robertsons trace their lineage back to Duncan, the son of Crinan, Abbot of Dunkeld, who lived in the 11th century and was a descendant of the ancient Scottish royal line.

One notable historical figure bearing the surname Duncanson was John Duncanson (c. 1585-1637), a Scottish minister and Principal of the University of Glasgow from 1635 until his death. He played a significant role in the religious and academic life of Scotland during the tumultuous period of the Scottish Reformation.

Another prominent individual was Alexander Duncanson (1683-1765), a Scottish merchant and landowner who served as Lord Provost of Edinburgh, the capital city's highest civic office, from 1748 to 1750. He was instrumental in the development and improvement of the city's infrastructure during his tenure.

In the 19th century, Robert Duncanson (1821-1872) was a renowned African-American landscape painter, known for his realistic and detailed depictions of nature scenes. He is considered one of the most accomplished and influential African-American artists of the antebellum era.

Another notable figure was Sir James Duncanson (1825-1906), a Scottish shipbuilder and entrepreneur who founded the Duncanson & Stein shipyard in Greenock, Scotland. His company played a significant role in the development of the shipbuilding industry in the region during the Victorian era.

More recently, David Duncanson (1946-2022) was a Scottish actor best known for his roles in television series such as Taggart and Rebus, as well as in films like Trainspotting and The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Duncanson

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

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 Duncanson 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 Duncanson 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 Duncanson was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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