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

Dunfee, 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 Dunfee surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dunfee in America

Dunfee is the 14178th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dunfee surname appeared 2,118 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Dunfee.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dunfee 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 Dunfee

The surname Dunfee is believed to have originated in Scotland during the medieval period. It is derived from the Gaelic words "dun" meaning hill or fort, and "fiadh" meaning deer or game. This suggests that the name may have been used to refer to someone who lived near a hill or fort where deer were found.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Dunfee can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which recorded the names of Scottish nobles who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The name is listed as "Dounfey" in this document.

In the 15th century, the name appears in various Scottish records, often spelled as "Dounfie" or "Downfie." During this time, the Dunfee family is believed to have resided in the regions of Perthshire and Angus.

A notable bearer of the name was Robert Dunfee, who was born in 1560 in Aberdeenshire. He was a prominent landowner and is mentioned in several historical documents related to land disputes and legal proceedings in the late 16th century.

Another individual of note was Isobel Dunfee, born in 1625 in Fife. She was accused of witchcraft during the Scottish witch trials and was tried and acquitted in 1649.

In the 18th century, the name Dunfee began to appear in the records of the Scottish Highlands. One notable figure from this time was Alasdair Dunfee, born in 1712 in Inverness-shire. He was a respected clan leader and played a role in the Jacobite risings of 1715 and 1745.

Another bearer of the name was William Dunfee, born in 1785 in Ayrshire. He was a renowned poet and writer, known for his works celebrating Scottish culture and traditions.

As the centuries passed, the name Dunfee continued to be found throughout Scotland, and some bearers of the name migrated to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia. However, the name's origins and connections to Scotland's history and landscape remain deeply rooted in its etymology and early records.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dunfee

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

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

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

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