2000
#127,948
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Dunfey
An anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Dúnaidhe, meaning "descendent of Dúnadh".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Dunfey. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dunfey 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Dunfey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dunfey, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dunfey
The surname Dunfey has its origins in Ireland, emerging sometime in the late 12th or early 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Irish Gaelic words "dún" meaning "fort" and "fiodh" meaning "wood," suggesting it may have referred to someone who lived near a wooden fort or fortified settlement.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the early 17th century. The entry from the year 1202 mentions a "Domhnall O'Dunfey" who was involved in a conflict between rival clans in County Sligo.
The Dunfey name can be found in various historical records from counties like Sligo, Mayo, and Galway in the west of Ireland. Variations in spelling, such as Dunphy, Dunfy, and Dunfie, were common due to the transition from Irish Gaelic to English spellings.
One notable figure bearing the Dunfey name was Aodh Ó Dunfey (1550-1630), a renowned Irish poet and storyteller from County Sligo. His works, though mostly lost, were celebrated for their vivid depictions of Irish folklore and traditions.
In the 17th century, a branch of the Dunfey family settled in the area of Ballymote, County Sligo, where they established themselves as landowners and merchants. John Dunfey (1685-1752), a successful trader, is recorded as having built one of the first stone houses in the town.
Another prominent individual was Bridget Dunfey (1806-1888), a philanthropist and benefactor who donated funds for the construction of a church and school in her native County Mayo. Her generosity was widely praised, and she is remembered as a pillar of the local community.
As the centuries passed, members of the Dunfey family dispersed throughout Ireland and beyond, with some emigrating to countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia. Despite this diaspora, the name has endured, carrying with it a rich history and connection to its Irish roots.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dunfey
Among Census respondents with the surname Dunfey, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Dunfey 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 Dunfey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.5% · 106
- Two or more races3.6% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dunfey
Dunfey 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
#138,304
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-2 bearers (-1.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,356 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-10 bearers (-8.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,361 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,948 | 123 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #138,304 | 121 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.6%) | Down 10,356 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-8.3%) | Down 10,361 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 Dunfey 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 | #138,304 | #148,665 | -7.5% |
| Count | 121 | 111 | -8.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dunfey bearers went from 121 to 111 (-8.3% change). The surname moved down 10,361 positions in the national ranking, going from #138,304 to #148,665.
FAQ
Dunfey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dunfey?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Dunfey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Dunfey?
Dunfey ranks #148,665 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 111 people with the surname Dunfey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Dunfey.
Has Dunfey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dunfey went from 121 recorded bearers to 111. That is a decrease of 10 (-8.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #138,304 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Dunfey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dunfey, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Dunfey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.5% (106 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dunfey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.5%), Two or More Races (3.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Dunfey (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 Dunfey mean?
An anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Dúnaidhe, meaning "descendent of Dúnadh". 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 Dunfey (0.04 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 Dunfey?
You can see how many people are called Dunfey on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.