2000
#8,056
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,796
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.41
Rare Last name
Dungan
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Duingean," meaning "descendant of Duingean" (a personal name of unknown meaning).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,040 Americans carry the last name Dungan. That puts it at #8,915 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.18 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 84,840 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dungan 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
4.0K
1 in 84,840
Census rank
#8,915
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,523 bearers of the surname Dungan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.18 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8915th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dungan, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dungan
The surname Dungan is of Irish origin, originating in the County Galway region of Ireland during the 16th century. It is derived from the Gaelic words "dun" meaning a fort or fortified place, and "gan" meaning without or lacking. The name was likely given to someone who lived near a ruined or abandoned fort or fortified settlement.
The name Dungan first appeared in historical records in the Fiants of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth I, where it was spelled as "Dongane" in 1587. This early spelling variation highlights the name's Irish roots and its evolution over time.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Dungan surname is found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. In 1599, the annals mention a "Donnell Dungan" who was involved in a conflict between rival Irish clans.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the surname Dungan was particularly concentrated in the counties of Galway, Mayo, and Sligo in the western region of Ireland. Some notable individuals bearing the name during this period include Patrick Dungan (1640-1712), an Irish Jacobite and military officer who fought in the Williamite War in Ireland.
In the 19th century, the Dungan surname spread further across Ireland and to other parts of the world due to the Irish diaspora. One prominent figure was John Dungan (1827-1896), an Irish-born Australian Catholic priest and historian who documented the early history of the Catholic Church in Australia.
Another notable individual was William Dungan (1857-1920), an Irish-American labor leader and socialist who played a significant role in the establishment of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) labor union in the United States.
In more recent history, the Dungan name has been associated with several accomplished individuals, such as the Irish actor and director John Dungan (1932-2003), and the American writer and screenwriter Leslie Dungan (born 1943), best known for her work on the television series "The Flying Nun."
While the surname Dungan has its origins in Ireland, it has since spread to various parts of the world, with descendants of Irish emigrants carrying the name to countries like the United States, Australia, and Canada.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dungan
Among Census respondents with the surname Dungan, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Dungan 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 Dungan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.0% · 3,169
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 132
- Two or more races3.0% · 104
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 67
- Black or African American0.9% · 32
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 19
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dungan
Dungan 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
#8,611
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,819
+23 bearers (+0.6%)
Per 100,000 1.29
Rank movement Down 555 places
2020
#8,915
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,523
-296 bearers (-7.8%)
Per 100,000 1.18
Rank movement Down 304 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,056 | 3,796 | 1.41 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,611 | 3,819 | 1.29 | +23 bearers (+0.6%) | Down 555 places |
| 2020 | #8,915 | 3,523 | 1.18 | -296 bearers (-7.8%) | Down 304 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 Dungan 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 | #8,611 | #8,915 | -3.5% |
| Count | 3,819 | 3,523 | -7.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.29 | 1.18 | -8.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dungan bearers went from 3,819 to 3,523 (-7.8% change). The surname moved down 304 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,611 to #8,915.
FAQ
Dungan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dungan?
Name Census estimates that about 4,040 living Americans carry the surname Dungan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 84,840 residents.
How common is Dungan?
Dungan ranks #8,915 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.18 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,523 people with the surname Dungan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,040), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.18 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.18 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Dungan.
Has Dungan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dungan went from 3,819 recorded bearers to 3,523. That is a decrease of 296 (-7.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,611 to #8,915.
What does the Census say about the background of Dungan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dungan, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Dungan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.0% (3,169 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dungan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.0%), Hispanic (3.7%), Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Dungan (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 Dungan mean?
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Duingean," meaning "descendant of Duingean" (a personal name of unknown meaning). 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 Dungan (1.18 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 are called Dungan?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Dungan on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.