2000
#1,506
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 21,772
First available Census row
Per 100,000 8.07
Uncommon Last name
Dunham
From the Old English for "homestead on a hill" or "village by a hill."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 24,687 Americans carry the last name Dunham. That puts it at #1,621 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 7.20 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 13,884 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dunham 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Dunham with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
25K
1 in 13,884
Census rank
#1,621
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
7.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
22K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 21,528 bearers of the surname Dunham in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 7.20 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1621st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dunham, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.9%. The next largest groups are Black (9.8%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dunham
The surname Dunham has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated from a place name, derived from the Old English words "dun" meaning hill or down, and "ham" meaning homestead or village. This suggests that the name may have referred to someone who lived in a homestead situated on or near a hill.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Dunham" in various counties across England, such as Norfolk, Essex, and Buckinghamshire. This indicates that the name was already well-established by the time of the Norman Conquest.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, including "Doneham," "Dunham," and "Dunnam," reflecting the variations in spelling that were common during that period. Records from this time show individuals bearing the name Dunham living in various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Essex, Suffolk, and Norfolk.
One notable historical figure with the surname Dunham was John Dunham, born around 1589 in Leiden, Netherlands. He was one of the early Puritan settlers of the Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts, arriving on the ship Mayflower in 1620. His descendants went on to become prominent figures in American history.
Another significant individual was Josiah Dunham, born in 1692 in Woodbridge, New Jersey. He was a renowned clockmaker and silversmith, known for his intricate and highly sought-after works of art. His clocks and silverware are now considered valuable antiques and can be found in various museums and private collections.
In the literary world, the name is associated with Samuel Astley Dunham, born in 1800 in England. He was a prolific writer and editor, known for his works on history, literature, and travel. One of his most notable publications was "The History of Spain and Portugal," a comprehensive account of the Iberian Peninsula.
The name Dunham has also been linked to several notable military figures. One such individual was Cyrus Dunham, born in 1779 in Connecticut. He served as a brigadier general in the United States Army during the War of 1812 and played a crucial role in the defense of Fort Erie.
Another noteworthy bearer of the surname was Mary Dunham, born in 1890 in New York. She was a pioneering aviator and one of the first women to obtain a pilot's license in the United States. Her achievements paved the way for many women in the field of aviation.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dunham
Among Census respondents with the surname Dunham, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.9%. The next largest groups are Black (9.8%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Dunham 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 Dunham surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.9% · 17,642
- Black or African American9.8% · 2,102
- Two or more races4.0% · 867
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 590
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 167
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 160
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dunham
Dunham 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
#1,604
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 22,362
+590 bearers (+2.7%)
Per 100,000 7.58
Rank movement Down 98 places
2020
#1,621
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 21,528
-834 bearers (-3.7%)
Per 100,000 7.20
Rank movement Down 17 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,506 | 21,772 | 8.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,604 | 22,362 | 7.58 | +590 bearers (+2.7%) | Down 98 places |
| 2020 | #1,621 | 21,528 | 7.20 | -834 bearers (-3.7%) | Down 17 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 Dunham 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 | #1,604 | #1,621 | -1.1% |
| Count | 22,362 | 21,528 | -3.7% |
| Per 100K | 7.58 | 7.20 | -5.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dunham bearers went from 22,362 to 21,528 (-3.7% change). The surname moved down 17 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,604 to #1,621.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Dunham
FAQ
Dunham surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dunham?
Name Census estimates that about 24,687 living Americans carry the surname Dunham. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 13,884 residents.
How common is Dunham?
Dunham ranks #1,621 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 7.20 per 100,000 residents, which is about 7 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 21,528 people with the surname Dunham. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (24,687), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 7.2 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 7.20 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 7 of them to have the surname Dunham.
Has Dunham become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dunham went from 22,362 recorded bearers to 21,528. That is a decrease of 834 (-3.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,604 to #1,621.
What does the Census say about the background of Dunham?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dunham, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.9%. The next largest groups are Black (9.8%) and Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Dunham in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.9% (17,642 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dunham appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.9%), Black (9.8%), Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Dunham (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 Dunham mean?
From the Old English for "homestead on a hill" or "village by a hill." 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 Dunham (7.20 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 Dunham?
See how many people have the surname Dunham on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.