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

Dunkel, 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 Dunkel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dunkel in America

Dunkel is the 14378th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dunkel surname appeared 2,079 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 Dunkel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dunkel 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 Dunkel

The surname Dunkel has its origins in Germany, dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Middle High German word "tunkel," which means "dark" or "obscure." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone with dark hair or a swarthy complexion.

Dunkel is a relatively common name in German-speaking regions, particularly in areas like Bavaria, Saxony, and parts of Austria. In the Middle Ages, surnames were often derived from physical characteristics, occupations, or places of origin, and Dunkel likely emerged as a descriptive surname in this context.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Dunkel can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of documents from the medieval period in Saxony. In this source, the name "Tunckelius" is mentioned in a record from the year 1292, referring to a person residing in the town of Grimma.

Another notable historical figure bearing the name Dunkel was Johannes Dunkel, a German philosopher and theologian who lived from 1492 to 1559. He was a prominent figure during the Reformation and authored several works on religious doctrine and theology.

In the 16th century, the Dunkel name also appeared in records from the city of Augsburg, where a family of merchants and traders used the variant spelling "Dungkel." This suggests that the name may have had different regional variations at the time.

During the 17th century, a notable figure named Johann Dunkel (1629-1699) was a German composer and organist who served at the court of the Dukes of Saxe-Weimar. He composed several sacred works and was highly regarded in his time.

Another individual of historical significance was Christoph Dunkel (1685-1747), a German architect and master builder who was active in the Baroque period. He designed several churches and public buildings in the region around Würzburg, and his work is recognized as an important part of the architectural heritage of that area.

In the 19th century, a German botanist named Wilhelm Dunkel (1820-1892) made significant contributions to the study of plant taxonomy and systematics. He described and classified numerous plant species, and his research was widely respected in the scientific community of his time.

Throughout its history, the surname Dunkel has maintained a strong presence in German-speaking regions and has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including scholars, artists, and professionals. While the name may have originated as a descriptive term, it has since become a distinct and recognizable surname with a rich heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dunkel

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

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

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

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