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

Dunkle, 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 Dunkle surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dunkle in America

Dunkle is the 9736th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dunkle surname appeared 3,329 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 Dunkle.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dunkle 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 Dunkle

The surname Dunkle originated in Germany, with the earliest recorded examples dating back to the late 15th century. It is believed to be derived from the Middle High German word "tunkel," meaning "dark" or "obscure." This could suggest that the name was originally given to someone with a dark complexion or hair color.

One of the earliest recorded references to the Dunkle surname can be found in the town records of Nürnberg, Germany, from the year 1492. Here, a man named Hans Dunkle is mentioned as a resident of the city. It is likely that the name had already been in use for some time before this record.

In the 16th century, the Dunkle name appeared in various regions of Germany, including Bavaria, Saxony, and Silesia. During this period, variations in spelling were common, with forms such as "Dunckel," "Dunkel," and "Dunkell" being used interchangeably.

One notable individual bearing the Dunkle surname was Johann Dunkle (1545-1622), a German Protestant theologian and writer from Saxony. He authored several works on theology and religious philosophy, making a significant contribution to the intellectual climate of the Reformation era.

Another figure of historical importance was Friedrich Dunkle (1691-1756), a German composer and organist from Nuremberg. He is best known for his compositions for organ and harpsichord, which were highly regarded in his time.

In the 18th century, the Dunkle surname began to spread beyond Germany, with some individuals emigrating to other parts of Europe and even to the Americas. One such example is Johann Michael Dunkle (1719-1802), a German immigrant who settled in Pennsylvania, USA, in the 1750s.

As the Dunkle family dispersed across various regions, the name underwent further variations in spelling. In England, for instance, the name was sometimes rendered as "Dunkley" or "Dunklee," likely due to the influence of local dialects and pronunciation.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the Dunkle surname, including the German philosopher Max Dunkle (1836-1912), the American politician David Dunkle (1823-1899), and the British artist William Dunkle (1870-1945).

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dunkle

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

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

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

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