2000
#8,936
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,364
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.25
Rare Last name
Dunkle
From the German word "dunkel" meaning dark, referring to someone with dark hair, dark skin, or a gloomy personality.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,756 Americans carry the last name Dunkle. That puts it at #9,497 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 91,255 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dunkle 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
3.8K
1 in 91,255
Census rank
#9,497
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,275 bearers of the surname Dunkle in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9497th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dunkle, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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).
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dunkle
Among Census respondents with the surname Dunkle, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Dunkle 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 Dunkle surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.6% · 2,999
- Two or more races3.7% · 122
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 105
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 25
- Black or African American0.5% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dunkle
Dunkle 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
#9,736
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,329
-35 bearers (-1.0%)
Per 100,000 1.13
Rank movement Down 800 places
2020
#9,497
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,275
-54 bearers (-1.6%)
Per 100,000 1.10
Rank movement Up 239 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,936 | 3,364 | 1.25 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,736 | 3,329 | 1.13 | -35 bearers (-1.0%) | Down 800 places |
| 2020 | #9,497 | 3,275 | 1.10 | -54 bearers (-1.6%) | Up 239 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 Dunkle 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 | #9,736 | #9,497 | 2.5% |
| Count | 3,329 | 3,275 | -1.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.13 | 1.10 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dunkle bearers went from 3,329 to 3,275 (-1.6% change). The surname moved up 239 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,736 to #9,497.
FAQ
Dunkle surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dunkle?
Name Census estimates that about 3,756 living Americans carry the surname Dunkle. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 91,255 residents.
How common is Dunkle?
Dunkle ranks #9,497 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.10 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 3,275 people with the surname Dunkle. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,756), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.10 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 Dunkle.
Has Dunkle become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dunkle went from 3,329 recorded bearers to 3,275. That is a decrease of 54 (-1.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,736 to #9,497.
What does the Census say about the background of Dunkle?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dunkle, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (3.2%). 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 Dunkle in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.6% (2,999 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dunkle appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.6%), Two or More Races (3.7%), Hispanic (3.2%). 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 Dunkle (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 Dunkle mean?
From the German word "dunkel" meaning dark, referring to someone with dark hair, dark skin, or a gloomy personality. 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 Dunkle (1.10 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 Dunkle?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Dunkle on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.