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

Dunklin, 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 Dunklin surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dunklin in America

Dunklin is the 23153rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dunklin surname appeared 1,102 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Dunklin.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dunklin 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 Dunklin

The surname Dunklin is believed to have originated in Scotland, likely during the Middle Ages. It is thought to be derived from the Scottish Gaelic word "dùnloch," which means "brown lake" or "dark lake." This suggests that the name may have originated from a place name or geographical feature related to a body of water with a dark or murky appearance.

The earliest known record of the Dunklin surname dates back to the 16th century. One notable example is found in the records of the Clan Dunbar, where a John Dunklin is mentioned as a member of the clan in the late 1500s. This suggests that the name may have been associated with this powerful Scottish clan during that time period.

In the 17th century, the Dunklin surname appears in various parish records and court documents across Scotland. One notable figure from this era was Robert Dunklin, a merchant and landowner born in Aberdeen in 1622. He is recorded as having significant holdings in the city and surrounding areas.

As the centuries progressed, the Dunklin name spread beyond Scotland, with some bearers of the surname migrating to other parts of the British Isles and eventually to the American colonies. In 1731, a James Dunklin was born in County Antrim, Ireland, and later immigrated to Virginia in the late 1700s.

Another notable Dunklin was Daniel Dunklin, who was born in 1790 in Greenville County, South Carolina. He later served as the 5th Governor of Missouri from 1832 to 1836, making him one of the earliest and most prominent political figures with this surname in the United States.

In the 19th century, the Dunklin name continued to appear in various historical records and documents across North America and Europe. One notable figure was John Dunklin, a Scottish-born author and poet who lived from 1824 to 1891. He published several collections of poetry and works of fiction during his lifetime.

As with many surnames, the spelling and pronunciation of Dunklin have evolved over time, with variations such as Dunkin, Dunklyn, and Dunkline appearing in different historical records. However, the core origins of the name can be traced back to its Scottish roots and the potential connection to a geographic feature related to a dark or murky body of water.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dunklin

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

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

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

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