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

Dunlap, 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 Dunlap surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dunlap in America

Dunlap is the 890th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dunlap surname appeared 39,063 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 13 people would have the surname Dunlap.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dunlap 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 Dunlap

The surname Dunlap has its origins in Scotland, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Gaelic words "dun" meaning hill or fort, and "lap" meaning boggy or marshy ground, suggesting that the name originally referred to someone who lived near a marshy or boggy area near a hill or fort.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which lists those who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England during his invasion of Scotland. The name is spelled "Dunlop" in this document, indicating that the spelling has evolved over time.

The Dunlap surname is also associated with the Scottish clan Dunlop, which traces its ancestry back to the 12th century and the region of Ayrshire in western Scotland. The clan's ancestral lands were centered around the village of Dunlop, which likely took its name from the same Gaelic roots as the surname.

In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the Dunlap surname was John Dunlop, who was born around 1505 and served as the Secretary of the Scottish Reformation leader John Knox. Dunlop played a crucial role in transcribing and preserving Knox's writings, ensuring their survival for future generations.

Another significant figure in the history of the Dunlap surname was Andrew Dunlop, a Scottish astronomer and mathematician who lived from 1694 to 1742. He made important contributions to the study of celestial mechanics and was a fellow of the Royal Society.

In the 18th century, Francis Dunlap (1730-1799) was a prominent printer and publisher in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He published some of the earliest editions of the works of Benjamin Franklin and was one of the first printers to publish the Declaration of Independence in 1776.

As the Dunlap surname spread beyond Scotland, it also gained a foothold in Ireland, with several notable individuals bearing the name. One such figure was James Dunlop (1793-1848), an Irish novelist and playwright who wrote under the pen name "Paddy Makeshift."

Throughout history, the Dunlap surname has been associated with various place names and locations, such as Dunlop in Ayrshire, Scotland, and the town of Dunlap, Illinois, which was named after one of the early settlers bearing the surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dunlap

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

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

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

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