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

Dunlop, 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 Dunlop surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dunlop in America

Dunlop is the 7819th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dunlop surname appeared 4,234 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 Dunlop.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dunlop 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 Dunlop

The surname Dunlop has its origins in Scotland, emerging in the 13th century. It is derived from the Gaelic words 'dun' meaning hill or fort, and 'lopt' meaning a lodge or hut. The name likely referred to someone who lived in a hut or dwelling near a fortified hill.

The earliest recorded instance of the name dates back to the reign of Alexander III of Scotland (1241-1286), where it appears in the form 'de Dunlop' in charters and records from Ayrshire. This suggests the Dunlops were initially a territorial clan or family from that region.

In the 14th century, the Dunlop name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a document recording the Scottish barons and landowners who swore fealty to Edward I of England. This includes entries for Constantyn de Dunlop and Alan de Dunlop, indicating their status as landowners at the time.

The Dunlops were a prominent family in Ayrshire, and their ancestral home was the lands of Dunlop in the parish of the same name. The earliest recorded chief of the clan was Constantyn de Dunlop, who lived in the late 13th century.

One notable bearer of the name was Sir John Dunlop (c. 1437-1505), a Scottish nobleman who served as Lord Treasurer of Scotland under King James IV. He was also appointed as one of the Commissioners for negotiating the marriage between James IV and Margaret Tudor.

Another significant figure was James Dunlop (1793-1848), a Scottish inventor and veterinary surgeon who is credited with developing the first practical pneumatic tire in 1888. His invention revolutionized the transportation industry and paved the way for modern tire technology.

In the literary realm, John Dunlop (1755-1820) was a Scottish author and critic who wrote extensively on the history and literature of the Middle Ages. His notable works include "The History of Fiction" and "The History of Roman Literature."

William Dunlop (1766-1839) was a Scottish writer and controversialist who was known for his satirical and provocative works, including "The Autobiography of a Mendacious Gentleman" and "Memoirs of Spain during the Reigns of Philip IV and Charles II."

Finally, John Boyd Dunlop (1840-1921) was a Scottish-born Australian politician and pastoralist who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland and was a prominent figure in the development of the Darling Downs region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dunlop

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

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

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

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