2000
#127,948
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Dunmars
Of uncertain etymology, possibly from a Scottish place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Dunmars. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dunmars 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Dunmars in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dunmars, the largest self-reported group is Black at 88.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and White (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dunmars
The surname DUNMARS has its origins in the medieval era in the Scottish Highlands. It is believed to be derived from the Gaelic words 'dun' meaning 'hill' or 'fort' and 'mars' which could refer to either the name of a person or the word 'marsh'. Together, the name may have initially referred to a location near a fortified hill or settlement near a marshy area.
Some of the earliest known references to the name appear in records from the 13th century, when it was typically spelled 'Dunmares' or 'Dunmaras'. These early spellings suggest the name may have evolved from a specific place name, potentially a now-lost or renamed location in the Scottish Highlands.
In the 14th century, the Dunmars surname is mentioned in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, which were records of financial accounts kept by the Scottish government. These rolls document various individuals bearing the name, indicating that the Dunmars family was already well-established in Scotland by this time.
One notable individual with this surname was John Dunmars, a Scottish nobleman who lived in the late 15th century. He was a landowner and held a position of authority in the royal court of King James IV of Scotland.
Another historically significant figure was Margaret Dunmars, who was born in the early 16th century. She was a renowned herbalist and healer, and her knowledge of medicinal plants was widely respected throughout the Scottish Highlands.
In the 17th century, the Dunmars surname spread beyond Scotland as some members of the family emigrated to other parts of the British Isles and even to the American colonies. One such individual was William Dunmars, who was born in Scotland in 1620 but later settled in Virginia, where he became a successful tobacco farmer.
As the centuries passed, the spelling of the name evolved further, with variations such as 'Dunmars', 'Dunmarrs', and 'Dunmarsh' appearing in records. However, the core elements of the name remained consistent, reflecting its origins in the Scottish Highlands.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dunmars
Among Census respondents with the surname Dunmars, the largest self-reported group is Black at 88.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and White (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Dunmars 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 Dunmars surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American88.4% · 107
- Two or more races5.0% · 6
- White3.3% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dunmars
Dunmars 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
#125,282
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 137
+14 bearers (+11.4%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 2,666 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-16 bearers (-11.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 16,027 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,948 | 123 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #125,282 | 137 | 0.05 | +14 bearers (+11.4%) | Up 2,666 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | -16 bearers (-11.7%) | Down 16,027 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 Dunmars 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 | #125,282 | #141,309 | -12.8% |
| Count | 137 | 121 | -11.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -19.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dunmars bearers went from 137 to 121 (-11.7% change). The surname moved down 16,027 positions in the national ranking, going from #125,282 to #141,309.
FAQ
Dunmars surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dunmars?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Dunmars. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Dunmars?
Dunmars ranks #141,309 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 121 people with the surname Dunmars. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Dunmars.
Has Dunmars become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dunmars went from 137 recorded bearers to 121. That is a decrease of 16 (-11.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #125,282 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Dunmars?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dunmars, the largest self-reported group is Black at 88.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and White (3.3%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Dunmars in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.4% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dunmars appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (88.4%), Two or More Races (5.0%), White (3.3%). 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 Dunmars (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 Dunmars mean?
Of uncertain etymology, possibly from a Scottish place name. 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 Dunmars (0.04 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 share the surname Dunmars?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.