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

Dunn, 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 Dunn surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dunn in America

Dunn is the 197th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dunn surname appeared 141,427 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 48 people would have the surname Dunn.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dunn 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 Dunn

The surname Dunn has its origins in England and Scotland, dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Gaelic word "dun," meaning a fortified hill or a fort. The name was likely first adopted by someone who lived near or worked at a hill fort or fortified settlement.

In England, the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of the 13th century, where people with the surname Dunn are mentioned as residing in various counties, including Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire, and Oxfordshire. Some of the earliest spellings of the name included Dun, Dune, and Dunne.

The Dunn surname also has a strong presence in Scottish history. One of the earliest recorded individuals with this name was Walter Dun, a Scottish clergyman who lived in the late 12th century. He served as the Archdeacon of St. Andrews and played a significant role in the religious affairs of Scotland during that time.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, which were financial records maintained by the Scottish government. This suggests that individuals with the Dunn surname held positions of importance and were involved in administrative or financial matters.

One notable figure with the Dunn surname was John Dunn, a Scottish explorer and trader who lived from 1834 to 1895. He was known for his adventures in South Africa and his interactions with the Zulu people. Another individual of note was Samuel Dunn, an English mathematician and astronomer who lived from 1723 to 1794 and made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics.

The Dunn surname has also been associated with various place names, such as Duns in Berwickshire, Scotland, and Dunsby in Lincolnshire, England. These place names likely influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.

Other notable individuals with the Dunn surname include:

1. William Dunn (1770-1849), a Scottish horticulturist and botanist.
2. Robert Dunn (1799-1880), an English-born Australian explorer and settler.
3. Margery Dunn (1888-1936), an American social worker and advocate for child welfare.
4. James Dunn (1701-1775), a Scottish-born American writer and educator.
5. Marcus Dunn (1624-1689), an English clergyman and author.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dunn

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!