2010
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Dunnom
A topographic surname derived from a place called Dunnom.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Dunnom. 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 Dunnom 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 Dunnom 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 Dunnom, the largest self-reported group is Black at 72.7%. The next largest groups are White (21.5%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dunnom
The surname DUNNOM has its origins in the British Isles, tracing back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "dun" meaning a hill or elevated ground, and "nom" which was a variant spelling of the word "name". This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a prominent hill or landmark.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the DUNNOM surname appears in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1273, where a Thomas Dunnom is listed as a landowner. This indicates that the name had already established itself in Northern England by that time.
In the 14th century, the DUNNOM name can be found in various manorial records and court rolls across the English counties of Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Northumberland. This suggests that the family may have had roots in the northern regions of England.
A notable bearer of the DUNNOM name was Sir John Dunnom, a knight who fought in the Wars of the Roses during the 15th century. He was born in 1432 in Northumberland and was known for his loyalty to the House of Lancaster.
Another historical figure with the DUNNOM surname was Elizabeth Dunnom, born in 1586 in Yorkshire. She was a prominent Puritan and was known for her religious writings and advocacy for reform within the Church of England.
In the 17th century, the DUNNOM name appeared in the parish records of several villages in Lancashire, indicating a continued presence in the region. One such record from 1645 mentions a William Dunnom, a yeoman farmer from the village of Clitheroe.
During the 18th century, the DUNNOM surname spread to other parts of England, as well as to Scotland and Ireland. Records from this period show variations in the spelling, such as Dunnum, Dunnham, and Dunnom.
A notable figure from this time was Richard Dunnom, born in 1734 in Northumberland. He was a successful merchant and served as a magistrate in his local community.
As the centuries progressed, the DUNNOM name continued to be found across various parts of the British Isles, with families adapting to different regional influences and variations in spelling.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dunnom
Among Census respondents with the surname Dunnom, the largest self-reported group is Black at 72.7%. The next largest groups are White (21.5%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Dunnom 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 Dunnom surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American72.7% · 88
- White21.5% · 26
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 3
- Two or more races2.5% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dunnom
Dunnom appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+9 bearers (+8.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 5,944 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.0%) | Up 5,944 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 Dunnom 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 | #147,253 | #141,309 | 4.0% |
| Count | 112 | 121 | 8.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dunnom bearers went from 112 to 121 (+8.0% change). The surname moved up 5,944 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #141,309.
FAQ
Dunnom surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dunnom?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Dunnom. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Dunnom?
Dunnom 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 Dunnom. 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 Dunnom.
Has Dunnom become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dunnom went from 112 recorded bearers to 121. That is an increase of 9 (+8.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #147,253 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Dunnom?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dunnom, the largest self-reported group is Black at 72.7%. The next largest groups are White (21.5%) and Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Dunnom in the 2020 Census, accounting for 72.7% (88 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dunnom appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (72.7%), White (21.5%), Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Dunnom (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 Dunnom mean?
A topographic surname derived from a place called Dunnom. 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 Dunnom (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 common is the surname Dunnom?
You can see how many people are called Dunnom on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.