2000
#147,095
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Dunshie
A Scottish surname derived from lands held near the town of Dunshillock, Invernesshire.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Dunshie. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dunshie 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Dunshie in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dunshie, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.4%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dunshie
The surname Dunshie has its origins in Scotland, where it first appeared in written records during the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Scottish Gaelic word "dùn," meaning a fortified hill or fort, and the word "sith," which means a fairy mound or hillock. This suggests that the name may have originated from a place name referring to a location near a fairy mound or fortified hill.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which documented the Scottish landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. In this document, the name is spelled as "Dunschyth." Over time, various spellings emerged, such as "Dunsheath," "Dunshith," and the modern spelling, "Dunshie."
The Dunshie surname is closely associated with the Perthshire region of Scotland, where it is believed to have originated. Several notable individuals bearing this name have been recorded throughout history. One of the earliest was John Dunshie, who was born in Perth in the late 15th century and served as a magistrate in the city.
Another notable bearer of the Dunshie name was Robert Dunshie, a Scottish merchant who lived in the 16th century. He was a successful trader and landowner in the Perthshire area and played a significant role in the local community.
In the 17th century, the Dunshie family produced several clergymen, including Reverend William Dunshie, who was the minister of the parish of Kinclaven in Perthshire from 1635 to 1670. His son, James Dunshie, followed in his footsteps and served as the minister of the parish of Crieff from 1680 to 1712.
During the 18th century, the Dunshie surname appears in various records related to the Scottish Highlands. One notable figure was Duncan Dunshie, who was born in Inverness-shire in 1725 and served as a Highland chieftain and landowner in the region.
In the 19th century, the Dunshie family continued to be prominent in Scotland, with several members achieving recognition in various fields. One such individual was Alexander Dunshie, a renowned Scottish artist born in Dundee in 1835. He was known for his landscape paintings depicting the Scottish Highlands and coastal regions.
While the Dunshie surname has its roots firmly planted in Scotland, over time, it has spread to other parts of the world due to emigration and migration. However, the name remains deeply rooted in its Scottish heritage and continues to be associated with the rich cultural and historical legacy of the Scottish Highlands and Perthshire region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dunshie
Among Census respondents with the surname Dunshie, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.4%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Dunshie 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 Dunshie surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.1% · 96
- Two or more races6.4% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 3
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dunshie
Dunshie 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
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+10 bearers (+9.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 894 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-4 bearers (-3.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,004 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #147,095 | 103 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | +10 bearers (+9.7%) | Up 894 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.5%) | Down 4,004 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 Dunshie 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 | #146,201 | #150,205 | -2.7% |
| Count | 113 | 109 | -3.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dunshie bearers went from 113 to 109 (-3.5% change). The surname moved down 4,004 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #150,205.
FAQ
Dunshie surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dunshie?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Dunshie. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Dunshie?
Dunshie ranks #150,205 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 109 people with the surname Dunshie. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), 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 Dunshie.
Has Dunshie become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dunshie went from 113 recorded bearers to 109. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #146,201 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Dunshie?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dunshie, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.4%) and Hispanic (2.8%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Dunshie in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.1% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dunshie appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.1%), Two or More Races (6.4%), Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Dunshie (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 Dunshie mean?
A Scottish surname derived from lands held near the town of Dunshillock, Invernesshire. 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 Dunshie (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 Americans have the surname Dunshie?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.