2000
#8,015
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,817
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.41
Rare Last name
Dunson
Derived from the Old English given name Dunn, meaning "dark" or "brown," likely referring to hair or complexion.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,347 Americans carry the last name Dunson. That puts it at #8,361 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.27 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 78,848 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dunson 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Dunson with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.3K
1 in 78,848
Census rank
#8,361
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,791 bearers of the surname Dunson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.27 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8361st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dunson, the largest self-reported group is Black at 53.0%. The next largest groups are White (36.6%) and Two or More Races (5.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dunson
The surname Dunson is of English origin, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "dun" meaning "hill" and "sunu" meaning "son," essentially translating to "son of the hill." This suggests that the name may have originated as a descriptive reference to someone who lived on or near a hill.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Dunson can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire, a census-like record compiled in 1273. In this document, a certain William Dunson is listed as a resident of the village of Eynesbury.
During the medieval period, the name appeared in various forms, such as Dunsone, Dunzune, and Dunzeoun, reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation that were common at the time. The name was particularly prevalent in the counties of Huntingdonshire, Bedfordshire, and Northamptonshire, where several families bearing the surname Dunson were documented in local records and parish registers.
One notable individual with the surname Dunson was John Dunson, a printer and bookseller who lived in London during the late 17th and early 18th centuries. He was born in 1661 and is remembered for publishing several influential works, including the first edition of "The Athenian Gazette" in 1691, which was one of the earliest literary periodicals in England.
Another historical figure associated with the name Dunson was William Dunson, a merchant and ship owner who lived in Boston, Massachusetts, in the late 18th century. He was born in 1745 and was known for his involvement in the transatlantic trade between New England and the West Indies.
In the 19th century, a notable individual named Mary Ann Dunson (1816-1888) gained recognition as an author and advocate for women's rights. She was born in England and later immigrated to the United States, where she published several books and articles promoting the cause of gender equality.
Another individual worth mentioning is James Dunson (1830-1905), a prominent architect who was responsible for designing several notable buildings in London, including the Royal College of Organists and the Church of St. John the Evangelist in Brownswood Park.
Lastly, in the 20th century, the name Dunson was carried by Sir Reginald Dunson (1909-1988), a British businessman and philanthropist who made significant contributions to various charitable organizations and was knighted for his services to industry and commerce.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dunson
Among Census respondents with the surname Dunson, the largest self-reported group is Black at 53.0%. The next largest groups are White (36.6%) and Two or More Races (5.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Dunson 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 Dunson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American53.0% · 2,011
- White36.6% · 1,386
- Two or more races5.1% · 194
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 134
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.2% · 44
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 22
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dunson
Dunson 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
#8,110
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,088
+271 bearers (+7.1%)
Per 100,000 1.39
Rank movement Down 95 places
2020
#8,361
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,791
-297 bearers (-7.3%)
Per 100,000 1.27
Rank movement Down 251 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,015 | 3,817 | 1.41 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,110 | 4,088 | 1.39 | +271 bearers (+7.1%) | Down 95 places |
| 2020 | #8,361 | 3,791 | 1.27 | -297 bearers (-7.3%) | Down 251 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 Dunson 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 | #8,110 | #8,361 | -3.1% |
| Count | 4,088 | 3,791 | -7.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.39 | 1.27 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dunson bearers went from 4,088 to 3,791 (-7.3% change). The surname moved down 251 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,110 to #8,361.
FAQ
Dunson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dunson?
Name Census estimates that about 4,347 living Americans carry the surname Dunson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 78,848 residents.
How common is Dunson?
Dunson ranks #8,361 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.27 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,791 people with the surname Dunson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,347), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.27 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.27 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Dunson.
Has Dunson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dunson went from 4,088 recorded bearers to 3,791. That is a decrease of 297 (-7.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,110 to #8,361.
What does the Census say about the background of Dunson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dunson, the largest self-reported group is Black at 53.0%. The next largest groups are White (36.6%) and Two or More Races (5.1%). 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 Dunson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 53.0% (2,011 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dunson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (53.0%), White (36.6%), Two or More Races (5.1%). 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 Dunson (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 Dunson mean?
Derived from the Old English given name Dunn, meaning "dark" or "brown," likely referring to hair or complexion. 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 Dunson (1.27 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 are called Dunson?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Dunson on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.