Dunst
A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a dune or sandy hill.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 480 Americans carry the last name Dunst. That puts it at #49,999 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.14 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 714,072 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dunst surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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
480
1 in 714,072
Census rank
#49,999
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
419
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 419 bearers of the surname Dunst in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.14 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 49999th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dunst, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dunst
The surname DUNST has its origins in the German language and is believed to have first appeared in the 14th century in the region of Bavaria, Germany. The name is derived from the Middle High German word "tunst," which means "vapor" or "mist." It is thought to have been an occupational name given to those who worked in smoky or steamy environments, such as brewers or blacksmiths.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the town records of Augsburg, Bavaria, from the year 1395, where a person named Hans Dunst is mentioned. There are also references to the name in the records of the city of Nuremberg from the 15th century.
In the 16th century, the surname Dunst began to spread to other parts of Germany, as well as to neighboring regions such as Austria and Switzerland. During this time, variations of the name also started to appear, including Dunstl, Dunster, and Dünster.
One notable bearer of the name was Johann Dunst, a German mathematician and astronomer who lived from 1625 to 1701. He made significant contributions to the field of astronomy and is known for his work on calculating the orbits of comets.
Another prominent figure with the surname Dunst was Johann Georg Dunst, a 19th-century German composer and music teacher who was born in 1822 and died in 1894. He composed numerous works, including operas, symphonies, and chamber music.
In the Netherlands, the name Dunst can be traced back to the 17th century, where it is believed to have been introduced by German immigrants. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in the Netherlands is that of Pieter Dunst, a merchant who lived in Amsterdam in the late 1600s.
In the United States, the surname Dunst first appeared in the 18th century, likely brought by German and Dutch immigrants. One of the earliest known bearers of the name in America was Johann Dunst, who was born in Germany in 1745 and immigrated to Pennsylvania in the late 1700s.
Another notable American with the surname Dunst was Kirsten Dunst, the acclaimed actress who was born in 1982 in Point Pleasant, New Jersey. She is known for her roles in films such as "Interview with the Vampire," "Jumanji," and the "Spider-Man" trilogy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dunst
Among Census respondents with the surname Dunst, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Dunst bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Dunst surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.2%
- Hispanic or Latino2.6%
- Unknown or suppressed1.2%
Year on year
2000 vs 2010 Census
How has the Dunst surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2000 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #55,609 | #49,999 | 10.1% |
| Count | 345 | 419 | 21.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.13 | 0.14 | 7.7% |
Between the 2000 and 2010 Census, the number of Dunst bearers went from 345 to 419 (+21.4% change). The surname moved up 5,610 positions in the national ranking, going from #55,609 to #49,999.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Dunst
FAQ
Dunst surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Dunst?
The surname Dunst holds position #49,999 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 480 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 0.14 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Dunst surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dunst, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.