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

Dunston, 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 Dunston surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dunston in America

Dunston is the 8850th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dunston surname appeared 3,702 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Dunston.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dunston 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 Dunston

The surname Dunston is of English origin and derives from the place name Dunston, which can be found in various locations across England, including Durham, Lincolnshire, and Norfolk. The name itself likely comes from the Old English words "dun" meaning hill or down, and "tun" meaning farmstead or settlement, suggesting a settlement on a hill.

One of the earliest known references to the name Dunston can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is recorded as "Dunestune" in Lincolnshire. This entry provides evidence of the name's existence and use in England during the 11th century.

In the 13th century, the name appears in various records, such as the Assize Rolls of Northumberland in 1256, where a certain Robert de Dunston is mentioned. This indicates that by this time, the name had become an established surname, likely adopted by families residing in or originating from the various places called Dunston.

One notable bearer of the surname Dunston was John Dunston (c. 1585-1624), an English explorer and trader who was among the first Englishmen to visit Russia during the reign of Tsar Michael I. His travels and exploits contributed to the establishment of trade relations between England and Russia in the early 17th century.

Another prominent figure with the surname Dunston was Sir John Dunston (1659-1733), an English merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1708-1709. He was also a Member of Parliament for the City of London from 1710 to 1713.

In the realm of literature, the name appears in the works of the renowned English novelist and poet Thomas Hardy (1840-1928). In his novel "Tess of the d'Urbervilles," one of the characters is named Richard Dunston, a prosperous dairyman.

Other notable individuals with the surname Dunston include Sir Humphrey Dunston (1605-1677), an English lawyer and judge who served as Chief Justice of the King's Bench from 1667 to 1677, and William Dunston (1677-1738), an English poet and satirist known for his works such as "The Paradoxical Discourses" (1719).

While the surname Dunston is not among the most common in England, its long history and association with various notable figures throughout the centuries highlight its enduring presence and significance in English culture and society.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dunston

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

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Dunston, 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!