2000
#1,299
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 24,871
First available Census row
Per 100,000 9.22
Uncommon Last name
Dunbar
A Scottish locational surname derived from a place near Dunbar in East Lothian, meaning "summit fort."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 29,100 Americans carry the last name Dunbar. That puts it at #1,363 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 8.49 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 11,778 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dunbar 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 Dunbar with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
29K
1 in 11,778
Census rank
#1,363
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
8.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
25K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 25,377 bearers of the surname Dunbar in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 8.49 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1363rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dunbar, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.1%. The next largest groups are Black (29.1%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dunbar
The surname Dunbar originated in Scotland and is of territorial origin, derived from the town of Dunbar in East Lothian. The name is derived from the Gaelic words "dùn" meaning fort or castle, and "barr" meaning summit or hill, suggesting the town's location on a rocky headland.
The name Dunbar first appeared in historical records in the 12th century, with the earliest known bearer being Cospatric de Dunbar, who was appointed Earl of Dunbar by King David I of Scotland around 1115. The Dunbar family held considerable power and influence in Scotland for several centuries.
In the 13th century, the name is found in the Ragman Rolls, a collection of homage rolls rendered to King Edward I of England by Scottish nobles and landowners, including Patrick de Dunbar, Earl of Dunbar.
The Dunbar family played a significant role in Scottish history, with several members holding prominent positions. One notable figure was George Dunbar, Earl of March (c. 1337-1420), who was a Scottish nobleman and military commander during the Wars of Scottish Independence.
Another influential Dunbar was Gavin Dunbar (c. 1490-1547), who served as Archbishop of Glasgow and Lord Chancellor of Scotland under King James V.
William Dunbar (c. 1460-c. 1520) was a renowned Scottish poet of the medieval period, often referred to as the "Rhymer of Scotland." His works, such as "The Thrissil and the Rois" and "Lament for the Makaris," are considered among the finest examples of Scottish literature from that era.
In the 17th century, Sir William Dunbar of Hempriggs (1589-1663) was a Scottish landowner and member of Parliament who played a significant role in the Scottish Civil War. He initially supported the Royalist cause but later switched sides to the Covenanters.
The surname Dunbar has also been associated with various place names, such as Dunbar in East Lothian, as well as Dunbar in Cumbria, England, and Dunbar Creek in New Brunswick, Canada, reflecting the migration and settlement of families bearing this name in different parts of the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dunbar
Among Census respondents with the surname Dunbar, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.1%. The next largest groups are Black (29.1%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Dunbar 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 Dunbar surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White62.1% · 15,766
- Black or African American29.1% · 7,380
- Two or more races4.1% · 1,036
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 894
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 195
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 106
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dunbar
Dunbar 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
#1,335
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 26,405
+1,534 bearers (+6.2%)
Per 100,000 8.95
Rank movement Down 36 places
2020
#1,363
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 25,377
-1,028 bearers (-3.9%)
Per 100,000 8.49
Rank movement Down 28 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,299 | 24,871 | 9.22 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,335 | 26,405 | 8.95 | +1,534 bearers (+6.2%) | Down 36 places |
| 2020 | #1,363 | 25,377 | 8.49 | -1,028 bearers (-3.9%) | Down 28 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 Dunbar 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 | #1,335 | #1,363 | -2.1% |
| Count | 26,405 | 25,377 | -3.9% |
| Per 100K | 8.95 | 8.49 | -5.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dunbar bearers went from 26,405 to 25,377 (-3.9% change). The surname moved down 28 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,335 to #1,363.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Dunbar
FAQ
Dunbar surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dunbar?
Name Census estimates that about 29,100 living Americans carry the surname Dunbar. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 11,778 residents.
How common is Dunbar?
Dunbar ranks #1,363 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 8.49 per 100,000 residents, which is about 8 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 25,377 people with the surname Dunbar. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (29,100), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 8.49 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 8.49 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 8 of them to have the surname Dunbar.
Has Dunbar become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dunbar went from 26,405 recorded bearers to 25,377. That is a decrease of 1,028 (-3.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,335 to #1,363.
What does the Census say about the background of Dunbar?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dunbar, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.1%. The next largest groups are Black (29.1%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Dunbar in the 2020 Census, accounting for 62.1% (15,766 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dunbar appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (62.1%), Black (29.1%), Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Dunbar (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 Dunbar mean?
A Scottish locational surname derived from a place near Dunbar in East Lothian, meaning "summit fort." 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 Dunbar (8.49 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 Dunbar?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.