2000
#8,743
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,460
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.28
Rare Last name
Dunigan
Derived from the Irish surname Ó Duinnegáin, meaning "descendant of Duinnegán," a personal name of uncertain meaning.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,714 Americans carry the last name Dunigan. That puts it at #9,597 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 92,287 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dunigan 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 Dunigan with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.7K
1 in 92,287
Census rank
#9,597
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,239 bearers of the surname Dunigan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9597th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dunigan, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.6%. The next largest groups are Black (24.9%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dunigan
The surname Dunigan is believed to have originated in Ireland. It is derived from the Gaelic personal name "O'Donnchadha," which means "descendant of Donnchadh." Donnchadh is a compound name formed from the Irish words "donn," meaning "brown," and "cath," meaning "battle."
The earliest recorded instances of the name Dunigan can be traced back to the 16th century in County Cork, Ireland. It was commonly found in the area around the town of Doneraile, which was once known as "Dun-na-Gallóglaigh," meaning "the fort of the gallowglasses."
In the 17th century, the Dunigan family played a significant role in the Confederate Wars of Ireland. John Dunigan, born in 1620, was a captain in the Confederate forces and fought against the English Parliamentary army.
During the Irish Rebellion of 1641, a prominent member of the Dunigan family was Edmond Dunigan, born in 1595. He was a landowner in County Cork and participated in the uprising against English rule.
The name Dunigan has also been recorded in various historical documents, including the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. These records mention several members of the Dunigan family being granted land in County Cork.
In the 18th century, Michael Dunigan, born in 1710, was a notable figure in the Irish Catholic community. He was a wealthy merchant and landowner who played a crucial role in the preservation of Catholic traditions during the Penal Laws.
Another notable person with the surname Dunigan was Margaret Dunigan, born in 1785. She was a influential figure in the Irish literary community and was known for her patronage of poets and writers.
The Dunigan family has also left its mark on place names in Ireland. The townland of Dunigans, located in County Cork, is named after the family, reflecting their long-standing presence in the region.
While the name Dunigan has Irish roots, it has also spread to other parts of the world through emigration. In the 19th century, many Dunigans left Ireland due to the Great Famine and settled in countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dunigan
Among Census respondents with the surname Dunigan, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.6%. The next largest groups are Black (24.9%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Dunigan 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 Dunigan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White66.6% · 2,156
- Black or African American24.9% · 805
- Two or more races4.6% · 148
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 95
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 27
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dunigan
Dunigan 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
#8,828
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,711
+251 bearers (+7.3%)
Per 100,000 1.26
Rank movement Down 85 places
2020
#9,597
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,239
-472 bearers (-12.7%)
Per 100,000 1.08
Rank movement Down 769 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,743 | 3,460 | 1.28 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,828 | 3,711 | 1.26 | +251 bearers (+7.3%) | Down 85 places |
| 2020 | #9,597 | 3,239 | 1.08 | -472 bearers (-12.7%) | Down 769 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 Dunigan 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 | #8,828 | #9,597 | -8.7% |
| Count | 3,711 | 3,239 | -12.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.26 | 1.08 | -14.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dunigan bearers went from 3,711 to 3,239 (-12.7% change). The surname moved down 769 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,828 to #9,597.
FAQ
Dunigan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dunigan?
Name Census estimates that about 3,714 living Americans carry the surname Dunigan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 92,287 residents.
How common is Dunigan?
Dunigan ranks #9,597 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.08 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 3,239 people with the surname Dunigan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,714), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.08 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 Dunigan.
Has Dunigan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dunigan went from 3,711 recorded bearers to 3,239. That is a decrease of 472 (-12.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,828 to #9,597.
What does the Census say about the background of Dunigan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dunigan, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.6%. The next largest groups are Black (24.9%) and Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Dunigan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 66.6% (2,156 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dunigan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (66.6%), Black (24.9%), Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Dunigan (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 Dunigan mean?
Derived from the Irish surname Ó Duinnegáin, meaning "descendant of Duinnegán," a personal name of uncertain meaning. 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 Dunigan (1.08 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 Dunigan?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.