2000
#185
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 136,955
First available Census row
Per 100,000 50.77
Common Last name
Dunn
A surname of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic word "donn," meaning "brown-haired" or "chieftain."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 157,380 Americans carry the last name Dunn. That puts it at #204 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 45.92 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,178 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dunn 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 Dunn with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
157K
1 in 2,178
Census rank
#204
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
45.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
137K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 137,243 bearers of the surname Dunn in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 45.92 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 204th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dunn, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.1%. The next largest groups are Black (14.0%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dunn
The surname Dunn has its origins in England and Scotland, dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Gaelic word "dun," meaning a fortified hill or a fort. The name was likely first adopted by someone who lived near or worked at a hill fort or fortified settlement.
In England, the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of the 13th century, where people with the surname Dunn are mentioned as residing in various counties, including Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire, and Oxfordshire. Some of the earliest spellings of the name included Dun, Dune, and Dunne.
The Dunn surname also has a strong presence in Scottish history. One of the earliest recorded individuals with this name was Walter Dun, a Scottish clergyman who lived in the late 12th century. He served as the Archdeacon of St. Andrews and played a significant role in the religious affairs of Scotland during that time.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, which were financial records maintained by the Scottish government. This suggests that individuals with the Dunn surname held positions of importance and were involved in administrative or financial matters.
One notable figure with the Dunn surname was John Dunn, a Scottish explorer and trader who lived from 1834 to 1895. He was known for his adventures in South Africa and his interactions with the Zulu people. Another individual of note was Samuel Dunn, an English mathematician and astronomer who lived from 1723 to 1794 and made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics.
The Dunn surname has also been associated with various place names, such as Duns in Berwickshire, Scotland, and Dunsby in Lincolnshire, England. These place names likely influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.
Other notable individuals with the Dunn surname include:
1. William Dunn (1770-1849), a Scottish horticulturist and botanist.
2. Robert Dunn (1799-1880), an English-born Australian explorer and settler.
3. Margery Dunn (1888-1936), an American social worker and advocate for child welfare.
4. James Dunn (1701-1775), a Scottish-born American writer and educator.
5. Marcus Dunn (1624-1689), an English clergyman and author.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dunn
Among Census respondents with the surname Dunn, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.1%. The next largest groups are Black (14.0%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Dunn 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 Dunn surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White77.1% · 105,880
- Black or African American14.0% · 19,194
- Two or more races4.0% · 5,517
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 4,609
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1,227
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 816
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dunn
Dunn 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
#197
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 141,427
+4,472 bearers (+3.3%)
Per 100,000 47.94
Rank movement Down 12 places
2020
#204
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 137,243
-4,184 bearers (-3.0%)
Per 100,000 45.92
Rank movement Down 7 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #185 | 136,955 | 50.77 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #197 | 141,427 | 47.94 | +4,472 bearers (+3.3%) | Down 12 places |
| 2020 | #204 | 137,243 | 45.92 | -4,184 bearers (-3.0%) | Down 7 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 Dunn 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 | #197 | #204 | -3.6% |
| Count | 141,427 | 137,243 | -3.0% |
| Per 100K | 47.94 | 45.92 | -4.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dunn bearers went from 141,427 to 137,243 (-3.0% change). The surname moved down 7 positions in the national ranking, going from #197 to #204.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Dunn
FAQ
Dunn surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dunn?
Name Census estimates that about 157,380 living Americans carry the surname Dunn. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,178 residents.
How common is Dunn?
Dunn ranks #204 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 45.92 per 100,000 residents, which is about 46 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 137,243 people with the surname Dunn. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (157,380), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 45.92 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 45.92 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 46 of them to have the surname Dunn.
Has Dunn become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dunn went from 141,427 recorded bearers to 137,243. That is a decrease of 4,184 (-3.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #197 to #204.
What does the Census say about the background of Dunn?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dunn, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.1%. The next largest groups are Black (14.0%) and Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Dunn in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.1% (105,880 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dunn appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (77.1%), Black (14.0%), Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Dunn (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 Dunn mean?
A surname of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic word "donn," meaning "brown-haired" or "chieftain." 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 Dunn (45.92 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 have the last name Dunn?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Dunn on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.