NameCensus.

UK surname

Dun

An anglicised form of the Irish surname Ó Duinn, meaning 'descendant of the brown-haired one'.

In the 1881 census there were 182 people recorded with the Dun surname, ranking it #13,647 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 183, ranked #20,813, down from #13,647 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Melrose, Denny and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Earlston Stow and Clovernfords Area, Melrose and Tweedbank Area and Bristol.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dun is 717 in 1851. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 0.5%.

1881 census count

182

Ranked #13,647

Modern count

183

2016, ranked #20,813

Peak year

1851

717 bearers

Map years

7

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dun had 182 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,647 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 183 in 2016, ranked #20,813.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 717 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Dun surname distribution map

The map shows where the Dun surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Dun surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dun over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 717 #3,647
1881 historical 182 #13,647
1891 historical 150 #18,328
1901 historical 203 #14,969
1997 modern 123 #23,792
1998 modern 109 #26,273
1999 modern 112 #26,044
2000 modern 132 #23,562
2001 modern 139 #22,541
2002 modern 139 #22,991
2003 modern 133 #23,359
2004 modern 130 #23,902
2005 modern 128 #24,076
2006 modern 121 #25,133
2007 modern 126 #24,860
2008 modern 129 #24,790
2009 modern 141 #23,907
2010 modern 154 #23,082
2011 modern 162 #22,101
2012 modern 166 #21,683
2013 modern 167 #21,984
2014 modern 168 #22,075
2015 modern 165 #22,241
2016 modern 183 #20,813

Geography

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Where Duns are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Melrose, Denny, Edinburgh, Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry and Manchester. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Earlston Stow and Clovernfords Area, Melrose and Tweedbank Area, Bristol, The Grange and Linlithgow South. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Melrose Roxburgh
2 Denny Stirling
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar
5 Manchester Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Earlston Stow and Clovernfords Area Scottish Borders
2 Melrose and Tweedbank Area Scottish Borders
3 Bristol 008 Bristol, City of
4 The Grange City of Edinburgh
5 Linlithgow South West Lothian

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dun

These lists show first names that appear often with the Dun surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dun

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Dun, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Dun surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Dun household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Dun is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Dun is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Dun falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Dun is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Dun, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Dun

The surname "DUN" is of English and Scottish origin, and it dates back to the medieval era. It is a locational surname derived from various place names in England and Scotland, such as Dun in Buckinghamshire, England, and Dun in Angus, Scotland. These place names come from the Old English and Scottish Gaelic word "dun," meaning a hill or a fortified hill.

One of the earliest recorded references to the surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "de Dun." This entry suggests that the name was already well-established in England by the late 11th century.

In Scotland, the name is associated with the ancient family of Dun of Dun, whose ancestral seat was the estate of Dun in Angus. This family can trace their lineage back to the 12th century, with notable figures such as Sir Patrick Dun, who lived in the 14th century.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the surname was also found in various records in different spellings, including "Dunn," "Dunne," and "Donne." These variations reflect the regional dialects and scribal practices of the time.

One notable person with the surname Dun was John Dun (c. 1570-1646), an English philosopher and scholar who wrote several works on logic and metaphysics. Another was William Dun (1612-1681), a Scottish Quaker and missionary who traveled extensively in North America and the Caribbean.

In the 17th century, the name appears in the records of early settlers in the American colonies. For example, John Dun was among the first settlers of Virginia in 1623, while William Dun arrived in Maryland in 1668.

Other notable individuals with the surname Dun include James Dun (1792-1853), a Scottish historian and writer, and Edwin Dun (1848-1914), an American businessman and philanthropist who co-founded the Travelers Insurance Company.

Throughout history, the surname Dun has been associated with various professions, including military service, academia, and business. Its geographical origins and the presence of place names with the same root indicate that it was once a locational surname, reflecting the close ties between families and their ancestral homelands.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dun families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dun surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Angus leads with 37 Duns recorded in 1881 and an index of 12.60x.

County Total Index
Angus 37 12.60x
Lanarkshire 35 3.41x
Middlesex 31 0.98x
Midlothian 29 6.83x
Staffordshire 22 2.06x
Stirlingshire 20 17.10x
Yorkshire 19 0.60x
Durham 14 1.48x
Somerset 13 2.55x
Selkirkshire 12 41.84x
Lancashire 11 0.29x
Cheshire 8 1.14x
Kent 7 0.65x
Flintshire 6 7.04x
Glamorgan 6 1.09x
Derbyshire 5 1.01x
Perthshire 5 3.51x
Devon 4 0.61x
Fife 4 2.13x
Warwickshire 4 0.50x
Worcestershire 4 0.97x
Aberdeenshire 3 1.02x
Caithness 3 6.91x
Kirkcudbrightshire 3 6.54x
Northamptonshire 3 1.01x
Wiltshire 3 1.07x
Gloucestershire 2 0.32x
Renfrewshire 2 0.81x
Ayrshire 1 0.42x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.50x
Dunbartonshire 1 1.17x
Norfolk 1 0.21x
Northumberland 1 0.21x
Oxfordshire 1 0.51x
Surrey 1 0.06x
Sussex 1 0.19x
West Lothian 1 2.09x
Wigtownshire 1 2.38x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Edinburgh St Cuthberts in Midlothian leads with 23 Duns recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.46x.

Place Total Index
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 23 13.46x
Montrose 18 101.12x
Liff Benvie 16 35.88x
New Monkland 13 42.89x
West Bromwich 12 19.59x
St Marylebone London 10 5.91x
Stirling 10 67.84x
Barony 8 3.08x
St George Hanover Square 8 14.32x
Walcot 8 29.43x
Helmington Row 7 159.45x
Horton In Bradford 7 14.27x
Wolstanton Chesterton 7 127.97x
Drymen 6 382.17x
Hawarden 6 89.69x
Sheffield 6 6.00x
Dalkeith 5 59.67x
Galashiels 5 47.17x
Glasgow 5 2.75x
Govan 5 1.97x
Wellington 5 72.25x
Abernethy 4 215.05x
Derby St Alkmund 4 26.90x
Melrose 4 55.40x
Penarth 4 74.21x
Birmingham 3 1.13x
Cheriton 3 68.03x
Liverpool 3 1.31x
Northampton St Giles 3 26.41x
Olrig 3 138.25x
Rutherglen 3 19.95x
Stanley Cum Wrenthorpe 3 20.56x
Stow 3 714.29x
Brechin 2 17.33x
Bristol St James St Paul 2 9.65x
Bromley London 2 2.87x
Etchilhampton 2 1111.11x
Hampstead London 2 4.05x
Kensington London 2 1.13x
Latchford 2 43.01x
Lye 2 29.03x
Neilston 2 16.22x
Sampford Peverell 2 285.71x
St Ninians 2 17.26x
Stourbridge 2 18.78x
Urr 2 33.50x
Wednesbury 2 7.48x
Westoe 2 3.74x
Wolviston 2 303.03x
Aberdare 1 2.64x
Aberdeen Old Machar 1 1.63x
Birse 1 84.03x
Blatchinworth 1 11.67x
Bothkennar 1 28.65x
Cardiff St Mary 1 3.29x
Congham 1 277.78x
Doncaster 1 4.36x
Dover St James 1 21.10x
East Portlemouth 1 303.03x
Elie 1 135.14x
Grappenhall 1 116.28x
Hendon 1 8.76x
Hunsterson 1 476.19x
Linlithgow 1 16.34x
Liscard 1 7.93x
Merrington 1 54.95x
Milton In Gravesend 1 6.17x
Monymusk 1 79.37x
Newton 1 3.45x
Norwood 1 13.79x
Pelton 1 22.27x
Pendlebury 1 12.59x
Runcorn 1 6.20x
Shilbottle 1 217.39x
Shoreditch London 1 0.73x
Shotts 1 8.15x
Stranraer 1 25.97x
Warrington 1 2.24x
Willerby In Sculcoates 1 277.78x
Worsley 1 4.31x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Dun surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 13
Elizabeth 6
Sarah 6
Eliza 5
Jane 4
Alice 3
Hannah 3
Louisa 3
Ann 2
Annie 2
Janet 2
Jessie 2
Lucy 2
Ada 1
Agnes 1
Allice 1
Anne 1
Bridget 1
Catherine 1
Cathrine 1
Cecilia 1
Charlotte 1
Christiana 1
Dorcas 1
E. 1
Emily 1
Fanny 1
Florence 1
Gertrude 1
Harriet 1
Helena 1
Isabel 1
Juliet 1
Laura 1
Lizzie 1
M. 1
Maggie 1
Margaret 1
Maria 1
Marian 1
Marion 1
Martha 1
Nancy 1
Nola 1
Rosa 1
Rosehannah 1
Susan 1
William 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Dun surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 16
James 10
William 8
Edward 5
Robert 5
Thomas 5
George 4
Charles 3
... 1
Alexander 1
Arthur 1
Bengeanen 1
Bengerman 1
Edwin 1
Finlay 1
Geo.Buchannan 1
Harry 1
Hezikiah 1
Jeremiah 1
Joes 1
Martin 1
Michael 1
Orr 1
Patrick 1
Peter 1
Ralph 1
Richard 1
Samual 1
Stephen 1
Thos. 1

FAQ

Dun surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dun surname in 1881?

In 1881, 182 people were recorded with the Dun surname. That placed it at #13,647 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dun surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 183 in 2016. That gives Dun a modern rank of #20,813.

What does the Dun surname mean?

An anglicised form of the Irish surname Ó Duinn, meaning 'descendant of the brown-haired one'.

What does the Dun map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Dun bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.