NameCensus.

UK surname

Dunk

A surname derived from the word "dunk", referring to someone of short stature.

In the 1881 census there were 994 people recorded with the Dunk surname, ranking it #3,921 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,262, ranked #4,737, down from #3,921 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew and Silkstone. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Swale, Canterbury and IZ14.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dunk is 1,437 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 27.0%.

1881 census count

994

Ranked #3,921

Modern count

1,262

2016, ranked #4,737

Peak year

1911

1,437 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dunk had 994 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,921 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,262 in 2016, ranked #4,737.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,437 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Dunk surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dunk surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dunk 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 615 #4,197
1861 historical 570 #4,616
1881 historical 994 #3,921
1891 historical 1,068 #3,933
1901 historical 1,295 #3,850
1911 historical 1,437 #3,364
1997 modern 1,329 #4,324
1998 modern 1,375 #4,334
1999 modern 1,360 #4,416
2000 modern 1,347 #4,433
2001 modern 1,320 #4,432
2002 modern 1,321 #4,507
2003 modern 1,296 #4,500
2004 modern 1,316 #4,440
2005 modern 1,281 #4,490
2006 modern 1,268 #4,546
2007 modern 1,259 #4,622
2008 modern 1,264 #4,622
2009 modern 1,275 #4,697
2010 modern 1,332 #4,596
2011 modern 1,325 #4,559
2012 modern 1,286 #4,619
2013 modern 1,322 #4,585
2014 modern 1,322 #4,608
2015 modern 1,295 #4,650
2016 modern 1,262 #4,737

Geography

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Where Dunks are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew, Silkstone, London parishes and Brighton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Swale, Canterbury, IZ14, Huntingdonshire and Medway. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 Hastings St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings St Andrew Sussex
3 Silkstone Yorkshire, West Riding
4 London parishes London 3
5 Brighton Sussex

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Swale 010 Swale
2 Canterbury 017 Canterbury
3 IZ14 West Dunbartonshire
4 Huntingdonshire 016 Huntingdonshire
5 Medway 011 Medway

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dunk

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dunk

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Dunk, 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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Dunk surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Dunk household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Dunk is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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 neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Dunk 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

Dunk falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Dunk 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 Dunk, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Dunk

The surname Dunk is of English origin and is believed to have emerged in the medieval period. It is thought to derive from the Old English word "dunc," which means "a hill or a ridge." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a prominent hill or ridge.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Dunk can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landholdings and property rights in England compiled in 1086 under the orders of William the Conqueror. The name appears as "Dunc" in this document, indicating its ancient roots and evolution over time.

During the 13th century, the name Dunk began to appear more frequently in various records and documents, particularly in areas such as Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. One notable example is Richard Dunk, a landowner from Yorkshire who was mentioned in the Feet of Fines records in 1247.

In the 16th century, the surname Dunk emerged in its modern spelling, and several notable individuals bearing this name can be found in historical records. One such example is John Dunk, a merchant from London who was involved in the lucrative wool trade and mentioned in the Port Books of 1567.

Another prominent figure was Sir Thomas Dunk, a military commander born in 1582. He served in the English Civil War and was knighted for his bravery and leadership on the battlefield. Sir Thomas Dunk's exploits were documented in various historical accounts of the time.

During the 17th century, the name Dunk was also associated with several places and locations. For instance, the village of Dunkerton in Somerset, England, is believed to derive its name from the Old English words "dunc" and "tun," meaning "the hill settlement."

As the centuries passed, the Dunk surname continued to be found throughout various regions of England, with notable individuals emerging in various fields. One such figure was William Dunk, a renowned architect born in 1719, who designed several significant buildings in London and its surrounding areas.

In the 19th century, the Dunk name gained further prominence with the birth of Walter Dunk in 1852. He was a renowned explorer and naturalist who documented his travels and discoveries in several published works, contributing significantly to the fields of geography and natural history.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dunk families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dunk 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. Kent leads with 339 Dunks recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.28x.

County Total Index
Kent 339 10.28x
Sussex 323 19.82x
Yorkshire 94 0.98x
Middlesex 60 0.62x
Surrey 31 0.66x
Gloucestershire 29 1.53x
Derbyshire 16 1.06x
Lincolnshire 16 1.04x
Monmouthshire 12 1.72x
Nottinghamshire 9 0.69x
Cheshire 8 0.37x
Somerset 8 0.51x
Berkshire 7 0.96x
Stirlingshire 6 1.68x
Durham 5 0.17x
Lanarkshire 5 0.16x
Staffordshire 5 0.15x
Devon 4 0.20x
Cornwall 3 0.27x
Oxfordshire 3 0.50x
Hertfordshire 2 0.30x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.17x
Cambridgeshire 1 0.16x
Lancashire 1 0.01x
Norfolk 1 0.07x
Warwickshire 1 0.04x
Worcestershire 1 0.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Brighton in Sussex leads with 80 Dunks recorded in 1881 and an index of 24.33x.

Place Total Index
Brighton 80 24.33x
Barnsley 44 44.53x
Hastings St Clement 30 195.57x
Rye 24 154.94x
Lamberhurst 22 535.28x
Canterbury St Mildred 21 268.20x
Lewisham 20 11.37x
Faversham 19 60.41x
Beckley 16 393.12x
Folkestone 16 25.01x
Rolvenden 16 374.71x
Margate St John Baptist 15 24.84x
Milton In Gravesend 13 26.28x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 12 6.72x
Milton In Milton 12 85.59x
Ospringe 12 295.57x
St Woollos 12 15.39x
Brampton 11 51.98x
Camberwell 11 1.78x
Hastings St Leonards 11 45.91x
Northiam 11 275.00x
St Botolph Aldgate London 11 55.25x
Tonbridge 11 9.25x
Brenenden 10 235.85x
Hastings St Michael 10 862.07x
Maidstone 10 10.18x
Poplar London 10 5.48x
Sheffield 10 3.28x
Brenchley 9 76.27x
Canterbury Old Castle 9 4090.91x
Hastings St Mary In The 9 25.88x
Newhaven 9 67.98x
Dukinfield 8 8.11x
East Retford 8 70.80x
Ore 8 65.95x
Peasmarsh 8 288.81x
Preston Next Faversham 8 103.23x
Rochester St Margaret 8 23.00x
Bath St Michael 7 89.06x
Bristol St Michael 7 43.08x
Cliffe 7 127.04x
Hastings All Sts 7 45.57x
Headcorn 7 141.70x
Sittingbourne 7 26.87x
Barmbrough 6 170.94x
Bristol St James In 6 21.52x
Chelsea London 6 2.06x
Dartford 6 17.79x
Dover St Mary Virgin 6 18.80x
Herne 6 41.10x
Lambeth 6 0.71x
Reading St Giles 6 8.43x
Rottingdean 6 107.72x
Scunthorpe 6 86.33x
Stirling 6 13.35x
Worsbrough 6 21.38x
Arlington 5 257.73x
Battersea 5 1.41x
Cannock 5 8.78x
Canterbury St Alphage 5 142.05x
Chislet 5 134.05x
East Chiltington 5 364.96x
Frant 5 43.29x
Glasgow 5 0.90x
Goudhurst 5 54.76x
Graveney 5 602.41x
Hackney London 5 0.92x
Hastings St Andrew 5 85.62x
Hastings St Mary 5 12.33x
Pembury 5 106.84x
South Malling 5 206.61x
Speldhurst 5 29.78x
Swanscombe 5 33.74x
Whitwood 5 36.74x
Willingdon 5 120.77x
Batley 4 4.39x
Ealing 4 4.63x
Goxhill 4 104.99x
Hook 4 18.98x
Monks Horton 4 816.33x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 47
William 47
George 34
James 31
Thomas 31
Charles 25
Edward 16
Albert 14
Arthur 14
Henry 12
Frederick 11
Walter 11
Alfred 9
Harry 9
Joseph 9
Richard 8
Robert 8
David 7
Benjamin 6
Frank 6
Herbert 6
Stephen 6
Wm. 6
Ernest 4
Fredrick 4
Jesse 4
Samuel 4
Isaac 3
Leaf 3
Matthew 3
Tom 3
Ambrose 2
Amos 2
Edgar 2
Hy. 2
Jonathan 2
Lewis 2
Nicholas 2
Philip 2
Simeon 2
Charley 1
Chas. 1
Chas.Ebenezer 1
Cressie 1
Fielding 1
Francis 1
Fred 1
Fredk.Wm. 1
Melbourn 1
Wm.D. 1

FAQ

Dunk surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dunk surname in 1881?

In 1881, 994 people were recorded with the Dunk surname. That placed it at #3,921 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dunk surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,262 in 2016. That gives Dunk a modern rank of #4,737.

What does the Dunk surname mean?

A surname derived from the word "dunk", referring to someone of short stature.

What does the Dunk map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Dunk 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.