UK surname
A surname likely derived from a place name containing the elements "dun" (hill) and "ker" (marsh).
In the 1881 census there were 178 people recorded with the Dunkerly surname, ranking it #13,840 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 5, ranked #38,264, down from #13,840 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to St Leonard Shoreditch, Manchester and Rochdale. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dunkerly is 261 in 1851. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 97.2%.
1881 census count
178
Ranked #13,840
Modern count
5
2016, ranked #38,264
Peak year
1851
261 bearers
Map years
5
1851 to 1901
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Dunkerly surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Dunkerly surname density by area, 1881 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe 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 | 261 | #8,490 |
| 1861 | historical | 180 | #13,057 |
| 1881 | historical | 178 | #13,840 |
| 1891 | historical | 112 | #22,291 |
| 1901 | historical | 130 | #19,649 |
| 1911 | historical | 68 | #26,050 |
| 1997 | modern | 18 | #36,053 |
| 1998 | modern | 15 | #36,457 |
| 1999 | modern | 16 | #36,371 |
| 2000 | modern | 14 | #36,522 |
| 2001 | modern | 13 | #36,483 |
| 2002 | modern | 11 | #36,780 |
| 2003 | modern | 12 | #36,715 |
| 2004 | modern | 11 | #36,969 |
| 2005 | modern | 8 | #37,422 |
| 2006 | modern | 9 | #37,345 |
| 2007 | modern | 7 | #37,687 |
| 2008 | modern | 6 | #37,883 |
| 2009 | modern | 4 | #38,287 |
| 2010 | modern | 4 | #38,371 |
| 2011 | modern | 2 | #38,745 |
| 2012 | modern | 6 | #38,008 |
| 2013 | modern | 8 | #37,767 |
| 2014 | modern | 8 | #37,806 |
| 2015 | modern | 8 | #37,797 |
| 2016 | modern | 5 | #38,264 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around St Leonard Shoreditch, Manchester, Rochdale, Ashton-under-Lyne and Prestwich. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | St Leonard Shoreditch | London (East Districts) |
| 2 | Manchester | Lancashire |
| 3 | Rochdale | Yorkshire, West Riding |
| 4 | Ashton-under-Lyne | Lancashire |
| 5 | Prestwich | Lancashire |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Dunkerly surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Dunkerly, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Dunkerly surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Dunkerly household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Dunkerly is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Dunkerly is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Dunkerly, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname Dunkerly originated in England during the late medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "dun" meaning hill or down, and "ceorla" meaning a man or peasant freeholder. The name likely referred to someone who lived on a hill or down, or came from a place with that name.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it is spelled "de Dunkerly". This suggests the name may have initially been a locational surname, referring to someone from a place called Dunkerly.
By the 14th century, variations like Donkyrly and Dunkyrley start appearing in records from counties like Somerset and Dorset in southwest England. These areas were historically associated with the Dunkerly surname.
In the 16th century, the name appears in the form "Dunkerly" in parish records from Stogumber, Somerset. Notable early bearers include John Dunkerly, born around 1530 in Stogumber.
Other early instances include Richard Dunkerly, born in 1582 in Dowlish Wake, Somerset, and William Dunkerly, born in 1612 in North Petherton, Somerset. These records indicate the name was concentrated in the Somerset region at that time.
By the 17th century, the spelling had largely settled as Dunkerly. One bearer of note was Thomas Dunkerly, born in 1636 in Bishops Lydeard, Somerset. He was a prominent landowner and lawyer.
Moving into the 18th century, examples like John Dunkerly (1709-1778) from Halstock, Dorset, and Samuel Dunkerly (1745-1822) from Montacute, Somerset, further cement the name's regional origins.
Other notable Dunkerlys include the 19th century British explorer and naturalist John Richard Dunkerly (1839-1928), and the 20th century English cricketer Stanley Dunkerly (1913-1975) who played for Somerset County Cricket Club.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dunkerly surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lancashire leads with 107 Dunkerlys recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.19x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Lancashire | 107 | 5.19x |
| Yorkshire | 29 | 1.69x |
| Middlesex | 15 | 0.86x |
| Staffordshire | 9 | 1.54x |
| Surrey | 6 | 0.71x |
| Cheshire | 3 | 0.78x |
| Lincolnshire | 3 | 1.08x |
| Nottinghamshire | 3 | 1.28x |
| Leicestershire | 2 | 1.04x |
| Durham | 1 | 0.19x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Oldham in Lancashire leads with 39 Dunkerlys recorded in 1881 and an index of 58.66x.
| Place | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Oldham | 39 | 58.66x |
| Ashton Under Lyne | 24 | 53.30x |
| Doncaster | 12 | 95.47x |
| Hulme | 12 | 27.90x |
| Horninglow | 9 | 326.09x |
| Shoreditch London | 9 | 11.96x |
| Liverpool | 8 | 6.39x |
| Battersea | 6 | 9.39x |
| Beverley St Mary | 6 | 239.04x |
| Blackburn | 5 | 9.12x |
| Nether Hallam | 5 | 21.48x |
| Newton | 5 | 31.49x |
| Failsworth | 4 | 84.93x |
| Saddleworth | 4 | 30.14x |
| Droylsden | 3 | 44.64x |
| Gainsborough | 3 | 45.87x |
| Islington London | 3 | 1.78x |
| Manchester | 3 | 3.24x |
| Stayley | 3 | 68.49x |
| Worksop | 3 | 43.23x |
| Ecclesfield | 2 | 15.86x |
| Hackney London | 2 | 2.05x |
| Haughton | 2 | 66.45x |
| Leicester St Margaret | 2 | 4.26x |
| Bishopwearmouth | 1 | 2.26x |
| Gorton | 1 | 5.16x |
| North Meols | 1 | 4.96x |
| Paddington London | 1 | 1.57x |
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Dunkerly surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
| Name | Count |
|---|---|
| Mary | 14 |
| Elizabeth | 12 |
| Sarah | 7 |
| Hannah | 6 |
| Alice | 5 |
| Ann | 4 |
| Ada | 3 |
| Emily | 3 |
| Eliza | 2 |
| Emma | 2 |
| Jane | 2 |
| Martha | 2 |
| Penelope | 2 |
| Annie | 1 |
| Annies | 1 |
| Bertha | 1 |
| Betty | 1 |
| Caraline | 1 |
| Charlotte | 1 |
| Clara | 1 |
| Eda | 1 |
| Eleanor | 1 |
| Elizth. | 1 |
| Ester | 1 |
| Fanny | 1 |
| Frances | 1 |
| Harriet | 1 |
| Helen | 1 |
| Isabel | 1 |
| Jemima | 1 |
| Jhn.Eugene | 1 |
| Julia | 1 |
| Kathleen | 1 |
| Louisa | 1 |
| Lydia | 1 |
| Mabel | 1 |
| Margaret | 1 |
| Maria | 1 |
| Selina | 1 |
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Dunkerly surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
| Name | Count |
|---|---|
| John | 10 |
| Joseph | 8 |
| James | 7 |
| George | 6 |
| Charles | 5 |
| William | 5 |
| Robert | 4 |
| Fred | 3 |
| Thomas | 3 |
| Walter | 3 |
| Albert | 2 |
| Alfred | 2 |
| Arthur | 2 |
| Daniel | 2 |
| Emanuel | 2 |
| Frederick | 2 |
| Herbert | 2 |
| Samuel | 2 |
| Adam | 1 |
| David | 1 |
| Edmund | 1 |
| Edward | 1 |
| Eliza | 1 |
| Enoch | 1 |
| Francis | 1 |
| Frank | 1 |
| Henry | 1 |
| Jno. | 1 |
| Lewis | 1 |
| Luke | 1 |
| Matthew | 1 |
| Moses | 1 |
| Sam | 1 |
| Vernon | 1 |
| Wm.C. | 1 |
| Wright | 1 |
Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Dunkerly households.
| Occupation | Count |
|---|---|
| Scholar | 28 |
| Butcher | 4 |
| Carter | 3 |
| Cotton Reeler | 3 |
| Hat Trimmer | 3 |
| Cotton Oper | 2 |
| Cotton Speed Tenter | 2 |
| Hatter | 2 |
| Lpool Scholar | 2 |
| Machinist | 2 |
| Overlooker | 2 |
| Piecer (C) | 2 |
| Reeler | 2 |
| Upholsterer | 2 |
| Blacksmith | 1 |
| Boarding House | 1 |
| Boarding House Keeper | 1 |
| C Hatter | 1 |
| Card Room Hand | 1 |
| Carder In Cotton | 1 |
| Chapel Keeper | 1 |
| Charwoman | 1 |
| Child | 1 |
| Coopers Apprentice | 1 |
| Cotton Minder | 1 |
| Cotton Operative | 1 |
| Cotton Waver | 1 |
| Cotton Weaver | 1 |
| Cotton Winder | 1 |
| Dealer | 1 |
| Domestic Servant | 1 |
| Dress Maker | 1 |
| Dressmaker | 1 |
| Engineer At Cotton Mill (Driver) | 1 |
| Fitter Eng | 1 |
| General Clerk | 1 |
| General Laborer | 1 |
| General Labourer | 1 |
| Glass Cutter | 1 |
| Hair Dresser | 1 |
| Hotel Housekeeper (Ser) | 1 |
| House Keeper | 1 |
| Housekeeper | 1 |
| Iron Turner | 1 |
| Joiner | 1 |
| Labourer | 1 |
| Labourer In Iron Works | 1 |
| Lithographer | 1 |
| Loco Engine Cleaner (Rly) | 1 |
| Wollen Weaver (C) | 1 |
FAQ
In 1881, 178 people were recorded with the Dunkerly surname. That placed it at #13,840 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 5 in 2016. That gives Dunkerly a modern rank of #38,264.
A surname likely derived from a place name containing the elements "dun" (hill) and "ker" (marsh).
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Dunkerly bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.