NameCensus.

UK surname

Dunks

A surname derived from an Old English word meaning dark or dusky complexion.

In the 1881 census there were 73 people recorded with the Dunks surname, ranking it #23,220 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 220, ranked #18,376, up from #23,220 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Brampton, Manchester and Stockport. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North East Lincolnshire, Torbay and Chesterfield.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dunks is 230 in 2008. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 201.4%.

1881 census count

73

Ranked #23,220

Modern count

220

2016, ranked #18,376

Peak year

2008

230 bearers

Map years

7

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dunks had 73 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #23,220 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 220 in 2016, ranked #18,376.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 202 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Dunks surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dunks surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dunks 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 59 #22,756
1861 historical 135 #16,651
1881 historical 73 #23,220
1891 historical 108 #22,828
1901 historical 164 #17,144
1911 historical 202 #14,871
1997 modern 225 #16,352
1998 modern 229 #16,657
1999 modern 222 #17,080
2000 modern 215 #17,388
2001 modern 215 #17,159
2002 modern 223 #17,099
2003 modern 214 #17,343
2004 modern 218 #17,230
2005 modern 210 #17,572
2006 modern 222 #17,092
2007 modern 226 #17,103
2008 modern 230 #17,033
2009 modern 225 #17,631
2010 modern 228 #17,844
2011 modern 221 #18,039
2012 modern 215 #18,304
2013 modern 220 #18,324
2014 modern 223 #18,279
2015 modern 220 #18,346
2016 modern 220 #18,376

Geography

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Where Dunks' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Brampton, Manchester, Stockport, Chesterfield and Sheffield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North East Lincolnshire, Torbay and Chesterfield. 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 Brampton Derbyshire
2 Manchester Lancashire
3 Stockport Lancashire
4 Chesterfield Derbyshire
5 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North East Lincolnshire 004 North East Lincolnshire
2 North East Lincolnshire 001 North East Lincolnshire
3 North East Lincolnshire 012 North East Lincolnshire
4 Torbay 014 Torbay
5 Chesterfield 012 Chesterfield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dunks

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dunks

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Dunks, 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 Dunks surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Dunks 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

Suburban Asian Communities

Group

Settled Semi-Detached Asians

Within London, Dunks is most associated with areas classed as Settled Semi-Detached Asians, part of Suburban Asian Communities. 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 residents share Supergroup characteristics of large (non-Chinese) Asian populations but those identifying as Bangladeshi are notably absent. Many residents were born in the UK, while other more recent migrants have African birthplaces. Semi-detached housing, much of it owner occupied, prevails in these suburban residential locations.

Wider London pattern

Many residents of these neighbourhoods are of (non-Chinese) Asian descent, with many identifying as Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Neighbourhoods are located across large areas of suburban west, north-east and south London. Detached, semi-detached and terraced houses are more prevalent than flats and socially rented housing is uncommon. Few residents live in communal establishments. Many families have dependent children, sometimes in overcrowded accommodation, and few households are ethnically mixed. Marriage rates are above the London average. The even age distribution, relative absence of individuals living alone and frequent incidence of households with children suggests that multi-generation households may be relatively common. Employment is often in skilled trades, elementary, sales and customer service occupations, and roles as process, plant, and machine operatives. Manufacturing and construction are well represented, along with employment in distribution, hotels, and restaurants. Many adults have only level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. English is not used at home by some residents. Religious affiliation is above average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Dunks is most concentrated in decile 9 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

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

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Dunks falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Dunks is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Dunks

The surname Dunks has its origins in England, dating back to the late medieval period around the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "dun," which means a hill or a low ridge, and "unc," meaning a man or person. Thus, the name Dunks likely referred to someone who lived near or on a hill or a low ridge.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in various historical documents from the 13th and 14th centuries, including the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire, where a John Dunckes was mentioned in 1301. The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 also listed a Robert Dunck residing in Oxfordshire.

One of the earliest known bearers of the Dunks surname was William Dunks, who was born in Lincolnshire, England, in the late 15th century. He was a prosperous landowner and is mentioned in the Court Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1492.

In the 16th century, the name appeared in various places across England, with variations such as Dunck, Duncks, and Dunkys. One notable figure was Robert Dunks, born in Nottinghamshire in 1532, who served as a magistrate and was involved in local government affairs.

During the 17th century, the Dunks surname can be found in various parish records and historical documents. John Dunks, born in 1612 in Warwickshire, was a prominent merchant and landowner who played a significant role in the local community.

As the centuries passed, the Dunks surname spread across England and became more widespread. In the 18th century, a notable bearer of the name was Thomas Dunks, born in 1724 in Gloucestershire. He was a respected scholar and author who contributed to several academic works on history and literature.

Another prominent figure was Elizabeth Dunks, born in 1789 in Suffolk. She was a pioneering educator and advocated for better educational opportunities for women during a time when female education was largely neglected.

Throughout the 19th century, the Dunks surname continued to flourish, with several notable individuals making their mark in various fields. One such individual was Sir William Dunks, born in 1832 in Yorkshire, who was a distinguished military officer and served in several campaigns during the British Empire's expansion.

These are just a few examples of the rich history and notable individuals associated with the Dunks surname, which has its roots deeply embedded in the hills and ridges of medieval England.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dunks families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dunks 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. Hertfordshire leads with 14 Dunks' recorded in 1881 and an index of 28.53x.

County Total Index
Hertfordshire 14 28.53x
Derbyshire 13 11.66x
Cheshire 12 7.64x
Lancashire 9 1.07x
Middlesex 9 1.26x
Yorkshire 6 0.85x
Kent 4 1.65x
Surrey 4 1.15x
Sussex 2 1.67x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Brampton in Derbyshire leads with 10 Dunks' recorded in 1881 and an index of 641.03x.

Place Total Index
Brampton 10 641.03x
Chipping Barnet 9 1046.51x
Denton 9 481.28x
Dukinfield 6 82.64x
Hatfield 5 505.05x
Saddleworth 5 91.91x
Hollingworth 4 615.38x
St Andrew Holborn London 4 129.87x
St Luke London 4 35.03x
Chesterfield 3 71.77x
Mitcham 3 136.99x
Newton In Ashton Under 2 129.03x
Sevenoaks 2 101.52x
Finchley 1 36.63x
Hastings Holy Trinity 1 113.64x
Newhaven 1 102.04x
Northfleet 1 46.73x
Sheffield 1 4.45x
Southwark St George Martyr 1 6.98x
Stone In Dartford 1 161.29x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 4
Sarah 4
Ann 3
Elizabeth 3
Ellen 3
Hannah 2
Jane 2
Martha 2
Naomi 2
Ada 1
Alice 1
Clara 1
Jemima 1
Lucy 1
Rosina 1

Top male names

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

Top occupations

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 Dunks households.

FAQ

Dunks surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dunks surname in 1881?

In 1881, 73 people were recorded with the Dunks surname. That placed it at #23,220 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dunks surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 220 in 2016. That gives Dunks a modern rank of #18,376.

What does the Dunks surname mean?

A surname derived from an Old English word meaning dark or dusky complexion.

What does the Dunks map show?

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