NameCensus.

UK surname

Dunmore

A surname with Scottish origins referring to a place name from Dunmore, Scotland.

In the 1881 census there were 561 people recorded with the Dunmore surname, ranking it #6,174 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 977, ranked #5,911, up from #6,174 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Walgrave, London parishes and Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Erewash, East Northamptonshire and North West Leicestershire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dunmore is 1,058 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 74.2%.

1881 census count

561

Ranked #6,174

Modern count

977

2016, ranked #5,911

Peak year

2010

1,058 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dunmore had 561 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #6,174 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 977 in 2016, ranked #5,911.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 867 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Dunmore surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dunmore surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dunmore 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 345 #6,823
1861 historical 423 #6,073
1881 historical 561 #6,174
1891 historical 615 #6,260
1901 historical 780 #5,756
1911 historical 867 #5,126
1997 modern 977 #5,606
1998 modern 1,027 #5,552
1999 modern 1,030 #5,581
2000 modern 1,011 #5,634
2001 modern 984 #5,647
2002 modern 988 #5,755
2003 modern 989 #5,642
2004 modern 994 #5,631
2005 modern 969 #5,675
2006 modern 975 #5,663
2007 modern 969 #5,755
2008 modern 979 #5,748
2009 modern 1,005 #5,741
2010 modern 1,058 #5,612
2011 modern 1,037 #5,645
2012 modern 982 #5,821
2013 modern 978 #5,920
2014 modern 995 #5,885
2015 modern 980 #5,907
2016 modern 977 #5,911

Geography

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Where Dunmores are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Walgrave, London parishes, Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory, Crowland and Witham, South. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Erewash, East Northamptonshire, North West Leicestershire, Oadby and Wigston and Rochford. 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 Walgrave Northamptonshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 Northampton St Giles, Northampton St Sepulchre, Northampton Priory Northamptonshire
4 Crowland Northamptonshire
5 Witham, South Lincolnshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Erewash 001 Erewash
2 East Northamptonshire 009 East Northamptonshire
3 North West Leicestershire 002 North West Leicestershire
4 Oadby and Wigston 008 Oadby and Wigston
5 Rochford 004 Rochford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dunmore

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dunmore

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Dunmore, 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 Dunmore surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Dunmore 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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Dunmore is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

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

Dunmore is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Dunmore 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 Dunmore 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 Dunmore, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Dunmore

The surname Dunmore originated in Scotland during the medieval period. It is derived from the Scottish Gaelic words "dùn" meaning "hill" and "mor" meaning "large" or "great". Hence, the name translates to "great hill" or "large hill".

Dunmore is a locational surname, meaning it was originally taken from a place name. The earliest known place called Dunmore was a village near Stirling, Scotland, first recorded in the 12th century. There are also several other places named Dunmore or Dunmor scattered throughout Scotland, including a parish in Perthshire.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Dunmore can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a historical record of Scottish nobles who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The name appears as "William de Dunmore".

In the 16th century, the Dunmore family held lands in the Scottish Borders region. A notable member was Sir Alexander Dunmore, born around 1520, who served as a diplomat and ambassador for Mary, Queen of Scots.

Another prominent figure was John Dunmore, born in 1669, who was a Scottish merchant and colonist. He helped establish settlements in the American colonies and served as the Governor of Virginia from 1771 to 1776.

In the 18th century, the Earls of Dunmore were a powerful Scottish noble family. The first Earl, John Murray, was born in 1732 and served as Governor of Virginia from 1770 to 1771.

Other notable individuals with the surname Dunmore include:

1. Thomas Dunmore (1786-1869), a British naval officer and explorer who mapped parts of the Arctic. 2. William Dunmore (1800-1873), a Scottish-born American businessman and politician who served as Mayor of Mobile, Alabama. 3. Helen Dunmore (1952-2017), an acclaimed English novelist and poet. 4. Jillian Dunmore (born 1971), a Canadian actress and model. 5. Liam Dunmore (born 1986), an English football player.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dunmore families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dunmore 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. Northamptonshire leads with 140 Dunmores recorded in 1881 and an index of 27.20x.

County Total Index
Northamptonshire 140 27.20x
Lincolnshire 80 9.14x
Leicestershire 68 11.21x
Middlesex 40 0.73x
Kent 31 1.66x
Essex 22 2.04x
Cambridgeshire 21 6.06x
Lancashire 19 0.29x
Rutland 19 47.29x
Yorkshire 18 0.33x
Surrey 17 0.64x
Bedfordshire 14 4.94x
Warwickshire 14 1.01x
Norfolk 13 1.55x
Nottinghamshire 11 1.49x
Staffordshire 10 0.54x
Derbyshire 5 0.58x
Sussex 5 0.54x
Gloucestershire 2 0.19x
Herefordshire 2 0.89x
Northumberland 2 0.25x
Berkshire 1 0.24x
Durham 1 0.06x
Fife 1 0.31x
Hampshire 1 0.09x
Lanarkshire 1 0.06x
Royal Navy 1 1.53x
Suffolk 1 0.15x
Worcestershire 1 0.14x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. South Witham in Lincolnshire leads with 33 Dunmores recorded in 1881 and an index of 4285.71x.

Place Total Index
South Witham 33 4285.71x
Leicester St Margaret 29 19.60x
Walgrave 27 2389.38x
Crowland 22 400.73x
Lewisham 20 20.09x
Thorney 19 493.51x
Northampton Priory St 15 48.56x
Eye 12 487.80x
Spalding 11 63.36x
Hackney London 10 3.26x
Earls Barton 9 205.01x
Kettering 9 43.23x
Leicester St Mary 9 18.36x
Kingsthorpe 8 139.86x
Leaden Roothing 8 2352.94x
Liverpool 8 2.03x
Northampton All Sts 8 45.79x
Ridlington 8 1818.18x
Aston 7 1.84x
Croydon 7 4.73x
Edgbaston 7 16.36x
Greasley 7 42.07x
Hornsey 7 10.12x
Market Harborough 7 255.47x
Melton Mowbray 7 64.16x
Norwich St Benedict 7 186.67x
St George Bloomsbury 7 22.29x
Uppingham 7 146.14x
Deptford St Paul 6 4.17x
Harpole 6 384.62x
Raunds 6 114.50x
Sharnbrook 6 382.17x
Snydale 6 535.71x
Stafford St Mary 6 22.94x
Cowbit 5 420.17x
Derby St Werburgh 5 10.11x
Ecclesall Bierlow 5 4.53x
Goole 5 55.01x
Northampton St Sepulchre 5 19.09x
Rushton 5 537.63x
West Ham 5 2.10x
Broughton 4 243.90x
Bulwell 4 24.94x
Camberwell 4 1.14x
Chapel Brampton 4 909.09x
Edith Weston 4 606.06x
Grays Thurrock 4 39.84x
Leicester St Leonard 4 69.69x
Rusholme 4 23.09x
St Pancras London 4 0.91x
Stone 4 16.93x
Wiggenhall St German 4 404.04x
Ashby De La Zouch 3 21.34x
Boston 3 11.30x
Burnham 3 75.19x
Dean 3 326.09x
Deeping St Nicholas 3 117.19x
Frisby On The Wreake 3 405.41x
Hastings All Sts 3 34.52x
Hulme 3 2.21x
Kensington London 3 0.99x
Mortlake 3 25.25x
Woolwich 3 4.35x
Belgrave 2 14.61x
Borough Fen 2 714.29x
Bow London 2 2.87x
Draughton 2 645.16x
Dunstable 2 22.96x
Elswick 2 3.08x
Great Bowden 2 36.23x
Hannington 2 571.43x
Irthlingborough 2 39.60x
Manchester 2 0.68x
Northampton St Giles 2 10.20x
Penge 2 5.72x
Peterborough 2 5.37x
Pytchley 2 190.48x
Riseley 2 111.73x
St George In East London 2 3.89x
Westminster St John 2 3.00x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 49
William 34
George 24
Thomas 18
Henry 16
Charles 10
Joseph 10
Robert 10
Walter 10
Frank 8
Frederick 7
James 7
Alfred 6
Edward 6
Richard 6
Arthur 5
Samuel 5
Wm. 4
Ernest 3
Stephen 3
Albert 2
Fredrick 2
Gilbert 2
Herbert 2
Jonathan 2
Willm. 2
C.E. 1
Daniel 1
Edgar 1
Edwin 1
Ezra 1
Geo. 1
Harrie 1
Harry 1
Horris 1
Infant 1
Isaac 1
Jane 1
Jno. 1
Josiah 1
Lorenza 1
Mathew 1
Michale 1
Norris 1
Omar 1
Patrick 1
Rd.Codman 1
Robt.B. 1
Thos. 1
Wm.T. 1

FAQ

Dunmore surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dunmore surname in 1881?

In 1881, 561 people were recorded with the Dunmore surname. That placed it at #6,174 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dunmore surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 977 in 2016. That gives Dunmore a modern rank of #5,911.

What does the Dunmore surname mean?

A surname with Scottish origins referring to a place name from Dunmore, Scotland.

What does the Dunmore map show?

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