NameCensus.

UK surname

Dunne

Derived from the Irish Ó Duinn, meaning "descendant of Donn," a nickname meaning "brown" or "dark."

In the 1881 census there were 977 people recorded with the Dunne surname, ranking it #3,981 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 8,522, ranked #774, up from #3,981 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Manchester and Liverpool. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Liverpool, Swansea and Bradford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dunne is 8,923 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 772.3%.

1881 census count

977

Ranked #3,981

Modern count

8,522

2016, ranked #774

Peak year

2010

8,923 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dunne had 977 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,981 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 8,522 in 2016, ranked #774.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,779 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Dunne surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dunne surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dunne 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 234 #9,241
1861 historical 363 #7,045
1881 historical 977 #3,981
1891 historical 969 #4,269
1901 historical 1,297 #3,842
1911 historical 1,779 #2,751
1997 modern 8,015 #796
1998 modern 8,292 #798
1999 modern 8,352 #800
2000 modern 8,427 #788
2001 modern 8,218 #788
2002 modern 8,467 #784
2003 modern 8,273 #789
2004 modern 8,205 #792
2005 modern 8,141 #784
2006 modern 8,163 #782
2007 modern 8,282 #776
2008 modern 8,398 #770
2009 modern 8,696 #760
2010 modern 8,923 #757
2011 modern 8,764 #758
2012 modern 8,424 #775
2013 modern 8,584 #775
2014 modern 8,617 #776
2015 modern 8,531 #776
2016 modern 8,522 #774

Geography

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Where Dunnes are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Manchester, Liverpool and West Derby. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Liverpool, Swansea, Bradford and Carmarthenshire. 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 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Liverpool Lancashire
5 West Derby Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Liverpool 014 Liverpool
2 Swansea 014 Swansea
3 Liverpool 028 Liverpool
4 Bradford 036 Bradford
5 Carmarthenshire 025 Carmarthenshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dunne

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dunne

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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Dunne is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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 scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Dunne is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Dunne 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 Dunne is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

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

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Dunne

The surname Dunne is of Irish origin, deriving from the Gaelic word "donn" meaning "brown-haired" or "brown". It was initially used as a descriptive nickname for someone with brown hair or a swarthy complexion.

The name is believed to have originated in County Kilkenny, Ireland, where it can be traced back to the 12th century. The Dunnes were part of the Gaelic nobility and held lands in the baronies of Galmoy and Shillelogher.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the early 17th century. It mentions a chieftain named Donnchadh Donn, who ruled a territory in Westmeath in the 12th century.

In the 13th century, the Dunnes were among the Irish families who were dispossessed of their lands during the Norman invasion of Ireland. Some adapted their name to the Anglo-Norman spelling of "Dun" or "Dunn", while others retained the Gaelic form "Dunne".

Notable historical figures with the surname Dunne include Sir John Dunne (1470-1528), a soldier and statesman who served as Lord Chancellor of Ireland during the reign of Henry VIII. Another prominent figure was Edward Dunne (1853-1937), who served as the 34th Governor of Illinois from 1913 to 1917.

Other notable Dunnes throughout history include John Dunne (1928-2003), an Irish actor best known for his roles in films like "The Gingerbread Man" and "True Confessions". Sister Mary Aquinas Dunne (1901-1984) was a renowned Irish nun and educator who founded several schools in Ireland and the United States.

In the world of literature, Finley Peter Dunne (1867-1936) was an American humorist and writer best known for his fictional character, Mr. Dooley, an Irish-American bartender whose witty observations satirized political and social issues of the time.

Despite its Irish origins, the surname Dunne has spread to various parts of the world, particularly through emigration from Ireland during periods of famine and unrest in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dunne families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dunne 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. Lancashire leads with 436 Dunnes recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.86x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 436 3.86x
Yorkshire 100 1.06x
Middlesex 67 0.70x
Surrey 32 0.69x
Cheshire 31 1.48x
Cumberland 29 3.54x
Lanarkshire 24 0.78x
Warwickshire 24 1.00x
Durham 23 0.81x
Kent 22 0.68x
Worcestershire 18 1.45x
Angus 17 1.93x
Glamorgan 17 1.03x
Staffordshire 17 0.53x
Hampshire 14 0.72x
Northumberland 13 0.92x
Cambridgeshire 11 1.82x
Midlothian 10 0.78x
Essex 7 0.37x
Gloucestershire 7 0.37x
Royal Navy 7 6.17x
Shropshire 6 0.73x
Herefordshire 5 1.28x
Berkshire 4 0.56x
Devon 4 0.20x
Leicestershire 4 0.38x
Nottinghamshire 4 0.31x
Buckinghamshire 3 0.52x
Kirkcudbrightshire 3 2.18x
Dorset 2 0.32x
Montgomeryshire 2 0.92x
Sussex 2 0.12x
Argyllshire 1 0.38x
Bedfordshire 1 0.20x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.26x
Cornwall 1 0.09x
Denbighshire 1 0.28x
Derbyshire 1 0.07x
Isle of Man 1 0.57x
Morayshire 1 0.68x
Oxfordshire 1 0.17x
Pembrokeshire 1 0.33x
Perthshire 1 0.23x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Manchester in Lancashire leads with 57 Dunnes recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.22x.

Place Total Index
Manchester 57 11.22x
Liverpool 56 8.16x
Kirkdale 45 23.68x
Leeds 25 4.69x
West Derby 23 6.96x
Everton 21 5.83x
Horton In Bradford 20 13.58x
Aston 16 2.42x
Bradford 16 7.01x
Parr 16 39.58x
Tottington Lower End 16 29.80x
Birkenhead 15 8.95x
Salford 14 4.21x
Accrington 13 12.66x
Barony 13 1.67x
Cleator 12 35.17x
Pendleton In Salford 12 8.92x
Bowling 11 11.77x
Newington 11 3.13x
Wisbech St Mary 11 158.96x
Barrow In Furness 10 6.51x
Windle 10 15.73x
Crayford 9 63.42x
Hulme 9 3.82x
Kensington London 9 1.70x
Teddington London 9 41.72x
Iveston 8 61.30x
Oldbury 8 13.08x
Pemberton 8 17.76x
Radcliffe 8 14.69x
Wakefield 8 11.05x
Blackburn 7 2.33x
Bristol St Augustine 7 23.23x
Dundee 7 2.13x
Edinburgh St Marys 7 28.24x
Hackney London 7 1.31x
Merthyr Tydfil 7 4.39x
Openshaw 7 13.23x
Sedgley 7 5.86x
St Cuthbert W O 7 17.52x
Stoke Newington London 7 9.44x
Ashton Under Lyne 6 2.43x
Bootle Cum Linacre 6 6.69x
Conside Knitsley 6 27.25x
Forfar 6 12.56x
Govan 6 0.79x
Lambeth 6 0.72x
Royal Navy 6 6.19x
St Pancras London 6 0.78x
Stoke Prior 6 78.23x
Trentham 6 21.95x
Warrington 6 4.48x
Wavertree 6 16.59x
Wellington 6 12.98x
Ardwick 5 4.91x
Castleton 5 4.43x
Chelsea London 5 1.74x
Chester St Oswald 5 13.14x
Chorlton On Medlock 5 2.79x
Gorton 5 4.71x
Great Bolton 5 3.34x
Great Crosby 5 16.23x
Leamington Priors 5 8.46x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 5 5.91x
Newton 5 5.74x
Newton Nottage 5 109.89x
St George Hanover Square 5 2.98x
Stainton 5 182.48x
Toxteth Park 5 1.31x
Walmer 5 35.41x
Warwick 5 480.77x
Aldershot 4 6.12x
Bradmore 4 439.56x
Castle Northwich 4 57.55x
Charlton 4 18.54x
Colchester St Botolph 4 25.02x
Little Bolton 4 2.75x
Newcastle On Tyne St John 4 21.47x
Putney 4 9.22x
St Marylebone London 4 0.79x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 91
Margaret 42
Elizabeth 29
Catherine 23
Bridget 21
Ellen 19
Sarah 14
Anne 13
Eliza 12
Ann 11
Annie 11
Jane 11
Alice 9
Emma 7
Kate 6
Maria 6
Hannah 5
Rose 5
Caroline 4
Harriet 4
Julia 4
Lizzie 4
Susan 4
Agnes 3
Esther 3
Fanny 3
Harriett 3
Henrietta 3
Margt. 3
Catharine 2
Cathrine 2
Emily 2
Florence 2
Frances 2
Isabella 2
Letica 2
Louisa 2
Lucy 2
My. 2
Teresa 2
Cathe. 1
Elizbth. 1
Elizh.Anne 1
Elizth 1
Elizth. 1
Elizth.Kate 1
Ellan 1
Hilda 1
Isabel 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 82
William 50
Thomas 43
James 42
Patrick 35
Michael 26
Joseph 17
Henry 12
George 11
Robert 10
Francis 9
Edward 8
Charles 7
Peter 6
Richard 6
Andrew 5
Bernard 5
David 5
Daniel 4
Dennis 4
Arthur 3
Frederick 3
Patk. 3
Albert 2
Denis 2
Frank 2
Lawrence 2
Lenas 2
Mark 2
Martin 2
Paul 2
Richd. 2
Robt. 2
Samuel 2
Simon 2
Stephen 2
Terence 2
Thos. 2
Timothy 2
Anthony 1
Cornelius 1
Harry 1
Herbert 1
Isaac 1
Jas. 1
Jeremiah 1
Myles 1
Nicholas 1
Patt 1
Wm. 1

FAQ

Dunne surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dunne surname in 1881?

In 1881, 977 people were recorded with the Dunne surname. That placed it at #3,981 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dunne surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 8,522 in 2016. That gives Dunne a modern rank of #774.

What does the Dunne surname mean?

Derived from the Irish Ó Duinn, meaning "descendant of Donn," a nickname meaning "brown" or "dark."

What does the Dunne map show?

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