NameCensus.

UK surname

Dunnet

In the 1881 census there were 704 people recorded with the Dunnet surname, ranking it #5,166 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 181, ranked #20,955, down from #5,166 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Canisbay, Wick and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Caithness North East, Gourock East, Greenock West and Lyle Road and Great Junction Street.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dunnet is 772 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 74.3%.

1881 census count

704

Ranked #5,166

Modern count

181

2016, ranked #20,955

Peak year

1901

772 bearers

Map years

8

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dunnet had 704 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,166 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 181 in 2016, ranked #20,955.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 772 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Dunnet surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dunnet surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dunnet 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 645 #4,025
1861 historical 689 #3,912
1881 historical 704 #5,166
1891 historical 683 #5,732
1901 historical 772 #5,804
1911 historical 50 #27,806
1997 modern 177 #19,018
1998 modern 188 #18,796
1999 modern 197 #18,400
2000 modern 193 #18,616
2001 modern 193 #18,334
2002 modern 186 #19,150
2003 modern 180 #19,347
2004 modern 177 #19,662
2005 modern 175 #19,727
2006 modern 183 #19,326
2007 modern 183 #19,553
2008 modern 190 #19,246
2009 modern 188 #19,797
2010 modern 196 #19,698
2011 modern 185 #20,288
2012 modern 181 #20,531
2013 modern 178 #21,108
2014 modern 178 #21,259
2015 modern 179 #21,069
2016 modern 181 #20,955

Geography

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Where Dunnets are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Canisbay, Wick, Edinburgh, Dunnet and Thurso. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Caithness North East, Gourock East, Greenock West and Lyle Road, Great Junction Street, Wick South and Caithness North West. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Canisbay Caithness
2 Wick Caithness
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Dunnet Caithness
5 Thurso Caithness

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Caithness North East Highland
2 Gourock East, Greenock West and Lyle Road Inverclyde
3 Great Junction Street City of Edinburgh
4 Wick South Highland
5 Caithness North West Highland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dunnet

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dunnet

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Dunnet surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Dunnet household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Dunnet 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

Dunnet is most concentrated in decile 2 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Dunnet falls in decile 5 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

1881 census detail

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Dunnet families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dunnet 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. Caithness leads with 494 Dunnets recorded in 1881 and an index of 523.92x.

County Total Index
Caithness 494 523.92x
Orkney 75 98.98x
Midlothian 43 4.66x
Aberdeenshire 15 2.35x
Suffolk 10 1.19x
Fife 9 2.21x
Angus 8 1.25x
Cambridgeshire 6 1.38x
Inverness-shire 5 2.43x
Kent 5 0.21x
Middlesex 5 0.07x
Royal Navy 4 4.87x
Lancashire 3 0.04x
Norfolk 3 0.28x
Ross-shire 3 1.59x
Surrey 3 0.09x
Sutherland 3 5.66x
Kincardineshire 2 2.38x
Lanarkshire 2 0.09x
Argyllshire 1 0.52x
Cheshire 1 0.07x
Cumberland 1 0.17x
Dunbartonshire 1 0.54x
Essex 1 0.07x
Glamorgan 1 0.08x
Morayshire 1 0.93x
Wigtownshire 1 1.09x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Canisbay in Caithness leads with 207 Dunnets recorded in 1881 and an index of 3344.10x.

Place Total Index
Canisbay 207 3344.10x
Wick 131 430.07x
Thurso 43 292.32x
Dunnet 40 1055.41x
Olrig 35 743.10x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 33 8.89x
South Ronaldshay 25 318.88x
Halkirk 14 219.44x
Kirkwall St Ola 14 123.35x
Aberdeen Old Machar 12 9.01x
Reay 10 193.42x
Walls Flotta 10 281.69x
Firth Stenness 9 276.92x
Ipswich St Nicholas 9 194.81x
Latheron 8 50.73x
Anstruther Easter 7 238.10x
Dundee 7 2.94x
Holm 7 275.59x
South Leith 7 6.74x
Bower 6 157.89x
Elm 6 140.52x
Portree 5 65.70x
Stromness 5 88.03x
Plumstead 4 5.11x
Avoch 3 75.19x
Billingford In Depwade 3 652.17x
Birsay Harray 3 54.55x
Camberwell 3 0.68x
Durness 3 128.76x
Rhynie 3 112.78x
Bromley London 2 1.32x
Church 2 17.33x
Edinburgh St Georges 2 10.44x
Arngask 1 77.52x
Barony 1 0.18x
Bervie 1 20.12x
Camerton 1 120.48x
Colchester All Sts 1 94.34x
Drainie 1 10.55x
Edinburgh St Marys 1 5.57x
Glenisla 1 53.48x
Govan 1 0.18x
Huyton With Roby 1 10.44x
Kensington London 1 0.26x
Lower Bebington 1 11.07x
Merthyr Tydfil 1 0.87x
Newmarket St Mary 1 15.53x
Nigg 1 14.41x
Old Kilpatrick 1 4.57x
Rousay Egilshay 1 37.74x
Saddell Skipness 1 36.63x
Shapinshay 1 43.48x
Shoreham 1 29.85x
St Monance 1 20.53x
St Pancras London 1 0.18x
Westminster St Margaret 1 3.01x
Whithorn 1 14.35x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 5
Annie 2
Elizabeth 2
A.B.C. 1
Alice 1
Bella 1
Ellen 1
Emm 1
Fanny 1
Florence 1
Hannah 1
Harriet 1
Margaret 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Dunnet 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 Dunnet households.

FAQ

Dunnet surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dunnet surname in 1881?

In 1881, 704 people were recorded with the Dunnet surname. That placed it at #5,166 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dunnet surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 181 in 2016. That gives Dunnet a modern rank of #20,955.

What does the Dunnet map show?

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