NameCensus.

UK surname

Dunning

An English locational surname referring to someone from a place called Dunning, derived from the Old English for "hill pasture."

In the 1881 census there were 2,542 people recorded with the Dunning surname, ranking it #1,757 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 4,111, ranked #1,649, up from #1,757 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Dawley, Magna, Wellington, Wrockwardine, Eyton-on-the-Moors, Preston-on-the-Moors and Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Liverpool, Cannock Chase and Kensington and Chelsea.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dunning is 4,240 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 61.7%.

1881 census count

2,542

Ranked #1,757

Modern count

4,111

2016, ranked #1,649

Peak year

2002

4,240 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dunning had 2,542 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,757 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 4,111 in 2016, ranked #1,649.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 3,560 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Dunning surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dunning surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dunning 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 1,645 #1,749
1861 historical 1,681 #1,702
1881 historical 2,542 #1,757
1891 historical 2,673 #1,782
1901 historical 3,247 #1,717
1911 historical 3,560 #1,466
1997 modern 4,039 #1,601
1998 modern 4,230 #1,593
1999 modern 4,237 #1,604
2000 modern 4,196 #1,607
2001 modern 4,137 #1,588
2002 modern 4,240 #1,579
2003 modern 4,095 #1,606
2004 modern 4,108 #1,599
2005 modern 4,061 #1,601
2006 modern 4,047 #1,604
2007 modern 4,067 #1,612
2008 modern 4,051 #1,635
2009 modern 4,168 #1,626
2010 modern 4,220 #1,639
2011 modern 4,173 #1,639
2012 modern 4,087 #1,642
2013 modern 4,193 #1,632
2014 modern 4,198 #1,636
2015 modern 4,151 #1,642
2016 modern 4,111 #1,649

Geography

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Where Dunnings are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Dawley, Magna, Wellington, Wrockwardine, Eyton-on-the-Moors, Preston-on-the-Moors, Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside and London parishes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Liverpool, Cannock Chase, Kensington and Chelsea, Ryedale and Hambleton. 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 Dawley, Magna Shropshire
2 Wellington, Wrockwardine, Eyton-on-the-Moors, Preston-on-the-Moors Shropshire
3 Lanchester (Collierley, Kyo, Billingside, Medomsley, Ebchchester, Benfieldside, Heelyfield, Conside Durham
4 London parishes London 1
5 London parishes London 3

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Liverpool 059 Liverpool
2 Cannock Chase 005 Cannock Chase
3 Kensington and Chelsea 005 Kensington and Chelsea
4 Ryedale 008 Ryedale
5 Hambleton 004 Hambleton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dunning

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dunning

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

Dunning 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

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

Meaning and origin of Dunning

The surname Dunning originated from the Old English word "dun", meaning a hill or low ridge. It was a topographic name given to someone who lived on or near a hill. The name is derived from the place name Dunning, a village in Perthshire, Scotland, whose name is formed from the same Old English word.

The earliest recorded use of the surname Dunning dates back to the 13th century in Scotland. One of the earliest references to the name can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, which mention a John de Dunyn in 1293. The name also appears in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of homage letters to Edward I of England, where it is spelled as Dounyng.

In England, the name is found in various records, including the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, where it is recorded as Dunnyng. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also mention a Thomas de Dunninges in Oxfordshire.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname was William Dunning, a Scottish landowner who lived in the 14th century. He was granted lands in Dunning, Perthshire, by King David II of Scotland in 1362.

Another notable person with the name was Sir John Dunning (1731-1783), an English lawyer and politician. He served as Solicitor General for England and Wales from 1768 to 1770 and was later appointed Lord Chancellor of Great Britain.

In the United States, one of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Dunning was John Dunning, who was born in England in 1616 and immigrated to Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1638. He later settled in Newbury, Massachusetts.

Other notable individuals with the surname Dunning include:

1. Samuel Newton Dunning (1838-1922), an American lawyer and politician who served as Chief Justice of the Idaho Supreme Court. 2. Annie Hart Dunning (1847-1935), an American educator and author who founded the New York Cooking School. 3. Albert Elijah Dunning (1857-1923), an American artist and illustrator known for his depictions of American Indian life. 4. William Archibald Dunning (1857-1922), an American historian and professor at Columbia University. 5. John Dunning (1942-2011), an English writer and expert on crime fiction, best known for his reference works on the genre.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dunning families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dunning 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. Yorkshire leads with 427 Dunnings recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.74x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 427 1.74x
Middlesex 256 1.03x
Cheshire 253 4.62x
Lancashire 225 0.76x
Staffordshire 141 1.68x
Durham 122 1.65x
Dorset 121 7.43x
Hampshire 116 2.28x
Surrey 112 0.93x
Devon 93 1.80x
Somerset 81 2.03x
Shropshire 57 2.66x
Warwickshire 44 0.70x
Wiltshire 39 1.78x
Renfrewshire 38 1.98x
Norfolk 36 0.94x
Lanarkshire 34 0.42x
Kent 33 0.39x
Monmouthshire 31 1.73x
Derbyshire 26 0.67x
Gloucestershire 26 0.53x
Northumberland 24 0.65x
Cornwall 18 0.64x
Ayrshire 17 0.92x
Essex 14 0.29x
Sussex 12 0.29x
Berkshire 11 0.59x
Herefordshire 11 1.08x
Dunbartonshire 9 1.35x
Kirkcudbrightshire 9 2.51x
Lincolnshire 9 0.23x
Cumberland 8 0.37x
Hertfordshire 8 0.47x
Suffolk 8 0.26x
Wigtownshire 7 2.13x
Denbighshire 6 0.64x
Glamorgan 6 0.14x
Montgomeryshire 6 1.06x
Worcestershire 6 0.19x
Buckinghamshire 4 0.27x
Midlothian 4 0.12x
Northamptonshire 4 0.17x
Angus 3 0.13x
Cambridgeshire 3 0.19x
Leicestershire 3 0.11x
Royal Navy 3 1.02x
Westmorland 3 0.55x
Flintshire 2 0.30x
Isle of Man 2 0.43x
Oxfordshire 2 0.13x
Pembrokeshire 2 0.25x
Brecknockshire 1 0.20x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.10x
Carmarthenshire 1 0.10x
Channel Islands 1 0.14x
Dumfriesshire 1 0.18x
East Lothian 1 0.30x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Cannock in Staffordshire leads with 36 Dunnings recorded in 1881 and an index of 24.65x.

Place Total Index
Cannock 36 24.65x
Islington London 35 1.46x
Chelsea London 34 4.55x
Dawley 32 41.05x
Toxteth Park 31 3.11x
Walsall Foreign 30 6.94x
St Pancras London 27 1.35x
Bulkington 26 192.45x
Guisbrough 26 48.42x
Lambeth 25 1.16x
Everton 23 2.45x
Leeds 23 1.66x
Millbrook 22 17.19x
Monks Coppenhall 22 10.65x
Thornaby 22 23.96x
Battersea 21 2.30x
Nantwich 21 33.02x
Throwleigh 21 780.67x
Willenhall 21 13.39x
Barony 20 0.99x
Clapham 20 6.45x
Wootton Glanville 18 895.52x
Bishopstoke 17 130.27x
Liverpool 17 0.95x
Westbury 17 33.22x
Wolstanton 17 6.69x
Kilbarchan 15 25.70x
Paddington London 15 1.65x
Southampton St Mary 15 4.69x
Stranton 15 6.04x
Wareham Lady St Mary 15 119.33x
Creech St Michael 14 140.56x
Pickering 14 45.25x
Southrepps 14 189.70x
Chester St Oswald 13 13.12x
Darlington 13 4.56x
Kensington London 13 0.94x
Wilton In Pickering 13 909.09x
Ashton Under Lyne 12 1.87x
Camberwell 12 0.76x
Falmouth 12 12.08x
Frome 12 12.57x
Golborne David 12 1558.44x
Little Bolton 12 3.17x
Otterford 12 348.84x
Shoreditch London 12 1.12x
South Tawton 12 112.78x
Sowerby In Thirsk 12 81.14x
St George Hanover Square 12 2.75x
Wharton 12 40.25x
Kirkdale 11 2.22x
Spotland 11 3.36x
St Andrew Holborn London 11 10.25x
Sydling St Nicholas 11 232.07x
Trowbridge 11 11.35x
Bilsdale Midcable 10 173.91x
Bilsdale West Side 10 793.65x
Burslem 10 4.17x
Heaton Norris 10 5.97x
Loudoun 10 22.41x
Mile End Old Town London 10 1.89x
Newport 10 11.69x
Over 10 17.98x
Penton Grafton 10 254.45x
Portsea 10 1.00x
Sandal Magna 10 27.52x
St Marylebone London 10 0.76x
Wettenhall 10 546.45x
Baildon 9 19.45x
Bradford 9 6.53x
Burstock 9 559.01x
Elswick 9 3.06x
Fulham London 9 2.50x
Kells 9 109.36x
Monkwearmouth Shore 9 6.25x
Pickering Kingthorpe 9 323.74x
Poole St James 9 14.72x
Handley 8 343.35x
Stockton On Tees 8 2.25x
Taunton St Mary 8 10.92x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 185
Elizabeth 105
Sarah 80
Ann 65
Jane 54
Annie 44
Hannah 44
Margaret 37
Alice 33
Emma 33
Martha 29
Eliza 26
Ellen 21
Emily 21
Florence 18
Ada 16
Edith 16
Louisa 15
Harriet 14
Fanny 13
Maria 13
Catherine 12
Kate 12
Susan 12
Caroline 10
Rose 10
Anne 9
Charlotte 9
Jessie 9
Amelia 7
Clara 7
Harriett 7
Bessie 6
Eleanor 6
Elizth. 6
Frances 6
Julia 6
Matilda 6
Selina 6
Esther 5
Isabella 5
Rebecca 5
Agnes 4
Amy 4
Anna 4
Betsy 4
Eva 4
Helen 4
Lilly 4
Sophia 4

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 158
William 153
James 88
Thomas 83
George 67
Henry 53
Charles 43
Joseph 42
Robert 30
Alfred 25
Arthur 24
Richard 23
Edward 16
Walter 16
Samuel 15
Harry 13
Enoch 10
Frank 10
Frederick 10
Albert 9
Benjamin 9
Francis 9
Isaac 9
David 8
Wm. 8
Herbert 7
Amos 6
Christopher 6
Daniel 6
Edwin 6
Peter 6
Stephen 6
Ernest 5
Fred 5
Bernard 4
Hugh 4
Jesse 4
Lewis 4
Thos. 4
Tom 4
Alexander 3
Fredk. 3
Jacob 3
Jonathan 3
Robt. 3
Sydney 3
Willm. 3
Knapton 2
Leonard 2
Louis 2

FAQ

Dunning surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dunning surname in 1881?

In 1881, 2,542 people were recorded with the Dunning surname. That placed it at #1,757 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dunning surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 4,111 in 2016. That gives Dunning a modern rank of #1,649.

What does the Dunning surname mean?

An English locational surname referring to someone from a place called Dunning, derived from the Old English for "hill pasture."

What does the Dunning map show?

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