NameCensus.

UK surname

Dunnington

A locational surname indicating someone from Dunnington, a place name in England.

In the 1881 census there were 260 people recorded with the Dunnington surname, ranking it #10,781 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 307, ranked #14,508, down from #10,781 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St Mary Bishopshill Junior, Halifax and Long Marston. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include East Riding of Yorkshire, East Lindsey and Doncaster.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dunnington is 362 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 18.1%.

1881 census count

260

Ranked #10,781

Modern count

307

2016, ranked #14,508

Peak year

1911

362 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dunnington had 260 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,781 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 307 in 2016, ranked #14,508.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 362 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Dunnington surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dunnington surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dunnington 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 125 #14,700
1861 historical 168 #13,895
1881 historical 260 #10,781
1891 historical 292 #11,351
1901 historical 349 #10,457
1911 historical 362 #10,020
1997 modern 299 #13,563
1998 modern 315 #13,452
1999 modern 314 #13,556
2000 modern 304 #13,791
2001 modern 297 #13,816
2002 modern 301 #13,962
2003 modern 282 #14,410
2004 modern 268 #14,995
2005 modern 275 #14,624
2006 modern 276 #14,700
2007 modern 268 #15,172
2008 modern 261 #15,597
2009 modern 273 #15,436
2010 modern 295 #14,911
2011 modern 291 #14,903
2012 modern 298 #14,565
2013 modern 319 #14,141
2014 modern 313 #14,406
2015 modern 314 #14,275
2016 modern 307 #14,508

Geography

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Where Dunningtons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St Mary Bishopshill Junior, Halifax, Long Marston, Bolton Percy and Warsill, Ripon (Newby-with-Mulwith, Ripon). These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to East Riding of Yorkshire, East Lindsey, Doncaster, Blaenau Gwent and Wakefield. 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 St Mary Bishopshill Junior Yorkshire, East Riding
2 Halifax Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Long Marston Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Bolton Percy Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Warsill, Ripon (Newby-with-Mulwith, Ripon) Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 East Riding of Yorkshire 026 East Riding of Yorkshire
2 East Lindsey 008 East Lindsey
3 Doncaster 002 Doncaster
4 Blaenau Gwent 006 Blaenau Gwent
5 Wakefield 024 Wakefield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dunnington

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dunnington

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Dunnington, 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 Dunnington surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Dunnington 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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Dunnington is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Dunnington is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Dunnington 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 Dunnington is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

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

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Dunnington

The surname Dunnington originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "dun" meaning hill and "ing" meaning a meadow or enclosure, combined with the suffix "ton" indicating a settlement or town. This suggests that the name likely referred to someone who resided near a hill or meadow settlement.

The earliest recorded spelling of the name dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Dunintone" and "Duningtuna". These entries refer to locations in Berkshire and Leicestershire, respectively, indicating that the name was initially associated with specific places.

One of the earliest documented individuals with the surname Dunnington was Robert de Dunnington, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1166. The Pipe Rolls were a series of financial records maintained by the English Exchequer, highlighting the name's presence in Yorkshire during the 12th century.

In the 13th century, the surname appeared in various forms, such as "Dunynton" and "Donyngton", reflecting the variations in spelling common during that era. One notable individual from this period was William de Dunnington, a landowner in Lincolnshire mentioned in the Feet of Fines records in 1243.

The name Dunnington is also associated with several place names in England, including Dunnington in Yorkshire, Dunnington in Warwickshire, and Dunnington in Somerset. These locations likely contributed to the spread and adoption of the surname by families residing in or near those areas.

Among the historical figures bearing the Dunnington surname was Sir John Dunnington (1561-1619), a prominent English merchant and Member of Parliament who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1611. Another notable individual was Richard Dunnington (1711-1785), an English clergyman and author who published several religious works.

In the 18th century, Thomas Dunnington (1732-1790) was a successful English portrait painter who achieved recognition for his works depicting aristocratic subjects. Additionally, George Dunnington (1767-1841) was a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars and rose to the rank of Rear Admiral.

The Dunnington surname has a rich history rooted in medieval England, with its origins likely stemming from geographical locations and evolving over centuries through various spellings and forms. Despite its modest beginnings, the name has been carried by individuals who have made significant contributions in fields such as politics, religion, art, and military service.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dunnington families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dunnington 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 167 Dunningtons recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.67x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 167 6.67x
Lincolnshire 27 6.68x
Middlesex 23 0.91x
Durham 14 1.86x
Kent 7 0.81x
Lancashire 6 0.20x
Nottinghamshire 5 1.47x
Suffolk 5 1.62x
Worcestershire 3 0.91x
Cheshire 1 0.18x
Royal Navy 1 3.32x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Alne in Yorkshire leads with 24 Dunningtons recorded in 1881 and an index of 5581.40x.

Place Total Index
Alne 24 5581.40x
Long Marston 12 3870.97x
St Marylebone London 12 8.90x
Leeds 11 7.78x
Tollerton 11 2500.00x
Castle Eden 10 1315.79x
Maltby Le Marsh 10 3846.15x
Healaugh 9 4500.00x
Louth 9 97.19x
York St Mary 9 86.79x
Bethnal Green London 8 7.29x
Garton On Wolds 8 1777.78x
Ripon 8 137.69x
Amotherby 7 2916.67x
Chatham 7 29.52x
Church Fenton 7 1555.56x
Helperby 7 1272.73x
Great Grimsby 6 23.40x
Manchester 6 4.45x
Raskelf 6 1463.41x
Nottingham St Mary 5 5.68x
Shotley 5 925.93x
South Milford 4 439.56x
York All Sts North 4 322.58x
Appleton Roebuck 3 789.47x
Castleford 3 32.89x
Harton 3 101.01x
Headingley Cum Burley 3 18.61x
Holy Trinity 3 4.98x
Northfield 3 47.92x
Southburn 3 3750.00x
Bilbrough 2 1176.47x
Clifford Cum Boston 2 88.89x
Dunnington In York 2 312.50x
Holy Trinity St Mary 2 52.49x
Newton Kyme Cum 2 1428.57x
Upper Poppleton 2 800.00x
Askham Bryan 1 384.62x
Chapel Allerton 1 26.67x
Cleckheaton 1 10.85x
Dewsbury 1 3.89x
Flawith 1 1666.67x
Greenford 1 212.77x
Hartlepool 1 9.36x
Huntington 1 196.08x
Macclesfield 1 4.03x
Mile End Old Town London 1 1.86x
New Village 1 133.33x
Royal Navy 1 3.89x
Sheriff Hutton W 1 140.85x
Skirbeck 1 44.25x
St Pancras London 1 0.49x
Thorner 1 123.46x
Upper Dunsforth W 1 1111.11x
Weaverthorpe 1 178.57x
Whaplode 1 72.46x
York Marygate St Olave 1 104.17x
York St Denis In 1 90.91x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 19
George 16
William 14
James 12
Henry 7
Joseph 7
Thomas 7
Alfred 5
Edward 4
Arthur 3
Charles 3
Harry 3
Jonathan 3
Walter 3
Albert 1
Atkinson 1
Benjamin 1
Charley 1
Chas. 1
Ed. 1
Eno 1
Ernest 1
Eward 1
Frederick 1
Jesse 1
Lively 1
Martin 1
Samuel 1
Thos. 1
Williamson 1

FAQ

Dunnington surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dunnington surname in 1881?

In 1881, 260 people were recorded with the Dunnington surname. That placed it at #10,781 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dunnington surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 307 in 2016. That gives Dunnington a modern rank of #14,508.

What does the Dunnington surname mean?

A locational surname indicating someone from Dunnington, a place name in England.

What does the Dunnington map show?

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