NameCensus.

UK surname

Duns

In the 1881 census there were 81 people recorded with the Duns surname, ranking it #22,082 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 101, ranked #30,929, down from #22,082 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ford, Duns and Newcastle All Saints. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Northumberland, IZ18 and Holytown.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Duns is 133 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 24.7%.

1881 census count

81

Ranked #22,082

Modern count

101

2016, ranked #30,929

Peak year

1901

133 bearers

Map years

5

1861 to 2016

Key insights

  • Duns had 81 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #22,082 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 101 in 2016, ranked #30,929.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 133 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Duns surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Duns surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Duns 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 55 #23,413
1861 historical 121 #18,148
1881 historical 81 #22,082
1891 historical 131 #20,073
1901 historical 133 #19,372
1911 historical 81 #24,719
1997 modern 89 #28,490
1998 modern 88 #29,131
1999 modern 96 #28,326
2000 modern 92 #28,832
2001 modern 90 #28,793
2002 modern 96 #28,534
2003 modern 99 #27,871
2004 modern 100 #27,964
2005 modern 100 #28,025
2006 modern 100 #28,283
2007 modern 96 #29,339
2008 modern 100 #29,001
2009 modern 104 #28,982
2010 modern 97 #30,697
2011 modern 96 #30,721
2012 modern 96 #30,949
2013 modern 94 #31,656
2014 modern 100 #31,033
2015 modern 96 #31,624
2016 modern 101 #30,929

Geography

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Where Duns' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ford, Duns, Newcastle All Saints, Edinburgh and Newcastle St John. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Northumberland, IZ18, Holytown and Newcastle upon Tyne. 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 Ford Northumberland
2 Duns Berwick
3 Newcastle All Saints Northumberland
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Newcastle St John Northumberland

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Northumberland 003 Northumberland
2 IZ18 East Lothian
3 Northumberland 004 Northumberland
4 Holytown North Lanarkshire
5 Newcastle upon Tyne 001 Newcastle upon Tyne

Forenames

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First names often paired with Duns

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Duns

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Duns 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

Duns is most concentrated in decile 1 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.

1
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

1881 census detail

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Duns families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Duns 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. Northumberland leads with 30 Duns' recorded in 1881 and an index of 25.21x.

County Total Index
Northumberland 30 25.21x
Berwickshire 17 175.44x
Midlothian 13 12.13x
Surrey 7 1.80x
Durham 6 2.52x
Dumfriesshire 2 11.32x
Gloucestershire 2 1.27x
Derbyshire 1 0.80x
Lancashire 1 0.11x
Leicestershire 1 1.13x
Royal Navy 1 10.49x
Yorkshire 1 0.13x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Dunse in Berwickshire leads with 16 Duns' recorded in 1881 and an index of 1739.13x.

Place Total Index
Dunse 16 1739.13x
Hexham 9 489.13x
Alnwick 8 390.24x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 7 16.24x
Durham St Nicholas 6 1034.48x
Edinburgh St Georges 6 270.27x
Putney 6 164.38x
Branxton 5 8333.33x
Elswick 5 52.63x
Berwick Upon Tweed 3 119.05x
Bristol St George 2 27.55x
Glencairn 2 416.67x
Batley 1 13.28x
Coldstream 1 142.86x
Golborne 1 80.65x
Newington 1 3.38x
Ripley 1 64.52x
Sheepshed 1 81.97x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 6
John 4
James 3
Alexander 2
George 2
Ralph 2
Harald 1
Joseph 1
Lancelot 1
Oscar 1
Rasmus 1
Robt. 1
Timothy 1

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 Duns households.

FAQ

Duns surname: questions and answers

How common was the Duns surname in 1881?

In 1881, 81 people were recorded with the Duns surname. That placed it at #22,082 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Duns surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 101 in 2016. That gives Duns a modern rank of #30,929.

What does the Duns map show?

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