NameCensus.

UK surname

Dunse

A Scottish surname meaning "a dunce" or "stupid person".

In the 1881 census there were 88 people recorded with the Dunse surname, ranking it #21,211 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 77, ranked #33,236, down from #21,211 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ladykirk, Melrose and Sorbie. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Newton Stewart, Chirnside and Area and Duns.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dunse is 106 in 2000. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 12.5%.

1881 census count

88

Ranked #21,211

Modern count

77

2016, ranked #33,236

Peak year

2000

106 bearers

Map years

2

1861 to 1998

Key insights

  • Dunse had 88 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #21,211 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 77 in 2016, ranked #33,236.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 104 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Dunse surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dunse surname density by area, 1998 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dunse 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 89 #18,446
1861 historical 104 #20,477
1881 historical 88 #21,211
1891 historical 94 #24,820
1901 historical 95 #23,462
1911 historical 14 #32,045
1997 modern 94 #27,781
1998 modern 103 #27,141
1999 modern 101 #27,617
2000 modern 106 #26,848
2001 modern 101 #27,252
2002 modern 99 #28,082
2003 modern 94 #28,686
2004 modern 97 #28,455
2005 modern 94 #28,973
2006 modern 91 #29,725
2007 modern 88 #30,515
2008 modern 92 #30,286
2009 modern 92 #30,820
2010 modern 94 #31,111
2011 modern 89 #31,659
2012 modern 82 #32,701
2013 modern 87 #32,472
2014 modern 84 #32,823
2015 modern 79 #33,127
2016 modern 77 #33,236

Geography

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Where Dunses are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ladykirk, Melrose, Sorbie, Chirnside and Tranent. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Newton Stewart, Chirnside and Area, Duns, Wycombe and West Devon. 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 Ladykirk Berwick
2 Melrose Roxburgh
3 Sorbie Wigtown
4 Chirnside Berwick
5 Tranent Haddington

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Newton Stewart Dumfries and Galloway
2 Chirnside and Area Scottish Borders
3 Duns Scottish Borders
4 Wycombe 019 Wycombe
5 West Devon 004 West Devon

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dunse

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dunse

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Dunse surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Dunse household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Dunse is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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 very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Dunse 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

Dunse falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Dunse

The surname Dunse is believed to have originated in Scotland during the medieval period. It is thought to be a locational name derived from the town of Dunse in Berwickshire, Scotland. The name Dunse itself is thought to come from the Old English words "dun" meaning hill and "ess" meaning meadow or pasture, referring to a hill meadow or pasture land.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Dunse can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which were a series of historical documents listing Scottish landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England during the Wars of Scottish Independence. The name appears as "Duns" in these rolls.

In the 16th century, a notable figure with the surname Dunse was John Dunse, a Scottish philosopher and theologian who lived from around 1570 to 1639. He was a prominent figure in the Scholastic tradition and is known for his work on the concept of univocity.

Another early bearer of the name was Sir Patrick Dunse, a Scottish landowner and politician who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He served as a member of the Parliament of Scotland and was involved in various political and legal matters during his lifetime.

In the 18th century, James Dunse was a Scottish architect who designed several notable buildings in Edinburgh, including the Assembly Rooms on George Street, which were completed in 1787.

In the 19th century, Mary Dunse was a Scottish poet and writer who published a collection of poems titled "Songs of the Gloaming" in 1866. She was born in Falkirk in 1816 and died in 1888.

Lastly, in the early 20th century, William Dunse was a Scottish painter and illustrator who was active in the early part of the century. He was known for his landscape paintings and illustrations for books and magazines.

While the surname Dunse is not as common as some other Scottish surnames, it has a rich history and has been borne by notable figures in various fields throughout the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dunse families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dunse 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. Berwickshire leads with 29 Dunses recorded in 1881 and an index of 279.11x.

County Total Index
Berwickshire 29 279.11x
Midlothian 24 20.87x
Wigtownshire 14 122.81x
Lanarkshire 9 3.24x
Selkirkshire 4 51.48x
Kirkcudbrightshire 3 24.15x
Dunbartonshire 1 4.33x
Glamorgan 1 0.67x
Hampshire 1 0.57x
Lancashire 1 0.10x
Roxburghshire 1 6.43x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Ladykirk in Berwickshire leads with 11 Dunses recorded in 1881 and an index of 8461.54x.

Place Total Index
Ladykirk 11 8461.54x
Edinburgh New North 10 1000.00x
Edrom 6 1333.33x
Old Monkland 6 54.45x
Dunse 5 505.05x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 5 10.81x
Old Luce 5 694.44x
Chirnside 4 888.89x
Melrose 4 205.13x
Sorbie 4 800.00x
South Leith 4 30.91x
Edinburgh St Stephens 3 132.74x
Eyemouth 3 344.83x
Govan 3 4.37x
Kelton 3 294.12x
Edinburgh Trinity 2 540.54x
Whithorn 2 229.89x
Wigtown 2 307.69x
Birkdale 1 38.76x
Inch 1 90.09x
Melrose 1 74.63x
Merthyr Tydfil 1 6.96x
Row 1 33.56x
Wymering 1 344.83x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Johana 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 1
William 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 Dunse households.

FAQ

Dunse surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dunse surname in 1881?

In 1881, 88 people were recorded with the Dunse surname. That placed it at #21,211 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dunse surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 77 in 2016. That gives Dunse a modern rank of #33,236.

What does the Dunse surname mean?

A Scottish surname meaning "a dunce" or "stupid person".

What does the Dunse map show?

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