Explore the Family Name Dunford
The meaning of Dunford
English: 1. habitational name from Dunford Bridge, in Thurlstone (Yorkshire), so called from the river Don (a British name possibly meaning ‘river’) + Old English ford ‘ford’, or from Dunford House in Methley (Yorkshire), named in Old English as ‘Dunn’s ford’ (see Dunn 2). 2. variant of Durnford, a habitational name from Durnford in Wiltshire, arising from Old English dierne + ford ‘hidden ford’. Alternatively, the name may perhaps arise from Dunford, alias Durnford, in Addlestone (Surrey).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Dunford in the United States?
The surname Dunford experienced a slight decrease in popularity from 2000 to 2010, according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. In the year 2000, Dunford ranked 8,128th in terms of frequency among U.S. surnames and this ranking fell by 3.04% to 8,375th position in 2010. Despite the drop in rank, the actual number of people with the Dunford surname increased by 5.19%, from 3,757 in 2000 to 3,952 in 2010. However, when considering the proportion of Dunfords per 100,000 individuals in the U.S. population, there was a minor decrease of 3.6%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #8,128 | #8,375 | -3.04% |
| Count | 3,757 | 3,952 | 5.19% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.39 | 1.34 | -3.6% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Dunford
Analyzing the ethnic identity associated with the Dunford surname based on Decennial U.S. Census data, it is most prevalent among those identifying as White, with 91.70% in 2000 and 90.99% in 2010. This dominance decreased slightly over the decade. The proportion of Dunfords identifying as Black increased by 9.84%, from 4.47% in 2000 to 4.91% in 2010. Those reporting two or more races also saw an increase, specifically of 27.66%. Conversely, the percentages of Dunfords identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic, and American Indian/Alaskan Native all decreased over this period, by -6.98%, -2.74%, and -9.43% respectively.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 91.7% | 90.99% | -0.77% |
| Black | 4.47% | 4.91% | 9.84% |
| Two or More Races | 1.41% | 1.8% | 27.66% |
| Hispanic | 1.46% | 1.42% | -2.74% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.53% | 0.48% | -9.43% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.43% | 0.4% | -6.98% |
Dunford ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Dunford is British & Irish, which comprises 60.3% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (18.6%) and Eastern European (5.5%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Spanish & Portuguese, Italian, Indigenous American, and Ashkenazi Jewish.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 60.3% |
| French & German | 18.6% |
| Eastern European | 5.5% |
| Other | 15.6% |
Possible origins of the surname Dunford
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Dunford have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 93.40% |
| Lancashire, United Kingdom | 93.40% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 93.40% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 93.40% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 93.40% |
What Dunford haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Dunford is R-Y4355, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-Y4355 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-CTS241 and R-U152, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Putman, Abbott, Creamer, Shephard, Griffith, Phillips, Angus, Nash, Jones, Karr.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Dunford surname are: N, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Dunford have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Dunford" Surname 33.3%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Dunford" Surname 31.0%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Dunford" Surname 16.7%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Dunford" Surname 12.1%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Dunford?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Dunford are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition