Explore the Family Name Dunwell
The meaning of Dunwell
English: 1. topographic or habitational name from Middle English don, dun(ne) ‘dark’ + wel(le) ‘water source, stream’. The name may be topographic, denoting someone who lived ‘(by the) dark stream’, or a habitational name from a place so named, such as Dunwell in Ugborough (Devon). It is likely that many instances of the surname derive from a lost or as yet unidentified place in Yorkshire. 2. from a Middle English continuation of the Old English personal name Dūnweald, from dūn ‘hill’ + weald ‘power’.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Dunwell in the United States?
According to data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Dunwell ranked 69,201 in popularity in 2000 and dropped slightly to 70,403 by 2010, a decrease of 1.74%. Despite the drop in rank, the actual count of individuals with the Dunwell surname increased from 265 in 2000 to 278 in 2010, showing an increase of 4.91%. The proportion per 100,000 people decreased by 10%, from 0.1 in 2000 to 0.09 by 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #69,201 | #70,403 | -1.74% |
| Count | 265 | 278 | 4.91% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.1 | 0.09 | -10% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Dunwell
The ethnic identity associated with the Dunwell surname has also witnessed some changes over the decade as per the data from the Decennial U.S. Census. In 2000, the majority of Dunwells identified as white (66.79%), but this percentage declined to 63.31% by 2010. Black Dunwells represented 25.28% in 2000 and saw a significant increase to 31.29% in 2010. The percentage of Dunwells identifying with two or more races decreased from 4.15% to 3.60%. There were no reported Dunwells identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native in either year. However, there was a noticeable drop in those identifying as Hispanic, from 2.26% in 2000 to zero by 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 66.79% | 63.31% | -5.21% |
| Black | 25.28% | 31.29% | 23.77% |
| Two or More Races | 4.15% | 3.6% | -13.25% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Hispanic | 2.26% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |