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Dunkan Family History

Dunkan Surname Meaning

Historically, surnames evolved as a way to sort people into groups - by occupation, place of origin, clan affiliation, patronage, parentage, adoption, and even physical characteristics (like red hair). Many of the modern surnames in the dictionary can be traced back to Britain and Ireland.


Similar surnames: Duncan, Dunkin, Dungan, Dunman, Durkan, Dunstan, Duan, Dunay, Dinan

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Dunkan family from?

You can see how Dunkan families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Dunkan family name was found in the USA, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Dunkan families were found in USA in 1880. In 1841 there were 8 Dunkan families living in Ayrshire. This was about 35% of all the recorded Dunkan's in Scotland. Ayrshire and 1 other county had the highest population of Dunkan families in 1841.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Dunkan surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1841
  • 1851
  • 1861
  • 1871
  • 1881
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What did your Dunkan ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Laborer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Dunkan. 47% of Dunkan men worked as a Laborer and 24% of Dunkan women worked as a Laborer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Dunkan were Wood Cutter and Stenographer.

View Census Data for Dunkan | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

United States shown, England data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    47%
  • Farmer
    19%
  • Salesman
    10%
  • Wood Cutter
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    24%
  • Waitress
    24%
  • Seamstress
    24%
  • Stenographer
    16%

What Dunkan family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 1,000 census records available for the last name Dunkan. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Dunkan census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Dunkan

Passenger Lists

There are 137 immigration records available for the last name Dunkan. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Dunkan immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 181 military records available for the last name Dunkan. For the veterans among your Dunkan ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Dunkan military records

You've only scratched the surface of Dunkan family history

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What is the average Dunkan lifespan?

Average Dunkan life expectancy in 1998 was 97 years. This was higher than the general public life expectancy which was 75.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Dunkan

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Dunkan ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Dunkan family tree

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