The Dunham surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 22,362 people carried this name — #1,604 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 13,200 people counted. That is up 3% from 21,772 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Dunham surname

Habitational surname from any of various places in England, from Old English dūn (“hill”) + hām (“homestead”).

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Dunham» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a local name, from where the family lived: ‘of Dunham’.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 257 · public domain.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

189 families named Dunham, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 1,014 people lived in those households, 5.4 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 9 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Massachusetts 68
Connecticut 39
New York 30
Maine 13
Vermont 13
South Carolina 10
Rhode Island 6
Pennsylvania 3
Virginia 3
New Hampshire 2
North Carolina 2

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 238 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Dunham in American newspapers,
1894–1918.

Newspaper page from Sullivan Republican carrying the name Dunham
Sullivan Republican 1894-10-12
Newspaper page from The Daily Ardmoreite carrying the name Dunham
The Daily Ardmoreite 1912-04-25
Newspaper page from The Brattleboro Daily Reformer carrying the name Dunham
The Brattleboro Daily Reformer 1918-11-02

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 9,230 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Dunham in Australian newspapers,
1820s–2000s.

12,458 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Dunham. The most, 3,971, date from the 1930s. Queensland has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in Tasmania, at 3.3 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Queensland 6,292
Tasmania 2,340
Victoria 1,690
Western Australia 1,498
New South Wales 480
South Australia 111
ACT (Canberra) 27
Northern Territory 4

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Dunham.

Who carried it

People named Dunham,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Azariah Dunham
    Azariah Dunham 1718–1790
  • Esther Smith 1650–1690
  • Esther Smith 1650–1689
  • Esther Smith 1655–1690
  • Esther Smith 1655–1689
  • Mary Harlow 1659–1743

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Dunham,
in the records of 7 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States2,478 records

2,478 records of the Dunham name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 871
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 653
  • Other U.S. records 954
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Walter E. Dunham

    Born 1921 in Rhode Island. Enlisted 1942 at Providence; machine shop worker. U.S. Army Air Forces veteran of World War II; died 1999, buried at Colebrook Cemetery, Whitman, Massachusetts.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Richard Francis Dunham

    Born 1945; from Rochester, New York. U.S. Marine Corps, rifleman; killed in action 1967 in Quang Tri, South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Ethel Dunham

    Arrived at New York in 1905 aboard the Prinzess Irene from Genoa, Gibraltar and Naples, aged 20; farmer. Bound for Hartford.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 2,478 records for Dunham in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · City of Asheville (public domain, PDDL) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · New York State, Open NY (police and firefighter memorial rolls). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia327 records

327 records of the Dunham name in Australia
  • Tasmanian Names Index 110
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 86
  • Other Australian records 131
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record John Dunham

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Elphinstone, sailing from London in 1837. Native of Kelstern, Lincolnshire.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record James Dunham

    Arrived in Victoria in 1852 aboard the Lady Head, aged 25; Scottish.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Allan Kenneth Dunham

    Plumber of Shepparton, Victoria; died 2001.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 327 records for Dunham in Australia.

Counts: Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

Canada239 records

239 records of the Dunham name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 183
  • City of Winnipeg cemetery records 12
  • Other Canadian records 44
  1. The first page of an emigration file from Gündlingen, Baden, 1883
    Example: German emigration file, 1883
    Emigration record John Dunham

    Left New York in 1783 aboard the Ann & Elizabeth, bound for Port Roseway, aged 25.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Edna Mary Dunham

    Buried in 1965 at Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, Nova Scotia, aged 64.

    Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record William Matthie Gillam Dunham

    Died in service in 1941.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 239 records for Dunham in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Contains information provided by the City of Waterloo under licence. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Emigration file, Gündlingen, 1883, Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg, Staatsarchiv Freiburg B 694/1 Nr. 1389 (CC BY 4.0); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

United Kingdom11 records

11 records of the Dunham name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 6
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 5
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Phillip Dunham

    Buried in 1819 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 44.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record W. R. Dunham

    Machine Gun Corps. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Sus H. Dunham

    Buried in 1822 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 64.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Showing 3 of 11 records for Dunham in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand7 records

7 records of the Dunham name in New Zealand Christchurch City cemetery records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Emily J. Dunham

    Died 1945, aged 73; buried at Addington Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Dorothy Dunham

    Died 1916, aged 21; buried at Linwood Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Elizabeth Dunham

    Died 1896, aged 61; buried at Addington Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 7 records for Dunham in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

France2 records

2 records of the Dunham name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Laura Carolyn Dunham

    Born 1953 in the United States; died 1998 in Poitiers (Vienne).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record John Bell Dunham

    Born 1917 in Colne Angleterre (Angleterre); died 1999 in Cahors (Lot).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Netherlands2 records

2 records of the Dunham name in the Netherlands Dutch population registers
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Dorothy Dunham

    In the population register of 's-Gravenhage; born in Malden.

    Open Archives, Haags Gemeentearchief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Lee Dunham

    In the population register of 's-Gravenhage.

    Open Archives, Haags Gemeentearchief (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Dunham.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Dunham is.
A volume says what happened to it.

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