History of your Surname
Get access to Dunham family records.Start a free trial

Dunham Family History

Dunham Name Meaning

English: habitational name from any of the places called Dunham (Norfolk Nottinghamshire Cheshire). Most are named from Old English dūn ‘hill’ + hām ‘homestead’. A place in Lincolnshire now known as Dunholme appears in the Domesday Book as Duneham and this too serves as a source of the surname; here the first element is probably the Old English personal name Dunna. Dunham is often difficult to tell apart from Downham .

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Denham, Durham, Burnham, Downham, Derham, Winham, Benham, Canham

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

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Dunham family from?

You can see how Dunham families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Dunham family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Dunham families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 222 Dunham families living in New York. This was about 26% of all the recorded Dunham's in USA. New York had the highest population of Dunham families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Dunham surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1840
  • 1880
  • 1920
Mapbox
© Mapbox © OpenStreetMap Improve this map

What did your Dunham ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Teacher were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Dunham. 15% of Dunham men worked as a Farmer and 8% of Dunham women worked as a Teacher. Some less common occupations for Americans named Dunham were Truck Driver and Stenographer. .

View Census Data for Dunham | 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.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    15%
  • Laborer
    15%
  • Salesman
    5%
  • Truck Driver
    4%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Teacher
    8%
  • Housewife
    8%
  • Housekeeper
    7%
  • Stenographer
    6%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Dunham family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 175,000 census records available for the last name Dunham. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Dunham census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Dunham

Passenger Lists

There are 12,000 immigration records available for the last name Dunham. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Dunham immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 29,000 military records available for the last name Dunham. For the veterans among your Dunham ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Dunham military records

You've only scratched the surface of Dunham family history

Discover More

What is the average Dunham lifespan?

Between 1943 and 2004, in the United States, Dunham life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1943, and highest in 1998. The average life expectancy for Dunham in 1943 was 24, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Dunham

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Dunham family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Dunham last name

Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial