Dunham Family History

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Dunham Name Meaning

English (chiefly Norfolk): habitational name from any of several places called Dunham, of which one is in Norfolk. Most are named from Old English dun ‘hill’ + ham ‘homestead’. A place in Lincolnshire now known as Dunholme appears in Domesday Book as Duneham and this too may be a source of the surname; here the first element is probably the Old English personal name Dunna.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press


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

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Dunham Ethnicity Estimate

What are the common regions with the Dunham name?

These results combine data from everyone in the AncestryDNA® database with the last name Dunham. The Ancestry® ethnicity regions shown are top five most common on average for these people.

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  • England & Wales

    52%

  • Ireland & Scotland

    19%

  • Germanic Europe

    8%

  • Norway

    4%

  • Sweden

    3%

Your own DNA-based ethnicity estimate will differ from what you see here. To get your personalized ethnicity estimate, order an AncestryDNA® kit.order an AncestryDNA® kit.

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Dunham Family Origin

Where is the Dunham family from?

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1840
    1920
    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 the 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 the 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.

    View Census Data for Dunham

    Dunham Family Occupations

    What did your Dunham ancestors do for a living?

    In 1880, a less common occupation for the Dunham family was Carpenter. The most common Dunham occupation in the USA was Farmer. 37% of Dunham's were Farmers. Farmer, Keeping House and Laborer were the top 3 reported jobs worked by Dunham.

    View Census data for Dunham | Data not to scale

    • Farmer

      37%

    • Keeping House

      7%

    • Laborer

      6%

    • Carpenter

      3%

    Census records can tell you a lot of little known facts about your Dunham ancestors, such as occupation. Occupation can tell you about your ancestor's social and economic status.

    Dunham Historical Records

    What Dunham family records will you find?

    Census Record

    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 1940's US census records for Dunham

    Passenger List

    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 Card

    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.

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    Dunham Life Expectancy

    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

    An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Dunham 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.

    Famous Dunham Family Ancestors

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