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Dunstan Family History

Dunstan Surname Meaning

English:: from a Middle English personal name Dunstan (Old English Dūnstān) from dūn ‘hill’ + stān ‘stone’. This name was borne by a 10th-century archbishop of Canterbury who was later canonized.

Habitational name from Dunston (Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk) from the Old English personal name Dunn + tūn ‘settlement’. Occasionally the name may also arise from Dunstan (Northumberland) from Old English dūn ‘hill’ + stān ‘stone’.

Variant of Cornish Dunstone, a habitational name from Dunstone near Ermington (in Yealmpton, Devon) or perhaps from Dunstone near Widdecombe (Devon).

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


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Where is the Dunstan family from?

You can see how Dunstan families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Dunstan family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Dunstan families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 13 Dunstan families living in Ontario. This was about 42% of all the recorded Dunstan's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Dunstan families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Dunstan surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Dunstan ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Servant were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Dunstan. 72% of Dunstan men worked as a Farmer and 100% of Dunstan women worked as a Servant.

View Census Data for Dunstan | 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 1921

  • Farmer
    72%
  • Merchant
    29%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Servant
    100%

What Dunstan family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 58,000 census records available for the last name Dunstan. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Dunstan census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Dunstan

Passenger Lists

There are 8,000 immigration records available for the last name Dunstan. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Dunstan immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 3,000 military records available for the last name Dunstan. For the veterans among your Dunstan ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Dunstan military records

You've only scratched the surface of Dunstan family history

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What is the average Dunstan lifespan?

Between 1951 and 2004, in the United States, Dunstan life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1957, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Dunstan in 1951 was 70, and 63 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Dunstan

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Dunstan 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.

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