DUNN - more than just Scotland and Ireland origins?

[Stevie8485]

Having discovered that DUNN is a surname found in Denmark (FamilySearch), and Denmark showing in my autosomal DNA test (Ancestry and FTDNA) and no place of birth for my 3 x g grandfather Dunn (approx dob 1780's), I am very interested to discover how Dunns were in Denmark in at least the 1800's and presumably earlier.

Can anyone suggest how I might research that question? I really can't think where I might start or who the body might be to probe.

I attach a small sample of the FamilySearch births 1st page.   

Thank you.

[Radcliff]

Danishfamilysearch.com
a free to use site, census church books emigration,
have you looked at this site,
one chap named Anders Dunn aged 84 , death recorded in 1835,

[Spelk]

Seems like you wish to spend the next few years on a study of anyone in Denmark who happens to be called DUNN.
Why?
You have only flimsy evidence that they have any connection to you.
Maybe you should start by seeing if there is a One Names Study for that surname.

[Vance Mead]

Have you exhausted all of the records in Britain and Ireland? Parish records, census, wills, landholding, military, legal records, taxation, etc?

[Stevie8485]

Hello - thank you both for both your consideration and responses.

I think my question/point of how do I research this, is really not who is my (possible) ancestor but more, how come?, as there were apparently many, many Dunns in Denmark going back in time but the general theme in the UK is always that Dunns came from Ireland/Scotland originally, no mention of Scandinavian countries  - so how does Denmark arrive at having a very healthy Dunn population - and who to ask.

The name just isn't typically Danish when compared to all the dottirs and sons/sens.

Thank you

[Stevie8485]

Danishfamilysearch.com
a free to use site, census church books emigration,
have you looked at this site,
one chap named Anders Dunn aged 84 , death recorded in 1835,

I will look at this site, thank you.

[Stevie8485]

Have you exhausted all of the records in Britain and Ireland? Parish records, census, wills, landholding, military, legal records, taxation, etc?

I have nothing beyond some census records, occupation and death to go on. He just appears to 'arrive', a fully fledged adult but with no background.  It is certainly worth considering if there is something more in the way of a direction.

It isn't that I think he was Danish, as such,  but with the DNA I think understanding how come there are Dunns in Denmark could be useful, since it does not look to be typically Danish as a surname. Thank you.

[aghadowey]

Two problems that I can see here. Firstly is the assumption that ethnicity origins are accurate. There are many posts here which query the results from not just Ancestry but other companies. Quite simply they are estimates and subject to change based on the test samples available at the time.

Secondly, often surnames found in different countries may sound and even be spelt the same but have completely different origins. To give an example, I live in Ireland and my mother's maiden name is pronounced very, very similar to an Irish surname although the spelling is different.
However, the name is actually German and adopted by one of my ancestor (born as the result of a morganatic marriage) in the late 1600s. Further generations, and branches, changed the spelling every generation or two. The current spelling of my mother's surname only dates back to her grandfather.

Not sure how reliable this site is but might be worth taking a look at-
https://forebears.io/surnames/dunn

[shanreagh]

I think it would be worthwhile exploring the contention that Dunn/e does not look like a 'typically Danish surname'.  The Danes had words that have come from the German.  Dunn, with an umlaut over the 'u' is a German word.  (Thin)

Schleswig-Holstein that joins Denmark & Germany to the north has been part of Germany/German States at times. There was much journeying to and from Denmark/Germany and this took palce irrespective of the political boundaries at the time.

'The northern part of North Schleswig voted 70 percent to join Denmark, while the southern part voted 80 percent to remain within Germany. The northern part of North Schleswig thus became part of Denmark, and the southern portion became part of Germany. The resulting Danish-German boundary in Schleswig has lasted to the present day and is no longer a matter of contention. After World War II the German part of Schleswig was joined with Holstein to form the constituent state of the Federal Republic of Germany.'  WikiBritannica

I think that it would be worthwhile tracking back as far as you can in England etc.  While you may have Danish/Scandinavian origins it does not follow that it comes from the surname Dunn, unless you have proved this.  It may have come from other sources particularly if you are from the north of England around the ports on the east coast.