DUNN - more than just Scotland and Ireland origins?

[GR2]

According to Black's Surnames of Scotland, the name Dunn has two likely origins. First from the place in Angus called Dun, secondly from the Celtic donn, meaning brown. The latter also gave rise to Dunn/Dunna/Dunne as an Old English personal name.

The Danish name might have arisen quite independently there. In addition, there were Scottish merchants and mercenaries in Scandinavian countries in the 15th - 17th centuries.

It is far more likely that your ancestor has origins in Britain which you have yet to unearth. If he did indeed come from Denmark, there is probably more likelihood of finding evidence for it here than in Denmark.

What was his occupation?

[Stevie8485]

Hi.  Thank you - lots to think about there.  My cousin's Ydna brings up many, many Scandinavian matches which, together with my Danish Ancestry results, made me think there was may be something in this that would justify understanding the Danish Dunn aspect.

My brother raised that point of merchants and mercenaries - they could provide dna but would they have left surnames behind them, unless they settled of course ... the point about Dunn may have arisen independently there would be worth understanding too - another contributor suggested that. 

His occupation:  He first appears as a stonemason and then morphs to a taxidermist from which he became an 'ornithologist'.  I only know he was 'born out of County', which isn't much help.  Lots of Dunns around!

Thank you again for your input, this is going to be interesting!

[davecapps]

Here´s Peder Dunn and Arnold Marinus

https://www.danishfamilysearch.com/cid20169330

[davecapps]

Here´s another. Jane Dunn
died 1965
born England 1899
married to the Wholesaler Christian Jannsen Jörgensen
22 Jan 1947 in Northumberland

[Stevie8485]

Hi Dave - thank you for passing on the details of this website, really kind of you - should be very interesting and definitely worth exploring. 

[Stevie8485]

  I just want to thank everyone for some really useful thoughts, ideas and research possibilities.  I'll be trying to answer my question in the New Year. Thank you again. 

[Rena]

I also like to use distribution of surname maps, such as this familyearch one:-

https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/DUNN.html

[Stevie8485]

Thank you, I was just looking at a similar website 'Forebears' - I'll compare the two.  I have also discovered that Dunn is an Icelandic name (it has an accent over the 'u' and in that context is actually an old Norse name) via nordicnames.de - it all just helps to build that general picture.  I'm just hoping to reach some understanding of how it is we have so many Scandinavian Ydna matches.👍

[Rena]

In the far reaches of my mind is the recollection of our school teacher informing us of the time the Vikings sailed down the River Humber on the east coast of England, and after pillaging and plundering demanded a ransome called "Danegeld" be paid to them regularly in order that they wouldn't attack the people again.  Eventually the vikings became peacable people.

When I was young the term "gelt" (geld) was often used by my dad when he asked if my mother had any loose gelt (cash).