This surname is derived from a geographical locality. 'at the dun'; Middle English dun, a hill; v. Downe.

Thomas de la Dune, Close Roll, 2 Edward I.

Gilbert atte Dune, Essex, 1273. Hundred Rolls.

Gilbert de la Dune, or Dunne, Essex, ibid.

Henry de la Dun, Devon, Henry III— Edward I: Testa de Nevill, sive Liber Feodorum, temp. Henry III-Edward I.

(a) Nick, 'the dun, 'a dull brown, a name given from the complexion of the bearer. 'Dunne of hewe': Rom. of Rose, 1213.

Simon le Dun, Derbyshire, Henry III-Edward I: Testa de Nevill, sive Liber Feodorum, temp. Henry III-Edward I.

William le Dunne, Devon, 1273. Hundred Rolls.

Robert le Dun, Norfolk, ibid.

William le Dun. Calendarium Inquisitionum Post Mortem.

1597. Married — Richard Whitbey and Janne Dunne: St. James, Clerkenwell.

(1) of local or territorial origin, perhaps from Dun in Angus. Adam de Dun was elected to the deanery of Moray in 1255 (Pap. Lett., I, p. 325), and William de Dun, perhaps a relative, was dean there in 1268 (REM., p. 279). Patrick de Dun was canon of Glasgow c. 1290 (REG., p. 200), John de Dwne, burgess of Edinburgh, 1428 (RMS., II, 116), and John Dun held a land in Edinburgh before 1467 (Neubotle, 299). David Dun appears in Aberdeen in 1442 (CRA., p. 367), Hugh Dun had precept of remission at Abirbrothok, 1492 (RSS., I, 16), Edward Dwn was tenant in Wester Micras (Mecray) in 1539 (ER., XVII, p. 659), William Dyn witness in Perth, 1551 (Rollok, 105), and James Dun was a retainer of Stewart of Invermeith, 1579 (RPC., III, p. 126,155). Charles Dune, dyer, was burgess of Aberdeen before 1673 (Retours, Aberdeen, 413). (2) Celtic donn, 'brown,' was early naturalized in Old English as dunn, 'dun,' 'dingy,' hrown,' and became an Old English personal name, Dun, Dunna, Dunne. Malcolm, son of David Dunne of Conestablestoun, quitclaimed to the bishop of Glasgow the lands of Tor or Windilawes in the territory of Edulfistune between 1260—68 (REG., p. 175). Thomas Dun was hanged at Elgin in 1296 for stealing books and vestments from the church (Bain, II, p. 190). Dwn and Dynne 1613.

V. the commoner form Dunn.

Dun, Dunne, Dunna, were Anglo-Saxon personal names, and Done, Donne, &c. are in Domesd. Kemble considers them "adjectives relating to the dark colour of the persons," but Mr. Ferguson rather fancifully connects them with thunder, and with Thor, the god of thunder. But that the surname is sometimes local is shown by its H.R. forms, De Dun, De la Dune, &c. Anglo-Saxon, dun, a hill.

Local: from the parish of Dun in Forfarshire.

Local. From the parish of Dun, Forfarshire, Scotland, derived from the Gaelic Ban, a hill or rising ground, a fort or castle.

Gaelic, Dun, a heap, hill, mount; a fortress, a castle, fastness, a tower. Dunn, Saxon, brown, of a dark color, swarthy.

Dun: (Celtic), a fortress, but also a hill: Dunmere, Furzedon, Hambledon. Surname Dunn.

Dunn. —This ancient name has three separate homes, the principal one in Northumberland and in the North and East Ridings in the north of England, whence it extends into southern Scotland, another in the midland counties of Warwick and Worcester, and a third in the south of England in Dorset and Devon. In the reigns of Edward I. and Henry III. the surname of Dun was particularly frequent in the east of England, especially in Essex. There are three or four different explanations of the name, all of which may be in some regions correct. Thus it may refer to the dark complexion of the person in one locality, or it may be derived from Dun or Dunne, an Anglo - Saxon personal name in another, or it may have a local signification from the Saxon "dun," a hill in a third locality, since De Dun occurs in the Hundred Rolls. It is, however, possible that it may also be a contraction of Dunning, seeing that in the four counties in which Dunning occurs it is always associated with several Dunns. Dunning has, like Dunn, the same three centres of distribution—in the north, in the North and East Ridings, in the Midlands, in Warwickshire, and in the south of England in Dorset and Devon.