Dunn as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Dunn

What is the meaning of the name Dunn ?

The baby name Dunn is a Male name , 1 syllables long and is pronounced /dʌn/ (DUN).

Dunn is Irish in Origin.

Dunn is an Anglophone given name derived from a surname with several roots. In English, it comes from Old English dunn, meaning “brown” or “dark,” once a nickname for someone with dark hair or complexion. In Ireland, it anglicizes the Gaelic Ó Duinn/Ó Doinn, “descendant of Donn,” with Donn likewise meaning “brown” and echoing the mythic figure Donn. Some lines are locational, linked to places named Dunn or to Gaelic dùn/Old English dūn, “fort” or “hill.”

Used as a surname since medieval times, Dunn entered given-name use in the Anglophone world in the 19th century, aligning with the surname-as-first-name trend. It is uncommon but steady, read mostly as masculine yet suitable as unisex. Variants and related forms include Dunne (especially Irish), Donne (English), and Donn (Gaelic). Meanings cluster around “brown/dark” and “fort/hill,” with few diminutives due to its crisp, one-syllable shape.

⚙ Dunn is an uncommon pick. Across 25 countries, we found 66 recorded uses of it.