Boy · #3,690 in 2026

Dunbar

Dunbar is a town on the North Sea coast in East Lothian in the south-east of Scotland, approximately 30 miles east of Edinburgh and 30 mi (50 km) from the English border north of Berwick-upon-Tweed.

Current Rank
#3,690
Peak Rank
#2,915 (1914)
Total Babies
76
5-Yr Trend
Stable
1914
First Year
1949
Last Year
1914
Peak Year
#2915
Peak Rank
76
Total Count
14
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Dunbar

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Dunbar is a town on the North Sea coast in East Lothian in the south-east of Scotland, approximately 30 miles east of Edinburgh and 30 mi (50 km) from the English border north of Berwick-upon-Tweed.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Etymology
In its present form, the name Dunbar is derived from its Gaelic equivalent (modern Scottish Gaelic : Dùn Barra ), meaning "summit fort". That itself is probably a Gaelicisation of the Cumbric form din-bar , with the same meaning. This form seems to be attested as Dynbaer in the seventh-century Vita Sancti Wilfrithi .
Origin & history
Castle at Dunbar Harbour Seal of Dunbar from Groome's Gazetteer Seal of Dunbar from Samuel Lewis

The Story of Dunbar

Dunbar first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1914, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1914, when 6 Dunbars were born — ranking #2,915 that year. As of 2026, Dunbar ranks #3,690 for baby boys with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 76 Dunbars have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

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Names that sound like Dunbar

Phonetically similar names — useful when Dunbar is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Dunbar

What does the name Dunbar mean?
Dunbar is a town on the North Sea coast in East Lothian in the south-east of Scotland, approximately 30 miles east of Edinburgh and 30 mi (50 km) from the English border north of Berwick-upon-Tweed.
How popular is Dunbar in 2026?
In 2026, Dunbar ranks #3,690 among boys' names in the U.S., with 5 babies given the name that year.
When was Dunbar most popular?
Dunbar reached its peak popularity in 1914, ranking #2,915 that year with 6 babies given the name.
Is Dunbar a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Dunbar is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Dunbar?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Dunbar include Orphus, Wince, Ludvik. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Dunbar

Dunbar is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1914 and has accumulated 76 births in the dataset. Dunbar's peak popularity came in 1914 when it ranked #2,915. Use the chart and map above to compare Dunbar's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.