Dunlap surname meaning

Dunlap is a Scottish habitational surname from the place Dunlop near Kilmarnock in Ayrshire. DAFN derives the name from Gaelic dùn, “fort,” plus a second element often explained as lápach, “muddy.” Local tradition also links the site to a fortified hill beside a bend of the Glazert Burn. Dunlop is the older Scottish spelling; Dunlap became common in North America, and Delap appears in some records. Traditional Scottish stress fell on the second syllable, though first-syllable stress is now usual. Place is high confidence for the Dunlop habitational origin that dictionary sources treat as primary.