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Dolan Family History

Dolan Surname Meaning

Irish: shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Dubhláin ‘descendant of Dubhshlán, a personal name from dubh ‘black’ + slán ‘challenge’. In some cases also an American shortened form of Slovenian Dolanc or Dolanec: vernacular variants of a habitational name for someone from any of numerous villages named Dol ‘small valley’.

Americanized form of French Daudelin.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Dolan family from?

You can see how Dolan families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Dolan family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Dolan families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 870 Dolan families living in Lancashire. This was about 42% of all the recorded Dolan's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Dolan families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Dolan surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Dolan ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Dolan. 22% of Dolan men worked as a General Labourer and 68% of Dolan women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Dolan were Incapacitated and Housemaid.

View Census Data for Dolan | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    22%
  • Builders Labourer
    7%
  • Dock Labourer
    4%
  • Incapacitated
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    68%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    4%
  • Domestic Servant
    3%
  • Housemaid
    2%

What Dolan family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 214,000 census records available for the last name Dolan. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Dolan census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Dolan

Passenger Lists

There are 45,000 immigration records available for the last name Dolan. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Dolan immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 40,000 military records available for the last name Dolan. For the veterans among your Dolan ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Dolan military records

You've only scratched the surface of Dolan family history

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What is the average Dolan lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Dolan life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1941, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Dolan in 1941 was 32, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Dolan

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Dolan ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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