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Dooley Family History

Dooley Surname Meaning

Irish: shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Dubhlaoich ‘descendant of Dubhlaoch’ a personal name composed of the elements dubh ‘black’ (see Duff) + laoch ‘warrior hero’.

English: possibly a variant of Duley, Dolley, and Olley.

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


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Where is the Dooley family from?

You can see how Dooley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Dooley family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Dooley families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 635 Dooley families living in Lancashire. This was about 36% of all the recorded Dooley's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Dooley families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Dooley 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 Dooley 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 Dooley. 18% of Dooley men worked as a General Labourer and 69% of Dooley women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Dooley were Incapacitated and Domestic Servant.

View Census Data for Dooley | 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
    18%
  • Builders Labourer
    9%
  • Dock Labourer
    6%
  • Incapacitated
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    69%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Housewife
    2%
  • Domestic Servant
    2%

What Dooley family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 143,000 census records available for the last name Dooley. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Dooley census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Dooley

Passenger Lists

There are 23,000 immigration records available for the last name Dooley. 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 Dooley immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 27,000 military records available for the last name Dooley. For the veterans among your Dooley ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Dooley military records

You've only scratched the surface of Dooley family history

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What is the average Dooley lifespan?

Between 1943 and 2004, in the United States, Dooley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Dooley in 1943 was 44, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Dooley

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Dooley 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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