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Dowl Family History

Dowl Surname Meaning

Historically, surnames evolved as a way to sort people into groups - by occupation, place of origin, clan affiliation, patronage, parentage, adoption, and even physical characteristics (like red hair). Many of the modern surnames in the dictionary can be traced back to Britain and Ireland.


Similar surnames: Doll, Dow, Dowd, Down, Dowe, Sowl, Dore, Low, Don, Sol

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Dowl family from?

You can see how Dowl families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Dowl family name was found in the USA, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Dowl families were found in USA in 1880. In 1851 there were 4 Dowl families living in Shetland. This was 100% of all the recorded Dowl's in Scotland. Shetland had the highest population of Dowl families in 1851.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Dowl surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1851
  • 1871
  • 1881
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What did your Dowl ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer was the top reported job for people in the USA named Dowl. 42% of Dowl men worked as a Farmer.

View Census Data for Dowl | 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.

United States shown, England data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    42%
  • Laborer
    42%
  • Logging
    17%

What Dowl family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 1,000 census records available for the last name Dowl. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Dowl census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Dowl

Passenger Lists

There are 97 immigration records available for the last name Dowl. 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 Dowl immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 372 military records available for the last name Dowl. For the veterans among your Dowl ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Dowl military records

You've only scratched the surface of Dowl family history

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What is the average Dowl lifespan?

Between 1974 and 2004, in the United States, Dowl life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1995, and highest in 1993. The average life expectancy for Dowl in 1974 was 68, and 67 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Dowl

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Dowl 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.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Dowl family tree

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