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Dowland Family History

Dowland Surname Meaning

English (Dorset): habitational name from Dowland in Devon possibly named from Old English dūfe ‘dove’ + land ‘open country’. The name is pronounced with the first element rhyming with owl but it may have been confused with and absorbed by Dolling also a Devon name (see Dollins).

The name may also be a post-medieval variant of Dolling (see Dollins) with shortening of -ing to /ən/ as in Dowlen to which excrescent -d was added at will.

Irish: probably a variant of Dowlin or Dolan.

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


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Where is the Dowland family from?

You can see how Dowland families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Dowland family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Dowland families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 62 Dowland families living in Dorset. This was about 25% of all the recorded Dowland's in United Kingdom. Dorset had the highest population of Dowland families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Dowland 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 Dowland ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Police Constable and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Dowland. 50% of Dowland men worked as a Police Constable and 79% of Dowland women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Dowland were Stone Quarrier and Housewife.

View Census Data for Dowland | 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

  • Police Constable
    50%
  • Stone Quarrier
    50%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    79%
  • Housekeeper
    7%
  • Domestic Servant
    7%
  • Housewife
    4%

What Dowland family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 6,000 census records available for the last name Dowland. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Dowland census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Dowland

Passenger Lists

There are 745 immigration records available for the last name Dowland. 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 Dowland immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 782 military records available for the last name Dowland. For the veterans among your Dowland ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Dowland military records

You've only scratched the surface of Dowland family history

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What is the average Dowland lifespan?

Between 1959 and 2004, in the United States, Dowland life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1991, and highest in 1985. The average life expectancy for Dowland in 1959 was 53, and 82 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Dowland

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Dowland 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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