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Dowling Family History

Dowling Surname Meaning

Irish (Leinster): variant of Dolan or a shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Dúnlaing, a North Leinster name meaning ‘descendant of Dúnlang’, an early personal name.

Anglicized forms can be indistinguishable from those of Ó Dubhlainn and Ó Dubhláin.

English: variant of Dolling, probably a nickname from an unrecorded Middle English word dolling douling ‘dull fellow’.

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


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Where is the Dowling family from?

You can see how Dowling families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Dowling family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Dowling families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 760 Dowling families living in London. This was about 21% of all the recorded Dowling's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Dowling families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Dowling 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 Dowling 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 Dowling. 10% of Dowling men worked as a General Labourer and 67% of Dowling women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Dowling were Painter and Domestic Servant.

View Census Data for Dowling | 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
    10%
  • Builders Labourer
    5%
  • Bricklayer
    4%
  • Painter
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    67%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Domestic Servant
    2%

What Dowling family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 195,000 census records available for the last name Dowling. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Dowling census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Dowling

Passenger Lists

There are 33,000 immigration records available for the last name Dowling. 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 Dowling immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 26,000 military records available for the last name Dowling. For the veterans among your Dowling ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Dowling military records

You've only scratched the surface of Dowling family history

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What is the average Dowling lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Dowling life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1946, and highest in 1997. The average life expectancy for Dowling in 1941 was 31, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Dowling

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Dowling 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 Dowling family tree

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