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Mcdowald Family History

Mcdowald 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: Mcdonald, Mcdowall, Mcdowell, Mahowald, Mcdougald, Macdonald, Coward

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

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Mcdowald family from?

You can see how Mcdowald families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Mcdowald family name was found in the USA, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Mcdowald families were found in USA in 1920. In 1851 there was 1 Mcdowald family living in Wigtownshire. This was 100% of all the recorded Mcdowald's in Scotland. Wigtownshire had the highest population of Mcdowald families in 1851.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Mcdowald surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1851
  • 1871
  • 1881
  • 1891
  • 1901
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What did your Mcdowald ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Waitress were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Mcdowald. 34% of Mcdowald men worked as a Laborer and 100% of Mcdowald women worked as a Waitress.

View Census Data for Mcdowald | 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

  • Laborer
    34%
  • Farmer
    34%
  • Clerk
    34%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Waitress
    100%

What Mcdowald family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 287 census records available for the last name Mcdowald. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Mcdowald census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Mcdowald

Passenger Lists

There are 74 immigration records available for the last name Mcdowald. 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 Mcdowald immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 100 military records available for the last name Mcdowald. For the veterans among your Mcdowald ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Mcdowald military records

You've only scratched the surface of Mcdowald family history

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What is the average Mcdowald lifespan?

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Mcdowald 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.

Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Mcdowald

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