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Dowds Family History

Dowds Name Meaning

Irish (Antrim) and Scottish: variant of Dowd 1 with post-medieval excrescent -s.

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


Similar surnames: Douds, Dowdy, Dowd, Dowda, Downs, Dodds, Dods, Dowdey, Dowey, Gowdy

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

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Dowds family from?

You can see how Dowds families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Dowds family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Dowds families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 10 Dowds families living in Durham. This was about 37% of all the recorded Dowds's in United Kingdom. Durham had the highest population of Dowds families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Dowds surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Dowds ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Unpaid Domestic Duties was the top reported job for people in the United Kingdom named Dowds. 70% of Dowds women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. .

View Census Data for Dowds | 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 Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    70%
  • Clerk (dairy)
    30%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Dowds family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 4,000 census records available for the last name Dowds. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Dowds census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Dowds

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Dowds. 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 Dowds immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 1,000 military records available for the last name Dowds. For the veterans among your Dowds ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Dowds military records

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What is the average Dowds lifespan?

Between 1956 and 2004, in the United States, Dowds life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1970, and highest in 1972. The average life expectancy for Dowds in 1956 was 50, and 78 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Dowds

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