NameCensus.

UK surname

Doolin

An Irish toponymic surname referring to someone from Dúlainn, meaning "black pool" or "deep pool" in Gaelic.

In the 1881 census there were 78 people recorded with the Doolin surname, ranking it #22,500 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 261, ranked #16,309, up from #22,500 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Rossendale, Pembrokeshire and Cornwall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Doolin is 261 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 234.6%.

1881 census count

78

Ranked #22,500

Modern count

261

2016, ranked #16,309

Peak year

2016

261 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Doolin had 78 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #22,500 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 261 in 2016, ranked #16,309.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 78 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Doolin surname distribution map

The map shows where the Doolin surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Doolin surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Doolin over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 27 #28,467
1861 historical 46 #28,170
1881 historical 78 #22,500
1891 historical 60 #29,204
1901 historical 51 #28,492
1911 historical 45 #28,332
1997 modern 197 #17,792
1998 modern 201 #18,047
1999 modern 211 #17,662
2000 modern 209 #17,723
2001 modern 203 #17,787
2002 modern 213 #17,603
2003 modern 215 #17,286
2004 modern 214 #17,435
2005 modern 216 #17,283
2006 modern 215 #17,441
2007 modern 212 #17,803
2008 modern 209 #18,114
2009 modern 226 #17,587
2010 modern 236 #17,427
2011 modern 231 #17,530
2012 modern 233 #17,339
2013 modern 254 #16,603
2014 modern 256 #16,643
2015 modern 260 #16,361
2016 modern 261 #16,309

Geography

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Where Doolins are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Rossendale, Pembrokeshire, Cornwall, Rochdale and Derby. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Rossendale 004 Rossendale
2 Pembrokeshire 002 Pembrokeshire
3 Cornwall 071 Cornwall
4 Rochdale 008 Rochdale
5 Derby 028 Derby

Forenames

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First names often paired with Doolin

These lists show first names that appear often with the Doolin surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Doolin

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Doolin, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Doolin surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Doolin household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Doolin is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Doolin is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Doolin falls in decile 5 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Doolin is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

This describes the area pattern most associated with Doolin, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Doolin

The surname DOOLIN is of Irish origin, originating from the Irish Gaelic name Ó Dobhailén, which means "descendant of Dobhailén". Dobhailén is a personal name derived from the Irish words "dubh" meaning "dark" and "ail" meaning "rock". It is thought to have referred to someone who lived near a dark or black rock formation.

The earliest records of the name can be found in County Clare, Ireland, where the name was most prevalent in the Burren region. The name is closely associated with the town of Doolin, which was named after the family who were the local landowners and chieftains in the area during the Middle Ages.

In the Annals of the Four Masters, a historical chronicle of medieval Irish history, there are references to the Ó Dobhailén family as early as the 13th century. One notable mention is of Conor Ó Dobhailén, who was a leader of the clan in the late 1200s.

The name can also be found in the Irish Fiants, a collection of official records from the 16th and 17th centuries. These records show variations in spelling, such as Dooling, Doolin, and Dowling.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname was Cornelius Doolin (c. 1580-1655), a landowner and chieftain in County Clare. Another notable figure was Teige Doolin (c. 1620-1690), a poet and storyteller from the same region.

In later centuries, the name spread beyond Ireland as individuals emigrated to other parts of the world. Some notable bearers of the name include:

1. Charles Hallett Doolin (1824-1905), an American businessman and politician from Ohio. 2. James Hugh Doolin (1858-1935), an American jurist and judge from Oklahoma. 3. William Edward Doolin (1858-1896), an American outlaw and leader of the Doolin-Dalton gang in the American Old West. 4. Paul Doolin (1909-1992), an American baseball player and manager in the Major Leagues. 5. William Patrick Doolin (1928-2016), an American Roman Catholic priest and bishop of the Diocese of Las Vegas.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Doolin families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Doolin surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lancashire leads with 29 Doolins recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.17x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 29 3.17x
Lanarkshire 12 4.82x
Kent 8 3.04x
Ayrshire 6 10.41x
Middlesex 6 0.78x
Staffordshire 6 2.31x
Dunbartonshire 3 14.49x
Cornwall 2 2.29x
Lincolnshire 2 1.62x
Hampshire 1 0.63x
Royal Navy 1 10.89x
Warwickshire 1 0.51x
West Lothian 1 8.62x
Yorkshire 1 0.13x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 18 Doolins recorded in 1881 and an index of 32.42x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 18 32.42x
Barony 9 14.27x
Church 7 542.64x
Greenwich 6 48.94x
Newcastle Under Lyme 6 130.43x
St Botolph Aldgate London 6 377.36x
St Quivox 5 256.41x
Chorlton On Medlock 4 27.55x
Hamilton 3 43.17x
Old Kilpatrick 3 122.45x
Antony 2 238.10x
Boston 2 53.48x
Deptford St Nicholas 2 95.69x
Boness 1 62.50x
Old Cumnock 1 78.13x
Preston 1 238.10x
Princethorpe 1 1250.00x
Royal Navy 1 12.74x
Swarraton 1 3333.33x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Doolin surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Doolin surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 6
Thomas 6
James 3
George 2
Patrick 2
Richard 2
William 2
Christopher 1
Daniel 1
Edward 1
Frances 1
Joseph 1
Martin 1
Maurice 1
Michael 1
Owan 1
Philip 1
W.Jas. 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Doolin households.

FAQ

Doolin surname: questions and answers

How common was the Doolin surname in 1881?

In 1881, 78 people were recorded with the Doolin surname. That placed it at #22,500 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Doolin surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 261 in 2016. That gives Doolin a modern rank of #16,309.

What does the Doolin surname mean?

An Irish toponymic surname referring to someone from Dúlainn, meaning "black pool" or "deep pool" in Gaelic.

What does the Doolin map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Doolin bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.