NameCensus.

UK surname

Dooling

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic surname Ó Dúbhlóinne, meaning "descendant of Dúbhlóinne".

In the 1881 census there were 92 people recorded with the Dooling surname, ranking it #20,709 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 131, ranked #26,004, down from #20,709 in 1881.

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

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dooling is 150 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 42.4%.

1881 census count

92

Ranked #20,709

Modern count

131

2016, ranked #26,004

Peak year

1999

150 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dooling had 92 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #20,709 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 131 in 2016, ranked #26,004.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 92 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Suburban Professionals.

Dooling surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dooling surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dooling 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 61 #22,412
1861 historical 73 #24,492
1881 historical 92 #20,709
1891 historical 64 #28,781
1901 historical 89 #24,154
1911 historical 78 #25,013
1997 modern 140 #22,031
1998 modern 146 #22,031
1999 modern 150 #21,826
2000 modern 141 #22,648
2001 modern 134 #23,037
2002 modern 133 #23,585
2003 modern 133 #23,359
2004 modern 130 #23,902
2005 modern 124 #24,529
2006 modern 133 #23,711
2007 modern 131 #24,282
2008 modern 138 #23,763
2009 modern 145 #23,473
2010 modern 150 #23,482
2011 modern 142 #24,182
2012 modern 141 #24,258
2013 modern 138 #25,020
2014 modern 135 #25,581
2015 modern 133 #25,729
2016 modern 131 #26,004

Geography

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Where Doolings 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 Barnsley, Bradford, Cornwall and Daventry. 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 Barnsley 017 Barnsley
2 Bradford 022 Bradford
3 Cornwall 041 Cornwall
4 Daventry 002 Daventry
5 Bradford 055 Bradford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dooling

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dooling

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Dooling, 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

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Suburban Professionals

Nationally, the Dooling surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Suburban Professionals, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Dooling household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Employment in this Group is typically in managerial and professional occupations, and education to degree level is common. Residents are typically of working age, many of whom identify with an Indian ethnicity. Households are unlikely to be of Mixed or Multiple ethnicities, and English is not the main language used in some households. This Group is found on the outskirts of most conurbations as well as in the suburbs of some free-standing towns.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Dooling is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Dooling 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

Dooling falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Dooling is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Dooling

The surname Dooling has its roots in Ireland, originating as an Anglicized version of the Gaelic name Ó Dubhlaoich, which means "descendant of the dark-haired hero." This name was originally borne by families from the Leinster and Munster regions of Ireland, particularly in counties Kilkenny and Tipperary.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Dooling date back to the 16th century. In 1566, a John Dooling was listed in the Fiants of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth in Ireland. The name also appears in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century.

During the Plantation of Ulster in the early 17th century, many Irish families, including those bearing the Dooling surname, were displaced from their ancestral lands and resettled in other parts of Ireland or emigrated to other countries. This contributed to the spread of the name beyond its original geographic boundaries.

Notable individuals with the surname Dooling include Richard Dooling (1948-2021), an American author and screenwriter known for his works such as Bet a Million and Crimson Snow. John Dooling (1787-1862) was an Irish-American Catholic priest who served in the Diocese of Charleston, South Carolina, and played a significant role in establishing Catholic institutions in the region.

Mary Dooling (1803-1884) was an Irish-born American entrepreneur and philanthropist who co-founded the Dooling Brothers Company, a successful shipping and mercantile business in New Orleans. Her brother, Michael Dooling (1805-1858), was her business partner and also an influential figure in the city's commercial and civic affairs.

Patrick Dooling (1857-1939) was an Irish-American labor leader and politician who served as the first Catholic mayor of Troy, New York, from 1900 to 1902. He was actively involved in the labor movement and advocated for workers' rights.

Despite its Irish origins, the Dooling surname has spread globally and can be found in various parts of the world today, reflecting the impact of migration and cultural exchange over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dooling families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dooling 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. Surrey leads with 26 Doolings recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.95x.

County Total Index
Surrey 26 5.95x
Lancashire 25 2.35x
Yorkshire 10 1.12x
Middlesex 9 1.00x
Warwickshire 7 3.09x
Kent 5 1.63x
Hampshire 3 1.63x
Anglesey 2 12.58x
Suffolk 2 1.83x
Denbighshire 1 2.95x
Durham 1 0.37x
Essex 1 0.56x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bermondsey in Surrey leads with 8 Doolings recorded in 1881 and an index of 29.94x.

Place Total Index
Bermondsey 8 29.94x
Manningham 8 72.99x
Southwark St George Martyr 8 44.30x
Birmingham 6 7.95x
Chatham 5 59.38x
Croydon 5 20.60x
Toxteth Park 5 13.87x
Blackburn 4 14.12x
Camberwell 4 6.98x
Liverpool 4 6.18x
Orell Ford 4 2000.00x
Ratcliffe London 4 80.65x
Salford 3 9.58x
St Pancras London 3 4.15x
Bowling 2 22.70x
Holyhead 2 67.34x
Manchester 2 4.18x
Alcester 1 133.33x
Aldershot 1 16.23x
Bishopwearmouth 1 4.36x
Bootle Cum Linacre 1 11.82x
Broughton 1 75.19x
Chigwell 1 59.88x
Itchen Stoke 1 1111.11x
Lambeth 1 1.28x
Lancaster 1 15.77x
Millbrook 1 21.60x
Mutford 1 833.33x
Shotley 1 526.32x
St Clement Danes London 1 53.76x
Whitechapel London 1 11.30x
Windle 1 16.69x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 9
Ann 3
Eliza 3
Elizabeth 3
Ellen 3
Sarah 3
Annie 2
Frances 2
Jane 2
Julia 2
Anne 1
Catherine 1
Charlotte 1
Esther 1
Fanny 1
Harriet 1
Kate 1
Margaret 1
Margt. 1
Maria 1
May 1
Rebecca 1
Sophia 1
Violet 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
James 8
John 6
Thomas 5
Henry 3
Joseph 3
William 3
Daniel 2
Patrick 2
Peter 2
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Audey 1
Cornelius 1
Edward 1
Francis 1
J.Thomas 1
Lawrence 1
Matthew 1
Michael 1
Sam 1
Thos. 1

FAQ

Dooling surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dooling surname in 1881?

In 1881, 92 people were recorded with the Dooling surname. That placed it at #20,709 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dooling surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 131 in 2016. That gives Dooling a modern rank of #26,004.

What does the Dooling surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic surname Ó Dúbhlóinne, meaning "descendant of Dúbhlóinne".

What does the Dooling map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Dooling 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.