NameCensus.

UK surname

Dowall

In the 1881 census there were 69 people recorded with the Dowall surname, ranking it #23,816 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 92, ranked #32,035, down from #23,816 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Arbilot, Govan Combination and Bonhill. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North Lincolnshire, Yoker South and IZ06.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dowall is 153 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 33.3%.

1881 census count

69

Ranked #23,816

Modern count

92

2016, ranked #32,035

Peak year

2010

153 bearers

Map years

3

1851 to 1891

Key insights

  • Dowall had 69 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #23,816 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 92 in 2016, ranked #32,035.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 118 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities.

Dowall surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dowall surname density by area, 1891 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Dowall 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 117 #15,456
1861 historical 118 #18,512
1881 historical 69 #23,816
1891 historical 110 #22,557
1901 historical 84 #24,759
1911 historical 31 #29,952
1997 modern 90 #28,360
1998 modern 90 #28,920
1999 modern 91 #28,937
2000 modern 92 #28,832
2001 modern 85 #29,396
2002 modern 87 #29,644
2003 modern 82 #30,206
2004 modern 85 #30,132
2005 modern 84 #30,359
2006 modern 80 #31,149
2007 modern 77 #31,856
2008 modern 79 #31,957
2009 modern 84 #31,842
2010 modern 153 #23,175
2011 modern 95 #30,877
2012 modern 87 #32,180
2013 modern 94 #31,656
2014 modern 94 #31,909
2015 modern 92 #32,075
2016 modern 92 #32,035

Geography

Back to top

Where Dowalls are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Arbilot, Govan Combination, Bonhill, Greenock and Liverpool. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North Lincolnshire, Yoker South, IZ06, Downfield and West Braeside, East Inverkip and West Gourock. 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 Arbilot Forfar
2 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Bonhill Dunbarton
4 Greenock Renfrew
5 Liverpool Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North Lincolnshire 003 North Lincolnshire
2 Yoker South Glasgow City
3 IZ06 West Dunbartonshire
4 Downfield Dundee City
5 West Braeside, East Inverkip and West Gourock Inverclyde

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Dowall

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Dowall

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

Legacy Communities

Group

Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities

Nationally, the Dowall surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy and Demographically Mixed Communities, within Legacy Communities. This does not mean every Dowall household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Households in these areas often include divorced or separated parents and commonly include children and young adults. The age structure is heavily skewed towards the most advanced age groups. Individuals identifying as members of ethnic minorities are not present in large numbers. Flats predominate, with some terraced, semi-detached, and detached units. Multiple car ownership is low, and housing is predominantly in the private and social rented sectors. Employment is less skewed towards traditional routine industrial occupations. Levels of educational attainment are generally low. The Group occurs principally in the Central Lowlands of Scotland and other Scottish towns.

Wider pattern

These neighbourhoods characteristically comprise pockets of flats that are scattered across the UK, particularly in towns that retain or have legacies of heavy industry or are in more remote seaside locations. Employed residents of these neighbourhoods work mainly in low-skilled occupations. Residents typically have limited educational qualifications. Unemployment is above average. Some residents live in overcrowded housing within the social rented sector and experience long-term disability. All adult age groups are represented, although there is an overall age bias towards elderly people in general and the very old in particular. Individuals identifying as belonging to ethnic minorities or Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups are uncommon.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Established Homeowners with Children

Within London, Dowall is most associated with areas classed as Established Homeowners with Children, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These predominantly British-born residents are typically married/in civil partnerships and own the properties in which they are raising their children. Parents are typically over 45, and many other residents are beyond normal retirement age. Detached and semi-detached houses predominate and multiple car ownership is common.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Dowall is most concentrated in decile 2 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Dowall falls in decile 2 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.

2
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Dowall is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

1881 census detail

Back to top

Dowall families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dowall 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. Lanarkshire leads with 16 Dowalls recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.46x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 16 7.46x
Dunbartonshire 11 61.73x
Angus 10 16.28x
Renfrewshire 9 17.51x
Middlesex 6 0.90x
Wigtownshire 5 56.75x
Durham 4 2.03x
Ayrshire 2 4.03x
Dumfriesshire 2 13.65x
Argyllshire 1 5.42x
Kirkcudbrightshire 1 10.42x
Suffolk 1 1.24x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Govan in Lanarkshire leads with 14 Dowalls recorded in 1881 and an index of 26.40x.

Place Total Index
Govan 14 26.40x
Bonhill 11 384.62x
Arbirlot 7 3684.21x
Eastwood 6 189.27x
Stockton On Tees 4 42.06x
Cathcart 3 107.91x
Old Luce 3 535.71x
Hampstead London 2 19.36x
Hutton 2 1111.11x
Liff Benvie 2 21.44x
New Monkland 2 31.55x
Ratcliffe London 2 54.64x
Bromley London 1 6.85x
Colmonell 1 200.00x
Glenorchy Inishail 1 476.19x
Kirkoswald 1 243.90x
Leswalt 1 166.67x
Rerrick 1 243.90x
Shoreditch London 1 3.48x
Snape 1 833.33x
Sorbie 1 263.16x
St Vigeans 1 30.12x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 2
Cordelia 1
Jane 1
Margaret 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 2
Albert 1
George 1
Henry 1
James 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 Dowall households.

FAQ

Dowall surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dowall surname in 1881?

In 1881, 69 people were recorded with the Dowall surname. That placed it at #23,816 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dowall surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 92 in 2016. That gives Dowall a modern rank of #32,035.

What does the Dowall map show?

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