NameCensus.

UK surname

Dowd

A surname of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic "Ó Dubhda," meaning "descendant of Dubhda" (a personal name meaning "black").

In the 1881 census there were 945 people recorded with the Dowd surname, ranking it #4,082 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,021, ranked #3,185, up from #4,082 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Gateshead and Toxteth Park. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Fenland, Wigan and Stockton-on-Tees.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dowd is 2,150 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 113.9%.

1881 census count

945

Ranked #4,082

Modern count

2,021

2016, ranked #3,185

Peak year

2010

2,150 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dowd had 945 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,082 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,021 in 2016, ranked #3,185.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,254 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Dowd surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dowd surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dowd 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 403 #6,004
1861 historical 425 #6,043
1881 historical 945 #4,082
1891 historical 1,053 #3,981
1901 historical 1,254 #3,951
1911 historical 1,186 #3,954
1997 modern 1,909 #3,160
1998 modern 1,976 #3,185
1999 modern 1,967 #3,221
2000 modern 1,987 #3,179
2001 modern 1,973 #3,140
2002 modern 2,035 #3,130
2003 modern 1,996 #3,121
2004 modern 1,992 #3,126
2005 modern 1,970 #3,127
2006 modern 1,960 #3,150
2007 modern 1,986 #3,141
2008 modern 2,020 #3,123
2009 modern 2,085 #3,104
2010 modern 2,150 #3,078
2011 modern 2,097 #3,106
2012 modern 2,034 #3,148
2013 modern 2,061 #3,164
2014 modern 2,054 #3,194
2015 modern 2,033 #3,185
2016 modern 2,021 #3,185

Geography

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Where Dowds are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Gateshead, Toxteth Park, Wigan and Manchester. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Fenland, Wigan, Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham and Staffordshire Moorlands. 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 London parishes London 3
2 Gateshead Durham
3 Toxteth Park Lancashire
4 Wigan Lancashire
5 Manchester Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Fenland 002 Fenland
2 Wigan 020 Wigan
3 Stockton-on-Tees 010 Stockton-on-Tees
4 County Durham 057 County Durham
5 Staffordshire Moorlands 003 Staffordshire Moorlands

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dowd

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dowd

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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Dowd surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Dowd household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Dowd is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Dowd 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

Dowd 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 Dowd 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 - British

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

Meaning and origin of Dowd

The surname Dowd is of Irish origin and can be traced back to the 11th century. It is derived from the Old Irish word 'dubh', meaning black or dark, and may have originally referred to someone with dark hair or complexion. The name is found primarily in the provinces of Leinster and Munster, with concentrations in counties such as Kildare, Kilkenny, and Tipperary.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Dowd appears in the Annals of Inisfallen, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, around the year 1180. The entry mentions a person named Domnall Dubh, which translates to 'Black Domnall'. This suggests that the surname may have originated as a descriptive nickname before becoming a hereditary name.

In the 14th century, the surname Dowd can be found in various Irish records, such as the Plea Rolls of the Irish Chancery. Among the notable bearers of the name during this period was Edmond Dowd, a landowner in County Kildare who was involved in a legal dispute over property rights in 1372.

The surname Dowd has undergone various spelling variations throughout its history, including Doud, Doude, and Dowde. These variations can be found in ancient manuscripts and records from different regions of Ireland.

In the 16th century, the Dowd family played a significant role in the Irish Rebellion of 1641. One of the leaders of the rebellion was Sir Phelim O'Neill, whose mother was Margaret Dowd. This connection to a pivotal historical event further solidified the Dowd name in Irish history.

Notable individuals with the surname Dowd include: 1. Sir James Dowd (1622-1693), an Irish soldier and landowner who fought for the Royalist cause during the English Civil War. 2. John Dowd (1779-1856), an Irish-born American soldier and politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives. 3. Ephraim Dowd (1770-1835), an American Baptist minister and educator who helped establish several educational institutions in the United States. 4. Maureen Dowd (born 1952), an American author, journalist, and political commentator who has been a columnist for The New York Times since 1995. 5. Geraldine Dowd (1924-2016), an American sculptor and artist known for her large-scale public works and bronze sculptures.

While the surname Dowd has its roots in Ireland, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and Australia, carried by Irish immigrants and their descendants.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dowd families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dowd 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 396 Dowds recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.64x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 396 3.64x
Yorkshire 107 1.18x
Cheshire 72 3.55x
Lanarkshire 56 1.89x
Middlesex 53 0.58x
Staffordshire 45 1.45x
Durham 44 1.61x
Midlothian 17 1.38x
Surrey 16 0.36x
Derbyshire 15 1.04x
Kent 13 0.42x
Warwickshire 10 0.43x
Hertfordshire 8 1.26x
Lincolnshire 8 0.55x
Monmouthshire 8 1.21x
Angus 7 0.82x
Dunbartonshire 7 2.84x
Essex 6 0.33x
Norfolk 6 0.43x
Wiltshire 5 0.62x
Cambridgeshire 4 0.69x
Shropshire 4 0.50x
Worcestershire 4 0.33x
Carmarthenshire 3 0.78x
Devon 3 0.16x
Gloucestershire 3 0.17x
Hampshire 3 0.16x
Northumberland 3 0.22x
Wigtownshire 3 2.46x
Nottinghamshire 2 0.16x
Royal Navy 2 1.83x
Ayrshire 1 0.15x
Cornwall 1 0.10x
Cumberland 1 0.13x
Fife 1 0.18x
Flintshire 1 0.41x
Herefordshire 1 0.27x
Suffolk 1 0.09x
Sussex 1 0.06x

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 48 Dowds recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.26x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 48 7.26x
Manchester 44 8.98x
Glasgow 31 5.88x
Leeds 28 5.45x
Great Bolton 25 17.33x
Ashton Under Lyne 24 10.08x
Salford 22 6.87x
Kirkdale 20 10.92x
Toxteth Park 20 5.42x
Everton 18 5.19x
Stockton On Tees 17 12.91x
Newton In Ashton Under 15 75.04x
Wigan 15 9.85x
West Derby 14 4.39x
Great Budworth 13 362.12x
Barony 12 1.60x
Govan 12 1.63x
Holy Trinity 12 5.48x
Bootle Cum Linacre 11 12.72x
Wolverhampton 11 4.62x
Birkenhead 10 6.19x
Haslingden 10 22.17x
Over Darwen 10 11.49x
Plumstead 10 9.58x
Wolstanton 9 9.56x
Edinburgh New North 8 74.77x
Hunslet 8 5.64x
Stoke Upon Trent 8 2.43x
Chipping Barnet 7 63.23x
Dundee 7 2.20x
Hornsey 7 6.03x
Islington London 7 0.79x
Normanby In 7 28.78x
Preston 7 2.40x
Scarborough 7 8.47x
St Swithin Lincoln 7 30.33x
Aston Near Mondrum 6 1034.48x
Birmingham 6 0.78x
Bonhill 6 15.15x
Chelsea London 6 2.17x
Crompton 6 19.34x
Derby St Michael 6 198.68x
Doncaster 6 9.03x
Horton In Bradford 6 4.22x
Lambeth 6 0.75x
Newport 6 18.95x
Oldham 6 1.71x
Runcorn 6 12.84x
Shoreditch London 6 1.51x
Sunderland 6 12.44x
Tranmere 6 8.06x
Wednesfield 6 13.16x
Westleigh 6 24.26x
Whitworth 6 30.02x
Barrow In Furness 5 3.38x
Blackburn 5 1.73x
Brightside Bierlow 5 2.80x
Edinburgh St Johns 5 64.43x
Heap 5 8.66x
Heworth 5 9.29x
Newton In Makerfield 5 14.99x
St Clement Danes London 5 26.32x
Swindon 5 7.94x
Westminster St John 5 4.47x
Wimbledon 5 9.96x
Benfieldside 4 22.27x
Bishopwearmouth 4 1.71x
Broseley 4 28.39x
Dewsbury 4 4.29x
Dudley 4 2.74x
Ecclesall Bierlow 4 2.16x
Heaton Norris 4 6.45x
Middlesbrough 4 3.38x
Parr 4 10.26x
Prescot 4 20.30x
Spotland 4 3.30x
Tydd St Giles 4 144.40x
Walthamstow 4 6.13x
Walton On Hill 4 6.78x
Wardleworth 4 6.43x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 98
Catherine 37
Margaret 37
Elizabeth 30
Ann 24
Ellen 23
Bridget 17
Sarah 17
Annie 14
Kate 9
Agnes 6
Eliza 6
Emma 6
Jane 6
Maria 6
Hannah 4
Alice 3
Eleanor 3
Margt. 3
Susan 3
Winifred 3
Anne 2
Bridgett 2
Catharine 2
Cathrine 2
Emily 2
Esther 2
Fanny 2
Hanora 2
Harriet 2
Isabella 2
Louisa 2
Margret 2
Rose 2
Theresa 2
Amelia 1
Anastasia 1
Bertha 1
Cath. 1
E. 1
Elisabeth 1
Elizth. 1
Ethel 1
Jenney 1
Jenny 1
Jessie 1
Lavina 1
Lottie 1
Lucy 1
Mabel 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 83
James 45
Thomas 42
William 31
Patrick 30
Michael 24
Edward 15
Peter 13
Richard 10
Charles 8
Francis 8
Robert 7
Daniel 6
David 6
Joseph 6
Martin 5
Arthur 4
George 4
Thos. 4
Wm. 4
Anthony 3
Frederick 3
Henry 3
Herbert 3
Alfred 2
Dominick 2
Ernest 2
Frank 2
Mathew 2
Matthew 2
Michal 2
Philip 2
Timothy 2
Walter 2
Augustine 1
C. 1
Cornelius 1
D. 1
Darby 1
Edw. 1
Frances 1
Fred 1
Hugh 1
Maurice 1
Michl. 1
Mickail 1
Miles 1
Owen 1
Pat 1
Patk. 1

FAQ

Dowd surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dowd surname in 1881?

In 1881, 945 people were recorded with the Dowd surname. That placed it at #4,082 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dowd surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,021 in 2016. That gives Dowd a modern rank of #3,185.

What does the Dowd surname mean?

A surname of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic "Ó Dubhda," meaning "descendant of Dubhda" (a personal name meaning "black").

What does the Dowd map show?

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