NameCensus.

UK surname

Dowden

Derived from the Gaelic "Ó Dubhdáin," meaning "descendant of Dubhdán," a personal name meaning "little dark one" or "black-haired one."

In the 1881 census there were 642 people recorded with the Dowden surname, ranking it #5,551 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 837, ranked #6,664, down from #5,551 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Lambeth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Mendip and Caerphilly.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dowden is 888 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 30.4%.

1881 census count

642

Ranked #5,551

Modern count

837

2016, ranked #6,664

Peak year

1911

888 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dowden had 642 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,551 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 837 in 2016, ranked #6,664.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 888 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Dowden surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dowden surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Dowden 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 494 #5,061
1861 historical 493 #5,294
1881 historical 642 #5,551
1891 historical 794 #5,067
1901 historical 880 #5,221
1911 historical 888 #5,012
1997 modern 801 #6,532
1998 modern 848 #6,452
1999 modern 852 #6,471
2000 modern 855 #6,429
2001 modern 835 #6,434
2002 modern 860 #6,411
2003 modern 832 #6,443
2004 modern 833 #6,451
2005 modern 821 #6,469
2006 modern 805 #6,593
2007 modern 838 #6,447
2008 modern 837 #6,511
2009 modern 863 #6,494
2010 modern 878 #6,525
2011 modern 875 #6,465
2012 modern 849 #6,531
2013 modern 866 #6,547
2014 modern 865 #6,575
2015 modern 861 #6,536
2016 modern 837 #6,664

Geography

Back to top

Where Dowdens are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, Lambeth and Portsmouth, Portsea. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Mendip and Caerphilly. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 London parishes London 3
4 Lambeth London (South Districts)
5 Portsmouth, Portsea Hampshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Mendip 014 Mendip
2 Mendip 012 Mendip
3 Mendip 013 Mendip
4 Mendip 011 Mendip
5 Caerphilly 006 Caerphilly

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Dowden

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Dowden

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

Rural Amenity

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Dowden 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

Dowden 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

Dowden 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 Dowden 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 - British

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

Meaning and origin of Dowden

The surname Dowden is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "dun" meaning hill, and "denu" meaning valley. It is a locational name, suggesting that the earliest bearers of this name lived near a hill or valley.

The name first appeared in records during the 12th century, with one of the earliest known references being found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire, dated 1190, where a person named Richard de Dunden was mentioned.

Another early record of the name can be found in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1279, which mentions a Roger de Dowdene.

Dowden is also an old place name, referring to areas in counties such as Derbyshire and Shropshire. The Dowden family held lands in these regions during the Middle Ages.

John Dowden (c. 1640-1711) was an English clergyman and author, known for his work "A Concordance to the Works of Ben Jonson."

Edward Dowden (1843-1913) was an Irish poet, literary critic, and professor of English literature at Trinity College, Dublin.

Samuel Dowden (1820-1881) was an Irish clergyman and author, known for his work on the history of the Church of Ireland.

John Dowden (1782-1857) was an English Anglican bishop, who served as the Bishop of Edinburgh from 1845 to 1857.

Ephraim Dowden (1734-1828) was an English Particular Baptist minister and author, who served as the pastor of the Baptist church in Shrewsbury for over 50 years.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Dowden families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dowden 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. Hampshire leads with 137 Dowdens recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.46x.

County Total Index
Hampshire 137 10.46x
Middlesex 124 1.94x
Somerset 97 9.43x
Surrey 87 2.79x
Gloucestershire 28 2.23x
Kent 27 1.24x
Monmouthshire 26 5.63x
Glamorgan 17 1.53x
Dorset 16 3.82x
Lancashire 14 0.18x
Yorkshire 13 0.21x
Channel Islands 11 5.81x
Essex 11 0.87x
Midlothian 8 0.93x
Sussex 8 0.74x
Cheshire 6 0.43x
Durham 6 0.32x
Berkshire 4 0.83x
Hertfordshire 4 0.91x
Wiltshire 4 0.71x
Devon 2 0.15x
Royal Navy 2 2.63x
Cornwall 1 0.14x
Suffolk 1 0.13x
Warwickshire 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. Lambeth in Surrey leads with 25 Dowdens recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.49x.

Place Total Index
Lambeth 25 4.49x
Bridgewater 22 78.80x
Whippingham 19 191.53x
St Marylebone London 15 4.40x
Boldre 13 277.19x
Christchurch 13 90.97x
Christchurch 13 45.77x
Croydon 13 7.52x
Wimbledon 12 34.33x
Newington 11 4.66x
Bethnal Green London 10 3.60x
Ringwood 10 119.33x
West Ham 10 3.59x
Westbury On Trym 10 23.56x
Bawdrip 8 930.23x
Burnham 8 102.04x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 8 2.32x
Leckwith 8 305.34x
Milford 8 208.88x
Sopley 8 444.44x
South Brent 8 462.43x
St Helier 8 12.98x
Bristol St Paul In 7 20.97x
Chatham 7 11.67x
Chelsea London 7 3.64x
Ealing 7 12.26x
Holdenhurst 7 20.38x
Islington London 7 1.13x
Llanwonno 7 17.51x
Portsea 7 2.73x
St George Hanover Square 7 6.22x
Tonbridge 7 8.90x
Woolwich 7 8.69x
Battersea 6 2.55x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 6 5.09x
Fulham London 6 6.48x
Glastonbury 6 71.51x
Harmondsworth 6 151.13x
Hornsey 6 7.43x
Keighley 6 8.89x
Millbrook 6 18.19x
Poulton Cum Seacombe 6 36.99x
Risca 6 68.89x
Saddleworth 6 12.29x
Westminster St John 6 7.71x
Westonsuper Mare 6 285.71x
Witton Le Wear 6 111.32x
Alton 5 50.66x
Bere Regis 5 177.94x
Buckland Dinham 5 505.05x
Camberwell 5 1.23x
Ellingham 5 806.45x
Huntspill 5 118.76x
Kingston 5 273.22x
Limehouse London 5 7.13x
Ryde 5 17.77x
Westminster St James 5 7.61x
Bedminster 4 4.14x
Bermondsey 4 2.10x
Brighton 4 1.84x
Brockenhurst 4 176.99x
Chilton Polden 4 519.48x
Higham With West Close 4 243.90x
Paddington London 4 1.70x
Sunninghill 4 60.15x
Sutton Mallett 4 1600.00x
Upper Llanvrechva 4 55.71x
Ventnor 4 32.10x
West Derby 4 1.80x
Willesden 4 6.64x
Woodlands 4 404.04x
Alverstoke 3 6.33x
Epsom 3 19.78x
Frome 3 12.20x
Hatfield 3 33.59x
Hayes 3 46.01x
Mile End Old Town London 3 2.21x
Newhaven 3 34.29x
Parkstone 3 61.35x
Southwark St John 3 15.35x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 31
George 24
James 22
John 22
Thomas 22
Henry 21
Charles 19
Edward 9
Frederick 9
Richard 8
Walter 8
Harry 7
Alfred 6
Arthur 6
Ernest 6
Frank 6
Albert 4
Joseph 4
Edwin 3
Francis 3
Jesse 3
Robert 3
Christopher 2
Dominic 2
Fred 2
Herbert 2
Isaac 2
Percy 2
Samuel 2
Sidney 2
Charlie 1
Dedun 1
Elius 1
Enoch 1
Fredk. 1
Freeman 1
Geo. 1
H. 1
Harold 1
Henery 1
J.P. 1
Jm. 1
Jonathan 1
Josiah 1
Lewis 1
Nathaniel 1
Oldrey 1
Oliver 1
Owen 1
Wm 1

FAQ

Dowden surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dowden surname in 1881?

In 1881, 642 people were recorded with the Dowden surname. That placed it at #5,551 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dowden surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 837 in 2016. That gives Dowden a modern rank of #6,664.

What does the Dowden surname mean?

Derived from the Gaelic "Ó Dubhdáin," meaning "descendant of Dubhdán," a personal name meaning "little dark one" or "black-haired one."

What does the Dowden map show?

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