NameCensus.

UK surname

Dowey

Of Scottish origin, a topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a marshy area.

In the 1881 census there were 190 people recorded with the Dowey surname, ranking it #13,270 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 259, ranked #16,393, down from #13,270 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Gateshead, Tynemouth (Chirton, Preston, Murton, Whitley, Monkseaton), Earsdon (Earsdon) and Liverpool. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Redcar and Cleveland and Neath Port Talbot.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dowey is 274 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 36.3%.

1881 census count

190

Ranked #13,270

Modern count

259

2016, ranked #16,393

Peak year

1901

274 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dowey had 190 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,270 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 259 in 2016, ranked #16,393.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 274 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Dowey surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dowey surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Dowey 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 101 #17,036
1861 historical 229 #10,660
1881 historical 190 #13,270
1891 historical 239 #13,173
1901 historical 274 #12,370
1911 historical 258 #12,614
1997 modern 254 #15,111
1998 modern 268 #14,978
1999 modern 270 #14,992
2000 modern 269 #14,983
2001 modern 264 #14,958
2002 modern 274 #14,849
2003 modern 272 #14,746
2004 modern 271 #14,883
2005 modern 270 #14,822
2006 modern 272 #14,834
2007 modern 272 #14,994
2008 modern 260 #15,648
2009 modern 265 #15,756
2010 modern 259 #16,386
2011 modern 266 #15,937
2012 modern 241 #16,925
2013 modern 251 #16,734
2014 modern 252 #16,822
2015 modern 255 #16,564
2016 modern 259 #16,393

Geography

Back to top

Where Doweys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Gateshead, Tynemouth (Chirton, Preston, Murton, Whitley, Monkseaton), Earsdon (Earsdon), Liverpool, Tynemouth and Skelton. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Redcar and Cleveland and Neath Port Talbot. 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 Gateshead Durham
2 Tynemouth (Chirton, Preston, Murton, Whitley, Monkseaton), Earsdon (Earsdon) Northumberland
3 Liverpool Lancashire
4 Tynemouth Northumberland
5 Skelton Yorkshire, North Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Redcar and Cleveland 016 Redcar and Cleveland
2 Redcar and Cleveland 013 Redcar and Cleveland
3 Redcar and Cleveland 012 Redcar and Cleveland
4 Redcar and Cleveland 010 Redcar and Cleveland
5 Neath Port Talbot 008 Neath Port Talbot

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Dowey

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Dowey

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Small Town Suburbia

Nationally, the Dowey surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Small Town Suburbia, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Dowey 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 is predominantly comprised of married couples with no resident dependent children, living in areas characterised neither by under-occupancy nor overcrowding throughout the UK in or adjacent to small towns. White ethnic groups and affiliation with Christianity predominates. Housing tends to be predominantly semi-detached or detached and workers are employed principally in managerial and professional occupations, with semi-skilled occupations also in evidence. These areas of the Supergroup are of higher population density.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Dowey is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction 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

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Dowey 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

Dowey 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 Dowey 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 Dowey, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Dowey

The surname DOWEY is believed to have originated in Scotland during the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "douw," which means "dove" or "pigeon." The name may have been initially used as a nickname for someone with a gentle or peaceful disposition, similar to a dove.

In the early days, the name was spelled in various ways, such as Dow, Dowe, Dowey, and Dowy. These variations were common due to the inconsistencies in spelling and record-keeping during that time period.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of homage rolls from Scottish nobles and landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The entry "Johannes Dowe" appears in these rolls, indicating the presence of an individual bearing the surname DOWEY or a similar spelling.

The name DOWEY has also been associated with certain place names in Scotland. For instance, the village of Dowie in Ayrshire may have connections to the surname, although the exact relationship is unclear.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have carried the DOWEY surname. One example is John Dowey (1586-1633), a Scottish minister and theologian who served as the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1628. Another prominent figure was Alexander Dowey (1705-1782), a Scottish merchant and landowner who played a significant role in the development of Glasgow in the 18th century.

In the literary world, the poet and writer John Dowey (1773-1854) from County Antrim, Ireland, gained recognition for his works depicting rural life in Ulster. Additionally, James Dowey (1864-1941), a Scottish-born Australian politician, served as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly and held the position of Minister for Education.

During the 19th century, the DOWEY surname was also found in parts of North America, likely due to Scottish and Irish immigration. One notable individual was Henry Dowey (1828-1907), a Canadian businessman and politician who served as the Mayor of Halifax, Nova Scotia, from 1886 to 1887.

While the surname DOWEY is not among the most common surnames globally, it has left its mark on various aspects of history, including religion, literature, politics, and commerce.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Dowey families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dowey 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. Northumberland leads with 58 Doweys recorded in 1881 and an index of 21.03x.

County Total Index
Northumberland 58 21.03x
Yorkshire 52 2.83x
Lancashire 43 1.96x
Durham 12 2.18x
Suffolk 8 3.54x
Middlesex 6 0.32x
Surrey 3 0.33x
Cheshire 2 0.49x
Bedfordshire 1 1.04x
Cumberland 1 0.63x
Dunbartonshire 1 2.01x
Glamorgan 1 0.31x
Kent 1 0.16x
Norfolk 1 0.35x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Wigan in Lancashire leads with 16 Doweys recorded in 1881 and an index of 52.07x.

Place Total Index
Wigan 16 52.07x
Cowpen 15 236.22x
Lofthouse 14 510.95x
Chirton 12 192.31x
Tynemouth 10 67.70x
Ince In Makerfield 9 87.98x
Danby Commondale 7 3500.00x
Gorleston 7 122.16x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 7 29.31x
Ormskirk 7 166.27x
Liverton 6 1428.57x
Salford 6 9.28x
Coxlodge 5 238.10x
Knottingley 5 154.80x
Horton 4 294.12x
Marske In Guisbrough 4 122.70x
North Shields 4 72.73x
Gateshead 3 7.27x
Liverpool 3 2.25x
Lythe 3 410.96x
Middlesbrough 3 12.54x
Skinningrove 3 265.49x
Elswick 2 9.09x
Leeds 2 1.93x
Newcastle On Tyne St John 2 55.10x
South Blyth Newsham 2 370.37x
Southwark St George Martyr 2 5.36x
St George Hanover Square 2 6.13x
Westerdale 2 1176.47x
Ardwick 1 5.04x
Barrow In Furness 1 3.34x
Bow London 1 4.24x
Briton Ferry 1 25.97x
Chester St Oswald 1 13.50x
Doncaster 1 7.45x
Dumbarton 1 14.43x
Great Yarmouth 1 4.24x
Haughton Le Skerne 1 222.22x
Heston 1 16.26x
Holy Island 1 285.71x
Hougham 1 26.60x
Jesmond 1 25.77x
Little Ayton 1 2000.00x
Lowestoft 1 9.38x
Luton 1 6.02x
Paddington London 1 1.47x
Reigate Foreign 1 10.22x
Rickergate 1 29.59x
Skelton In Guisbrough 1 20.12x
St George Bloomsbury 1 9.41x
Stockton On Tees 1 3.76x
West Kirby 1 140.85x

Top female names

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

Name Count
James 14
John 14
William 11
Robert 6
David 4
George 4
Henry 4
Charles 3
Joseph 3
Thomas 3
Edward 2
Frank 2
Peter 2
Alecander 1
Alfred 1
Byron 1
C. 1
D.F. 1
Ernest 1
Francis 1
Hercules 1
Mathew 1
Matthew 1
Ralph 1
Sanderson 1
Sidney 1
Stephen 1
W. 1

FAQ

Dowey surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dowey surname in 1881?

In 1881, 190 people were recorded with the Dowey surname. That placed it at #13,270 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dowey surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 259 in 2016. That gives Dowey a modern rank of #16,393.

What does the Dowey surname mean?

Of Scottish origin, a topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a marshy area.

What does the Dowey map show?

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