NameCensus.

UK surname

Dowland

An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "valley land".

In the 1881 census there were 157 people recorded with the Dowland surname, ranking it #15,046 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 176, ranked #21,298, down from #15,046 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Woodlands, Poole St James and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall, Tameside and Christchurch.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dowland is 240 in 1851. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 12.1%.

1881 census count

157

Ranked #15,046

Modern count

176

2016, ranked #21,298

Peak year

1851

240 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dowland had 157 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #15,046 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 176 in 2016, ranked #21,298.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 240 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Dowland surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dowland surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dowland 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 240 #9,068
1861 historical 236 #10,393
1881 historical 157 #15,046
1891 historical 215 #14,155
1901 historical 201 #15,059
1911 historical 204 #14,784
1997 modern 180 #18,812
1998 modern 190 #18,687
1999 modern 208 #17,808
2000 modern 200 #18,209
2001 modern 189 #18,590
2002 modern 194 #18,651
2003 modern 184 #19,075
2004 modern 183 #19,251
2005 modern 174 #19,783
2006 modern 171 #20,131
2007 modern 167 #20,719
2008 modern 164 #21,137
2009 modern 170 #21,095
2010 modern 177 #21,034
2011 modern 172 #21,248
2012 modern 171 #21,303
2013 modern 181 #20,879
2014 modern 177 #21,340
2015 modern 179 #21,069
2016 modern 176 #21,298

Geography

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Where Dowlands are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Woodlands, Poole St James, London parishes, Swanage and Ramsgate. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall, Tameside, Christchurch, Peterborough and South Kesteven. 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 Woodlands Dorset
2 Poole St James Dorset
3 London parishes London 3
4 Swanage Dorset
5 Ramsgate Kent

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 054 Cornwall
2 Tameside 029 Tameside
3 Christchurch 003 Christchurch
4 Peterborough 005 Peterborough
5 South Kesteven 011 South Kesteven

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dowland

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dowland

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

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Dowland surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Dowland household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

London Fringe

Within London, Dowland is most associated with areas classed as London Fringe, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

Predominantly located in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Greater London, residents of these neighbourhoods typically have their highest qualifications below degree (Level 4) level, with those still in work engaged in skilled trades and occupations in distribution, hotels and restaurants. There is low ethnic diversity in these neighbourhoods and high levels of Christian religious affiliation. Detached or terraced houses predominate, often with spare rooms.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Dowland is most concentrated in decile 7 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Dowland falls in decile 10 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

10
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Dowland 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 Dowland, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Dowland

The surname DOWLAND originated in England, with the earliest records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "dun" meaning hill or down, and "land" meaning land or territory. This suggests that the name was initially given to someone who lived on or near a hill or down.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name DOWLAND can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which were a census-like record of land ownership in medieval England. The entry refers to a person named "William de Dounlond" in the county of Somerset.

During the 14th century, variations of the name such as "Downelonde" and "Dounlonde" appeared in various historical documents, including the Subsidy Rolls of 1327 and the Poll Tax Returns of 1379.

In the 15th century, the name DOWLAND was often associated with places like Downland in Wiltshire and Downland in Sussex, suggesting that some bearers of the name may have originated from or lived in these areas.

One notable individual with the surname DOWLAND was John Dowland (1563-1626), an English Renaissance composer, lutenist, and singer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest composers of lute songs and is often referred to as the "Father of the English Renaissance Lutenists."

Another prominent figure was Calybute Dowland (c. 1608-1661), an English playwright and son of John Dowland. He is known for his plays "The Duchess of Suffolk" and "The Heir."

In the 17th century, the name DOWLAND can be found in records such as the Visitation of Somerset in 1623, where a family with this surname is recorded as having a coat of arms.

Sir George Dowland (1624-1688) was an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Somerset in the late 17th century.

During the 18th century, the name DOWLAND appeared in various parish records and census-like documents across England, indicating its continued presence in various regions of the country.

William Dowland (1761-1841) was an English composer and organist who was well-known for his church music and organ compositions.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dowland families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dowland 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. Dorset leads with 54 Dowlands recorded in 1881 and an index of 52.07x.

County Total Index
Dorset 54 52.07x
Hampshire 22 6.79x
Surrey 18 2.34x
Middlesex 16 1.01x
Kent 15 2.78x
Somerset 9 3.54x
Wiltshire 5 3.58x
Denbighshire 3 5.03x
Gloucestershire 3 0.97x
Sussex 3 1.13x
Channel Islands 2 4.27x
Lancashire 2 0.11x
Norfolk 2 0.82x
Royal Navy 2 10.62x
Yorkshire 2 0.13x
Cardiganshire 1 2.59x
Cheshire 1 0.29x
Derbyshire 1 0.40x
Oxfordshire 1 1.02x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Swanage in Dorset leads with 20 Dowlands recorded in 1881 and an index of 1562.50x.

Place Total Index
Swanage 20 1562.50x
Woodlands 13 5200.00x
Portsea 11 17.33x
Wimborne St Giles 10 4000.00x
Camberwell 8 7.93x
Christchurch 8 113.96x
Ramsgate 8 90.91x
Woolwich 6 30.12x
Lambeth 5 3.63x
Walcot 5 36.90x
Bath St Peter St Paul 4 357.14x
Mile End Old Town London 4 11.89x
Chettle 3 4285.71x
Clifton 3 19.14x
Egham 3 63.42x
Llanfair Dyffryn Clwyd 3 500.00x
St George Hanover Square 3 10.78x
St Sepulchre London 3 129.87x
Brighton 2 3.72x
Devizes St Mary 2 141.84x
Hinton Martel 2 952.38x
Melksham 2 82.30x
Millbrook 2 24.51x
Norwich St Stephen 2 89.69x
Royal Navy 2 12.42x
St Helier 2 13.12x
Tarrant Keynston 2 1333.33x
Ashford 1 19.05x
Bere Regis 1 144.93x
Birkenhead 1 3.60x
Broadwater 1 16.37x
Dronfield 1 31.55x
Edmondsham 1 833.33x
Everton 1 1.67x
Hackney London 1 1.13x
Holdenhurst 1 11.76x
Holy Trinity 1 2.66x
Hulme 1 2.55x
Islington London 1 0.65x
Llancynfelin 1 204.08x
Milton Under Wychwood 1 222.22x
Newington 1 1.71x
Norwood 1 27.70x
Parkstone 1 82.64x
Reigate Foreign 1 11.99x
Semington 1 434.78x
Shaftesbury St Peter 1 208.33x
St Bride London 1 108.70x
St Marylebone London 1 1.19x
Wakefield 1 8.32x
Westminster St John 1 5.20x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 10
Sarah 8
Elizabeth 7
Ann 5
Eliza 4
Emma 4
Hannah 4
Annie 3
Edith 3
Maria 3
Agnes 2
Alice 2
Fanny 2
Jessie 2
Kate 2
Rachel 2
(Mrs) 1
Anna 1
Caroline 1
Edie 1
Elizth. 1
Ellen 1
Emily 1
Eveline 1
Frances 1
Harriet 1
Harriett 1
Henrietta 1
Jane 1
Laura 1
Lucy 1
Maud 1
Mrs 1
Phillis 1
Sophia 1
Susan 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 10
George 7
James 7
William 6
Edward 4
Thomas 4
Albert 3
Henry 3
Walter 3
Alfred 2
Francis 2
Frank 2
Frederick 2
Henery 2
Richard 2
Stephen 2
(Mr) 1
Austin 1
Benjamin 1
Charles 1
Douglas 1
Edmund 1
Edw. 1
Ernest 1
Fred 1
Fredrick 1
Hugh 1
Hy. 1
Jhan. 1
Joseph 1
Samuel 1
Sidney 1
Sydney 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Dowland surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dowland surname in 1881?

In 1881, 157 people were recorded with the Dowland surname. That placed it at #15,046 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dowland surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 176 in 2016. That gives Dowland a modern rank of #21,298.

What does the Dowland surname mean?

An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "valley land".

What does the Dowland map show?

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