NameCensus.

UK surname

Dowley

A locational surname likely referring to a valley or meadow.

In the 1881 census there were 267 people recorded with the Dowley surname, ranking it #10,573 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 381, ranked #12,317, down from #10,573 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolstanton, Shrewsbury St Alkmond, St Julian, St Mary (pt), Meole Brace and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Shropshire, King's Lynn and West Norfolk and IZ16.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dowley is 403 in 2011. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 42.7%.

1881 census count

267

Ranked #10,573

Modern count

381

2016, ranked #12,317

Peak year

2011

403 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Dowley had 267 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #10,573 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 381 in 2016, ranked #12,317.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 322 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Dowley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dowley surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dowley 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 225 #9,509
1861 historical 318 #7,999
1881 historical 267 #10,573
1891 historical 309 #10,848
1901 historical 317 #11,213
1911 historical 322 #10,873
1997 modern 338 #12,489
1998 modern 374 #11,963
1999 modern 371 #12,101
2000 modern 363 #12,237
2001 modern 357 #12,205
2002 modern 370 #12,121
2003 modern 363 #12,096
2004 modern 363 #12,131
2005 modern 349 #12,390
2006 modern 358 #12,234
2007 modern 358 #12,383
2008 modern 355 #12,565
2009 modern 381 #12,174
2010 modern 398 #12,039
2011 modern 403 #11,806
2012 modern 376 #12,262
2013 modern 397 #11,988
2014 modern 394 #12,144
2015 modern 384 #12,276
2016 modern 381 #12,317

Geography

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Where Dowleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolstanton, Shrewsbury St Alkmond, St Julian, St Mary (pt), Meole Brace, London parishes, Battersea and St John Hackney. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Shropshire, King's Lynn and West Norfolk, IZ16 and Stoke-on-Trent. 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 Wolstanton Staffordshire
2 Shrewsbury St Alkmond, St Julian, St Mary (pt), Meole Brace Shropshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Battersea London (South Districts)
5 St John Hackney London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Shropshire 008 Shropshire
2 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 002 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
3 Shropshire 013 Shropshire
4 IZ16 West Dunbartonshire
5 Stoke-on-Trent 020 Stoke-on-Trent

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dowley

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dowley

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Dowley, 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 Dowley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Dowley 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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Dowley is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, 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 primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

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

Dowley is most concentrated in decile 6 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.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Dowley

The surname Dowley is of English origin and is believed to have originated in the county of Lancashire, England, in the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English words "dun" meaning hill or down, and "leah" meaning a clearing or meadow, suggesting that the name may have referred to someone who lived near a hill or downland clearing.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Assize Rolls of Lancashire in 1285, where a person named Richard de Dounleys is mentioned. This early spelling variation, "Dounleys," gives insight into the phonetic evolution of the name over time.

The Dowley surname is also closely associated with the village of Dowley, located in the parish of Whalley in Lancashire. This place name, which shares a similar etymology to the surname, is recorded in the Pipe Rolls of 1176 as "Dunnelegh" and in the Assize Rolls of 1246 as "Dounlei."

One notable historical figure bearing the Dowley surname was William Dowley (c. 1540-1604), an English Catholic priest and martyr who was executed during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I for his religious beliefs. He was beatified by Pope Pius XI in 1929.

In the 16th century, John Dowley (c. 1570-1638) was a prominent English clergyman and author who served as the rector of St. Margaret's Church in Westminster and published several religious works.

Another notable individual with this surname was Robert Dowley (1707-1770), an English engraver and publisher who was known for his detailed maps and engravings of various cities and counties in England.

In the 19th century, John Goulter Dowley (1819-1892) was a British architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Holborn Town Hall and the Holborn Library.

Thomas Dowley (1843-1911) was a British artist and painter who specialized in landscapes and genre scenes, and his works were exhibited at the Royal Academy and other prestigious venues in London.

It's worth noting that while the surname Dowley is not among the most common surnames in England, it has been a part of the country's history for several centuries and has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including clergy, artists, and professionals.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dowley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dowley 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. Surrey leads with 56 Dowleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.38x.

County Total Index
Surrey 56 4.38x
Kent 35 3.91x
Lancashire 30 0.96x
Shropshire 28 12.35x
Durham 20 2.56x
Middlesex 17 0.65x
Staffordshire 13 1.47x
Yorkshire 10 0.38x
Essex 9 1.74x
Northumberland 9 2.31x
Berkshire 5 2.54x
Derbyshire 5 1.22x
Radnorshire 5 23.62x
Warwickshire 4 0.60x
Worcestershire 4 1.17x
Devon 3 0.55x
Gloucestershire 3 0.58x
Hampshire 3 0.56x
Cheshire 2 0.35x
Glamorgan 2 0.44x
Channel Islands 1 1.29x
Dorset 1 0.58x
Fife 1 0.64x
Oxfordshire 1 0.62x
Sussex 1 0.23x
Westmorland 1 1.73x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Camberwell in Surrey leads with 23 Dowleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.72x.

Place Total Index
Camberwell 23 13.72x
Shrewsbury St Mary 21 234.64x
Battersea 15 15.54x
Deptford St Paul 11 15.93x
Liverpool 10 5.29x
Southwick 9 121.79x
Hackney London 8 5.44x
Linthorpe 7 45.10x
Toxteth Park 7 6.64x
West Ham 7 6.12x
Croydon 6 8.45x
Milton In Gravesend 6 44.68x
Bermondsey 5 6.40x
Earley 5 152.44x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 5 21.44x
Presteigne 5 373.13x
Shirland 5 162.87x
Walsall Foreign 5 10.93x
Crook Billy Row 4 40.00x
Islington London 4 1.57x
Minster In Sheppey 4 26.97x
Seasalter 4 353.98x
Wellington 4 31.40x
Whitstable 4 91.12x
Charlton Next Woolwich 3 32.12x
Chipping Campden 3 178.57x
Edmonton 3 14.19x
Everton 3 3.02x
Hexham 3 49.67x
Lambeth 3 1.31x
Manchester 3 2.14x
Monkwearmouth Shore 3 19.69x
Nutfield 3 309.28x
Stoke Damerel 3 7.85x
Stoke Upon Trent 3 3.19x
Burntwood Edial 2 35.34x
Clayton Le Moors 2 33.11x
Edgmond 2 80.00x
Gateshead 2 3.42x
Leeds 2 1.36x
Leyton Low 2 18.99x
Solihull 2 42.02x
Stoke Prior 2 94.79x
Swansea Town 2 5.34x
Wolstanton 2 7.43x
Birkenhead 1 2.17x
Birmingham 1 0.45x
Bootle Cum Linacre 1 4.04x
Brenenden 1 86.96x
Brighton 1 1.12x
Burslem 1 3.94x
Byker 1 5.18x
Charlton 1 16.81x
Crosby Ravensworth 1 142.86x
Elvet 1 17.73x
Forgan 1 33.56x
Gillingham 1 5.42x
Great Crosby 1 11.78x
Holdenhurst 1 7.09x
Kingston On Thames 1 3.26x
Knutsford Nether 1 28.57x
Little Bolton 1 2.50x
Millbrook 1 7.38x
Otley 1 15.85x
Oxford St Thomas 1 13.23x
Packwood 1 384.62x
Paddington London 1 1.04x
Radcliffe 1 6.66x
Shrewsbury St Julian 1 17.83x
South Hayling 1 104.17x
South Shields 1 14.39x
St Peter Port 1 6.95x
Upton Snodsbury 1 303.03x
Westminster St John 1 3.13x
Wigan 1 2.30x
Woodsford 1 588.24x
Worcester St Clement 1 45.87x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 26
Elizabeth 18
Sarah 9
Catherine 6
Ellen 6
Emily 6
Ann 5
Emma 5
Alice 3
Annie 3
Eliza 3
Fanny 3
Jane 3
Amelia 2
Barbara 2
Hannah 2
Harriet 2
Harriett 2
Katherine 2
Leona 2
Louisa 2
Margaret 2
May 2
Amy 1
Anna 1
Anne 1
Beatrice 1
Bridget 1
Caroline 1
Charlotte 1
Christina 1
Clara 1
Eliz. 1
Elizbeth 1
Elizth. 1
Ethel 1
Frances 1
Georgina 1
Ida 1
Infant 1
Isabella 1
Juliana 1
Kate 1
Lillie 1
M. 1
Margt. 1
Marion 1
Maud 1
Melenda 1
Meria 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 16
William 12
Thomas 11
Henry 7
James 7
George 6
Edward 5
Patrick 4
Alfred 3
Arthur 3
Charles 3
Frederick 3
Joseph 3
Richard 3
Albert 2
Peter 2
Robert 2
Thos. 2
Wm. 2
Andrew 1
Charley 1
D... 1
Ebenezer 1
Fredk.Nicas. 1
Fredk.Nicholas 1
Isac 1
Jeremiah 1
Johnson 1
Jos. 1
Mathew 1
Michel 1
Pearse 1
Philip 1
Richd. 1
Sidney 1
Stephen 1
Sydney 1
Willm. 1

FAQ

Dowley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dowley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 267 people were recorded with the Dowley surname. That placed it at #10,573 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dowley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 381 in 2016. That gives Dowley a modern rank of #12,317.

What does the Dowley surname mean?

A locational surname likely referring to a valley or meadow.

What does the Dowley map show?

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