NameCensus.

UK surname

Dowsey

An English habitational surname derived from a place named Dowse in Leicestershire, England.

In the 1881 census there were 61 people recorded with the Dowsey surname, ranking it #24,992 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 96, ranked #31,684, down from #24,992 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St Bees, London parishes and Gateshead. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sunderland, County Durham and Chesterfield.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Dowsey is 136 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 57.4%.

1881 census count

61

Ranked #24,992

Modern count

96

2016, ranked #31,684

Peak year

1911

136 bearers

Map years

2

1911 to 1998

Key insights

  • Dowsey had 61 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #24,992 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 96 in 2016, ranked #31,684.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 136 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Dowsey surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Dowsey surname density by area, 1998 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Dowsey 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 41 #25,926
1861 historical 77 #23,975
1881 historical 61 #24,992
1891 historical 95 #24,694
1901 historical 92 #23,800
1911 historical 136 #18,962
1997 modern 107 #25,924
1998 modern 110 #26,129
1999 modern 112 #26,044
2000 modern 111 #26,111
2001 modern 102 #27,093
2002 modern 104 #27,303
2003 modern 97 #28,217
2004 modern 97 #28,455
2005 modern 96 #28,671
2006 modern 93 #29,411
2007 modern 94 #29,650
2008 modern 99 #29,181
2009 modern 100 #29,597
2010 modern 104 #29,618
2011 modern 103 #29,589
2012 modern 103 #29,733
2013 modern 101 #30,591
2014 modern 99 #31,186
2015 modern 98 #31,342
2016 modern 96 #31,684

Geography

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Where Dowseys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St Bees, London parishes, Gateshead, Earsdon and Ashford. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Sunderland, County Durham, Chesterfield and Dover. 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 St Bees Cumberland
2 London parishes London 3
3 Gateshead Durham
4 Earsdon Northumberland
5 Ashford Kent

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sunderland 009 Sunderland
2 County Durham 058 County Durham
3 Chesterfield 002 Chesterfield
4 Dover 011 Dover
5 County Durham 057 County Durham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Dowsey

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Dowsey

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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Dowsey surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Dowsey household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Dowsey 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

Dowsey is most concentrated in decile 3 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

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

Meaning and origin of Dowsey

The surname Dowsey originates from England, tracing its roots back to the early medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "dun" meaning hill or down, and "ey" signifying an island or a piece of dry land surrounded by marshes or water. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived on a hill or a raised area near a body of water.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in various historical documents and records from the 13th and 14th centuries. One notable mention is in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1279, which lists a certain Hugh de Dounesheye, indicating a connection to a place name that may have been the origin of the modern spelling.

By the 16th century, the name had evolved into different spellings such as Dowsey, Dowsie, and Dowzy. A prominent figure from this era was John Dowsey, a merchant and landowner from Lincolnshire, who lived from around 1530 to 1598.

In the 17th century, the name appears in various parish records and local histories. One example is Thomas Dowsey, born in 1625 in Cambridgeshire, who was a notable farmer and landowner in the region.

The 18th century saw the rise of several individuals bearing the Dowsey name, including William Dowsey (1703-1778), a renowned clockmaker from Yorkshire, and Mary Dowsey (1745-1827), a philanthropist and social reformer from Northamptonshire.

As the industrial revolution took hold in the 19th century, the name became associated with various trades and professions. Notable individuals from this period include James Dowsey (1819-1902), a prominent cotton mill owner from Lancashire, and Elizabeth Dowsey (1838-1912), a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights from Oxfordshire.

Throughout its history, the Dowsey surname has maintained a strong presence in various regions of England, particularly in the counties of Lincolnshire, Yorkshire, and Oxfordshire. While not an exceedingly common name, it has left its mark on the historical records and contributed to the rich tapestry of English heritage.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Dowsey families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Dowsey 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. Durham leads with 34 Dowseys recorded in 1881 and an index of 19.21x.

County Total Index
Durham 34 19.21x
Northumberland 11 12.43x
Cumberland 5 9.76x
Middlesex 4 0.67x
Surrey 3 1.04x
Yorkshire 2 0.34x
Kent 1 0.49x
Suffolk 1 1.38x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Seghill in Northumberland leads with 11 Dowseys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2558.14x.

Place Total Index
Seghill 11 2558.14x
Willington 10 980.39x
Whitworth 7 538.46x
Westoe 6 59.82x
Penshaw 5 943.40x
Whitehaven 5 183.15x
Bermondsey 3 16.94x
Monkwearmouth Shore 2 57.97x
Norton 2 307.69x
Ruswarp 2 303.03x
Winlaton 2 117.65x
Ashford 1 50.51x
Ipswich St Clement 1 54.35x
St Martin In Fields 1 28.09x
St Marylebone London 1 3.15x
Whitechapel London 1 17.06x
Willesden 1 17.83x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 5
Jane 4
Sarah 4
Ann 3
Isabella 3
Elizabeth 2
Rebecca 2
Catharine 1
Catherine 1
Eleanor 1
Elizth. 1
Ellen 1
Emma 1
Hannah 1
Lavinia 1
Margaret 1

Top male names

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

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Dowsey households.

FAQ

Dowsey surname: questions and answers

How common was the Dowsey surname in 1881?

In 1881, 61 people were recorded with the Dowsey surname. That placed it at #24,992 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Dowsey surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 96 in 2016. That gives Dowsey a modern rank of #31,684.

What does the Dowsey surname mean?

An English habitational surname derived from a place named Dowse in Leicestershire, England.

What does the Dowsey map show?

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