Find out how popular the last name Dooley is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Dooley.

Dooley, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Dooley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dooley in America

Dooley is the 1527th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dooley surname appeared 23,481 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 8 people would have the surname Dooley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dooley to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Dooley

The surname Dooley originates from Ireland, with its earliest records dating back to the 12th century. It is an anglicized version of the Irish Gaelic name "Ó Dubhghalaigh," which means "descendant of the dark foreigner" or "descendant of the dark Gall" (Gall being an old Irish word for a Scandinavian or a foreigner).

The name is believed to have originated in County Laois, a region in the midlands of Ireland. It was first documented in the Irish Annals, which recorded historical events and genealogies of prominent Irish families. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name include Dovenald O'Duvgaly in 1182 and Rory O'Duwghaly in 1190.

In the 14th century, the Dooley surname appeared in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history written in the early 17th century. The Annals mentioned several notable individuals bearing the name, such as Maolmuire Ó Dubhghallaigh, who was described as the chief historian of Leix (now County Laois) in 1380.

As the name spread across Ireland, various spelling variations emerged, including Dooley, Duly, Dooly, Duley, and Duhilly. Some of these variations were influenced by the anglicization of the name, as well as regional dialects and pronunciations.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the Dooley surname in its modern spelling appears in the 16th century. Edmond Dooley, born around 1530, was a prominent landowner and chieftain in County Laois during the Tudor period.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the Dooley surname:

1. Patrick Dooley (1783-1819), an Irish soldier who served in the British Army during the Napoleonic Wars.
2. Thomas A. Dooley (1927-1961), an American physician and humanitarian known for his work in Southeast Asia, particularly in Vietnam.
3. Michael Dooley (born 1953), an Irish film director and screenwriter best known for his work on "The Commitments" and "The Snapper."
4. Martin Dooley (1857-1938), an American author and humorist who created the fictional character "Mr. Dooley," a popular commentator on political and social issues.
5. James Dooley (1904-1986), an American basketball player and coach who led the University of Rhode Island to multiple conference championships in the 1940s.

While the Dooley surname has its roots in Ireland, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through Irish immigration to countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dooley

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Dooley.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Dooley was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Dooley has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Dooley was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Dooley, please contact us.

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