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

Dowdle, 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 Dowdle surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Dowdle in America

Dowdle is the 13115th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Dowdle surname appeared 2,337 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Dowdle.

We can also compare 2010 data for Dowdle 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 Dowdle

The surname DOWDLE has its origins in England, where it first emerged in the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "dol," meaning a meadow or valley, and the suffix "-del," indicating a portion or share. This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who lived near or owned a meadow or valley.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name DOWDLE can be found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, where a John Dowdle was baptized in 1587. The name also appeared in the Hearth Tax Rolls of 1662 for Staffordshire, indicating its presence in that county during the 17th century.

The DOWDLE surname has its roots in various parts of England, including Suffolk, Staffordshire, and Lancashire. It is possible that the name originated independently in different regions, with similar derivations from local place names or descriptions of the landscape.

One notable individual with the surname DOWDLE was Sir John Dowdle (1642-1718), a prominent merchant and Member of Parliament for Aldborough in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. Another notable bearer of the name was William Dowdle (1766-1831), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars and was commended for his bravery in several battles.

In the 19th century, the DOWDLE name gained recognition through the works of the English author and poet Edward Dowdle (1811-1879), whose poems and essays were widely published in literary journals of the time. Another figure of note was Sarah Dowdle (1856-1932), a pioneering suffragette and campaigner for women's rights in the early 20th century.

The DOWDLE surname can also be traced to Ireland, where it is believed to have been adopted by families of English descent who settled in the country during the 17th and 18th centuries. One such individual was Patrick Dowdle (1732-1807), an Irish politician and landowner who served as a Member of the Irish Parliament for County Fermanagh.

Throughout its history, the DOWDLE name has been subject to various spellings, including Dowdell, Dowdall, and Dowdle, reflecting regional variations and changes over time. However, the core meaning and origins of the surname remain rooted in the English countryside and its connection to meadows and valleys.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Dowdle

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

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 Dowdle 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 Dowdle 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 Dowdle was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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