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

O'Dowd, 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 O'Dowd surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of O'Dowd in America

O'Dowd is the 15508th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The O'Dowd surname appeared 1,887 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 O'Dowd.

We can also compare 2010 data for O'Dowd 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 O'Dowd

The surname ODOWD has its origins in Ireland, with records indicating its presence as early as the 11th century. The name is derived from the Irish Gaelic "Ó Dubhda," meaning "descendant of Dubhda" or "dark-colored one." This patronymic name is rooted in the ancient Irish tradition of identifying individuals by their ancestors or physical characteristics.

The earliest known reference to the ODOWD surname can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. These annals mention several individuals with the surname, such as Tadhg Odowd, who was a notable chieftain in County Sligo during the 13th century.

Historical records also indicate that the ODOWDs were a prominent family in County Mayo, particularly in the Barony of Erris. They held significant influence and power in the region during the medieval period. One notable figure from this lineage was Maoilir Odowd, who served as the Bishop of Killala in the late 15th century.

The ODOWD surname has undergone various spelling variations throughout history, including O'Dowd, O'Dowde, Dowda, and Dowde. These variations reflect the fluid nature of surname spellings in earlier times, as well as regional dialectal differences.

Notable individuals bearing the ODOWD surname include:

1. Bernard O'Dowd (1866-1953), an Australian poet and journalist known for his works celebrating nature and the Australian landscape.
2. Mary Odowd (1909-1976), an American actress and singer who appeared in several Broadway musicals and films during the 1930s and 1940s.
3. John Odowd (1732-1811), an Irish-American Catholic priest who played a significant role in the establishment of the Catholic Church in Pennsylvania.
4. Fergus O'Dowd (born 1952), an Irish politician and member of the Fine Gael party, serving as a Teachta Dála (Member of Parliament) since 1997.
5. Liam O'Dowd (born 1957), an Irish academic and professor of sociology at University College Dublin, known for his research on the Irish diaspora and transnational studies.

While the ODOWD surname has its roots in Ireland, it has since spread across the globe, particularly through Irish emigration to countries like the United States, Australia, and Canada. The name continues to hold a rich history and cultural significance, reflecting the enduring legacy of Irish heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name O'Dowd

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname O'Dowd.

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 O'Dowd 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 O'Dowd 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 O'Dowd was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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