Dowling family name history and map
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Dowling in 1911 Ireland
The 1911 Census recorded 4,383 people named Dowling in Ireland, about 0.1% of everyone living in the country at the time and the 190th most common surname overall. The name was split fairly evenly between men and women: 2,164 men and 2,213 women. (A small number, 6, had no sex recorded.)
Counties with Dowling in Ireland
Dublin was Dowling country: 28.1% of them (1,232 people) lived there in 1911. Next came Kilkenny (584), Laois (528), Kildare (434) and Kerry (348).
Dowling average age in 1911
The average Dowling in 1911 was 29.7 years old, 28.9 for men and 30.5 for women; almost exactly in line with the national averages of 29.6 for men and 30.5 for women. That low figure reflects just how many children there were in Edwardian Ireland, along with high infant mortality and the limits of public health at the time. For comparison, average life expectancy in Ireland today is around 83.
Dowling literacy in 1911
Of the Dowlings whose literacy was recorded, 82.6% could both read and write, 3.3% could read but not write, and 14.1% could do neither. The figures were much the same for men and women. Bear in mind these figures include young children; the census itself only counted people aged nine and over when calculating illiteracy, on the grounds that it was unfair to label a child illiterate before they'd had a chance to learn.
Dowling common first names
The most common male names were John (287), Patrick, James, Michael and Thomas; the same five names that topped the list nationally. For women it was Mary (363), followed by Bridget, Margaret, Elizabeth and Catherine.
Dowling occupations in 1911
The most common entry on a Dowling's census form was "Scholar"; 19% (832) were children at school. Among the rest, the most common occupations were farmer (11.5%), general labourer (4.4%), farm labourer (3.9%) and domestic servant (2.9%). Grouped by sector, agriculture accounted for 15.9% of all Dowlings, followed by domestic service, general labourers and retail & commerce.
What religion is Dowling?
Dowlings were overwhelmingly Roman Catholic, 93.9% of them. The remainder were mostly Anglican (3.2%), Presbyterian (1.9%), Methodist (0.3%) and Baptist (0.1%).
Visitor Notes
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Added by
Pete F
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Dowling statistics (1911)
Number: 4,383
Rank: 190
Average Age: 30
Dowling in the USA (2020)
Number: 15,710
Rank: 2,252
Note: If there were less than 100 in the USA census it will show as zero.