Show ContentsDowdall History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Ireland already had an established system of hereditary surnames when the Strongbownians arrived. Often the two traditions blended together quite well due to some of their basic similarities, but the incoming Anglo-Norman system brought in some forms that were uncommon amongst the Irish. One of these Anglo-Norman anomalies was the prevalence of local surnames, such as Dowdall.

The local surnames of these Strongbownian invaders referred to places in Normandy, or more typically England, but eventually for those Anglo-Normans that remained in Ireland, the nicknames referred to places or geographical features of the island: they became true local names. The Dowdall family appears to have originally lived in a place called Dovedale or Dowdale in Yorkshire. [1]

Another source claims the name was originally from D'Ovesdale Manor in Litlington, Cheshire. [2]

The surname Dowdall belongs to the large category of Anglo-Norman habitation names, which are derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. The Gaelic form of the Dowdall surname is Dubhdal, this is one of the few instances where the element dubh is not derived from the adjective which means black.

Alternatively, the name Dowdale could mean "valley frequented by doves." [3]

Early Origins of the Dowdall family

The surname Dowdall was first found in Yorkshire, at Dowdale where the first records of the family appear in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379: Johannes de Dowedale; Willelmus de Dowedale; and Willelmus Doudale who all held lands there at that time. [1] Adam Dowedall was listed in Yorkshire in 1401. [2]

In Cheshire, John de Uvedale alias de Ovedale was listed her in the Feet of Fines for 1304; Peter Douedale was listed in 1336; and Hugh de Uuedale in the 13th century. [2]

The introduction to Ireland where the name is most popular, dates back to Strongbow's invasion of Ireland and was "prominent in the Pale since the Anglo-Norman invasion." [4] The Irish Dowdalls may have come from Dovedale in Derbyshire, England and settled in County Louth in the thirteenth century. Some of the most famous of the early immigrants are: Sir Robert Dowdall (died 1482), an Irish judge who held the office of Chief Justice of the Irish Common Pleas for more than forty years; his son, Thomas Dowdall, also spelt Dowdale, Douedall, or Dowedall, (died c. 1492) , an Irish barrister and judge who held the office of Master of the Rolls in Ireland; George Dowdall (1487-1558), an Irish cleric who was twice Archbishop of Armagh; James Dowdall (died 1600) was a Roman Catholic merchant and martyr from Drogheda, Ireland; and his cousin, Sir James Dowdall (died 1584), an Irish judge who briefly held office as Lord Chief Justice of Ireland.

Early History of the Dowdall family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dowdall research. Another 102 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1482, 1487, 1558, 1584, 1600, 1641 and 1658 are included under the topic Early Dowdall History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dowdall Spelling Variations

During an investigation of the origin of each name, it was found that church officials and medieval scribes spelled many surnames as they sounded. Therefore, during the lifetime of a single person, a name could be spelt numerous ways. Some of the spelling variations for the name Dowdall include Dowdall, Dovedale, Dowdale, Dowdell, Dowdle and others.

Early Notables of the Dowdall family

Notable amongst the family up to this time was

  • Sir Robert Dowdall (died 1482), an Irish judge who held the office of Chief Justice of the Irish Common Pleas
  • Christopher Dowdall of Castle Dowdall
  • Sir William Dowdall of Kilfinny, County Limerick
  • James Dowdall (d. 1600), Irish Roman Catholic martyr
  • Sir James Dowdall (died 1584), Lord Chief Justice of Ireland
  • George Dowdall (1487-1558) twice Archbishop of Armagh
  • Lady Elizabeth Dowdall (died 1658), daughter of Sir John Dowdall who bravely defended Kilfinny Castle against the rebels during the Irish Rebellion in 1641


United States Dowdall migration to the United States +

A great number of Irish families left their homeland in the late 18th century and throughout the 19th century, migrating to such far away lands as Australia and North America. The early settlers left after much planning and deliberation. They were generally well off but they desired a tract of land that they could farm solely for themselves. The great mass of immigrants to arrive on North American shores in the 1840s differed greatly from their predecessors because many of them were utterly destitute, selling all they had to gain a passage on a ship or having their way paid by a philanthropic society. These Irish people were trying to escape the aftermath of the Great Potato Famine: poverty, starvation, disease, and, for many, ultimately death. Those that arrived on North American shores were not warmly welcomed by the established population, but they were vital to the rapid development of the industry, agriculture, and infrastructure of the infant nations of the United States and what would become Canada. Early passenger and immigration lists reveal many Irish settlers bearing the name Dowdall:

Dowdall Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • James Dowdall, who settled in Virginia in 1788
  • Anne Dowdall, who arrived in New York in 1794 [5]
Dowdall Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • William Dowdall, aged 21, who arrived in New York in 1854 [5]
  • Charles, James, and William Dowdall, who arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1870

Canada Dowdall migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Dowdall Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Richard Dowdall, aged 30, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the ship "Edwin" from Dublin, Ireland
  • Betty Dowdall, aged 28, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the ship "Edwin" from Dublin, Ireland
  • Mary Dowdall, aged 26, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the ship "Edwin" from Dublin, Ireland
  • Judy Dowdall, aged 24, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the ship "Edwin" from Dublin, Ireland
  • Margaret Dowdall, aged 22, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the ship "Edwin" from Dublin, Ireland
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Australia Dowdall migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Dowdall Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Michael Dowdall, Irish labourer who was convicted in Wicklow, Ireland for 7 years for high treason, transported aboard the "Atlas" on 30th May 1802, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1822 [6]
  • Thomas Dowdall, English convict from Lancaster, who was transported aboard the "Andromeda" on October 16, 1826, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia [7]

New Zealand Dowdall migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Dowdall Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Patrick Dowdall, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Chile" in 1866
  • Lucy Dowdall, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Chile" in 1866

Contemporary Notables of the name Dowdall (post 1700) +

  • Jane Dowdall (1899-1974), Irish Fianna Fáil politician, nurse and company director
  • Thomas Dowdall (1870-1942), Irish politician and company director
  • Charlie Dowdall (b. 1898), Irish footballer
  • Mr. Thomas Patrick Dowdall C.B.E., British Deputy Director for National Crime Agency responsible for organised immigration crime, modern slavery and serious and organised crime at the borders, was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire on 29th December 2018 for services to Tackling Organised Crime by her Majesty The Queen [8]
  • Henry Arthur "Harry" Dowdall (1872-1913), Australian rules footballer


  1. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  2. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  3. Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
  4. MacLysaght, Edward, More Irish Families. Dublin: Irish Academic Press, 1982. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-0126-0)
  5. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  6. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th July 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/atlas
  7. State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Andromeda voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1826 with 147 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/andromeda/1826
  8. "Birthday and New Year Honours Lists (1940 to 2019)." Issue 62507, 28 December 2018 | London Gazette, The Gazette, Dec. 2018, www.thegazette.co.uk/honours-lists


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