Dowlin Surname History

Origins Available:
Ireland

The original Gaelic form of the name Dowlin is Ó Dubhlaoich, derived from the words dubh, which means "dark featured, great, prodigious, burned" 1, and laoch, referring to a hero or champion.

Early Origins of the Dowlin family

The surname Dowlin was first found in Westmeath (Irish: An Iarmhí) in the Irish Midlands, province of Leinster, where they held a family seat from very ancient times. According to O'Hart, the family claim descent through the MacMorough family which are descendants of the Heremon Kings of Ireland and were Chiefs in the County Wicklow and Queen's County. 1

Early History of the Dowlin family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dowlin research. Another 83 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1544, 1590, 1591, 1615, 1628, 1785, 1787, 1801, 1844 and 1852 are included under the topic Early Dowlin History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dowlin Spelling Variations

The Middle Ages saw a great number of spelling variations for surnames common to the Irish landscape. One reason for these variations is the fact that surnames were not rigidly fixed by this period because the general population had to rely on local official's understanding of how their name should be spelt, hence spellings in records often changed through a person's lifetime. The following variations for the name Dowlin were encountered in the archives: Dowling, O'Dowling, Doolan, Doolin, Dooling, Dowlin and many more.

Early Notables of the Dowlin family

Notable amongst the family name at this time was

Thady Dowling (1544-1628), an Irish annalist and language grammarian. "was a member of an old native family in the part of Ireland now known as the Queen's County. Of his life little is known beyond t...
Sir James Dowling (1787-1844), was a Australian colonial judge, born in London on 25 Nov. 1787. His father, Vincent Dowling, was a native of Queen's County, Ireland, and was for many years a reporter...
His brother, Vincent George Dowling (1785-1852), was an English journalist, founder and editor of "Bell's Life" who received his earlier education in Ireland

Dowlin migration to the United States +

Ireland became inhospitable for many native Irish families in the 19th centuries. Poverty, lack of opportunities, high rents, and discrimination forced thousands to leave the island for North America. The largest exodus of Irish settlers occurred with the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. For these immigrants the journey to British North America and the United States was long and dangerous and many did not live to see the shores of those new lands. Those who did make it were essential to the development of what would become two of the wealthiest and most powerful nations of the world. These Irish immigrants were not only important for peopling the new settlements and cities, they also provided the manpower needed for the many industrial and agricultural projects so essential to these growing nations. Immigration and passenger lists have documented the arrival of various people bearing the name Dowlin to North America:

Dowlin Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Barbar Dowlin, who arrived in Maryland in 1656 2
John Dowlin, who arrived in Maryland in 1663 2
Roger Dowlin, who arrived in Maryland in 1678 2

Dowlin Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

James Dowlin, who landed in Virginia in 1723 2

Dowlin Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Miles Dowlin, who arrived in America in 1801 2
Terence Dowlin, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1808 with his brother John
Charles Dowlin, who arrived in New York, NY in 1817 2
Ann Dowlin, aged 20, who arrived in Baltimore, Maryland in 1834 2
Margaret Dowlin, aged 20, who landed in Baltimore, Maryland in 1834 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Dowlin migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Dowlin Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. Dennis Dowling U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1784 3

Citations +

O'Hart, John, Irish Pedigrees 5th Edition in 2 Volumes. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1976. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0737-4)
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)
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X