Show ContentsOdowling History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The original Gaelic form of the name Odowling 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 Odowling family

The surname Odowling 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 Odowling family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Odowling 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 Odowling History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Odowling Spelling Variations

Irish names were rarely spelled consistently in the Middle Ages. Spelling variations of the name Odowling dating from that time include Dowling, O'Dowling, Doolan, Doolin, Dooling, Dowlin and many more.

Early Notables of the Odowling 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 the circumstance of his having been about 1590 ecclesiastical treasurer of the see of Leighlin in the county of Carlow. In 1591 Dowling was advanced to the chancellorship of that see. He is mentioned in the record of a regal visitation in 1615 as an ancient Irish minister aged seventy-one, qualified to teach...
Another 96 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Odowling Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Odowling family

Thousands of Irish families left for North American shores in the 19th century. These people were searching for a life unencumbered with poverty, hunger, and racial discrimination. Many arrived to eventually find such conditions, but many others simply did not arrive: victims of the diseased, overcrowded ships in which they traveled to the New World. Those who lived to see North American shores were instrumental in the development of the growing nations of Canada and the United States. A thorough examination of passenger and immigration lists has disclosed evidence of many early immigrants of the name Odowling: Terence Dowlin, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1808 with his brother John; Bernard, Brian, Edward, James, John, Lawrence, Michael, Patrick, Samuel, Thomas, and William Dowling, who all arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1865.



  1. O'Hart, John, Irish Pedigrees 5th Edition in 2 Volumes. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1976. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0737-4)


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