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Doolan History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Citations

Doolan History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

Throughout history, very few Irish surnames have exclusively maintained their original forms. Before being translated into English from Irish Gaelic, Doolan appeared as Ó Dobhailen or "Dubhshláin," which combines the Gaelic elements "Dubh," meaning dark, with "shláin," meaning challenge or defiance. [1]

Early Origins of the Doolan family

The surname Doolan was first found in Leinster, where they are believed to be descended from Eochaidh, King of Leinster, and became one of the "Seven septs of Leix."

However, the name is "fairly common to-day in Ulster - in the Catholic areas of Counties Cavan and Fermanagh - and in the Counties of Roscommon and Galway in Connacht. In the census of 1659 the name appears principally in Counties Roscommon and Fermanagh." [2]

Early History of the Doolan family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Doolan research. Another 39 words (3 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1834 and 1914 are included under the topic Early Doolan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Doolan Spelling Variations

Those scribes in Ireland during the Middle Ages recorded names as they sounded. Consequently, in this era many people were recorded under different spellings each time their name was written down. Research on the Doolan family name revealed numerous spelling variations, including Dolan, Doland, Dooley, Dowling, Doolin, Doolan, O'Dooley, O'Dolan, O'Doolin, Dollan, Dolland, Dooland, Dowlling, Doolley and many more.

Early Notables of the Doolan family

More information is included under the topic Early Doolan Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Doolan Ranking

In the United States, the name Doolan is the 18,254^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [3]

Doolan migration to the United States +

A massive amount of Ireland's native population left the island in the 19th century for North America and Australia in hopes of finding more opportunities and an escape from discrimination and oppression. A great portion of these migrants arrived on the eastern shores of the North American continent. Although they were generally poor and destitute, and, therefore, again discriminated against, these Irish people were heartily welcomed for the hard labor involved in the construction of railroads, canals, roadways, and buildings. Many others were put to work in the newly established factories or agricultural projects that were so essential to the development of what would become two of the wealthiest nations in the world. The Great Potato Famine during the late 1840s initiated the largest wave of Iris immigration. Early North American immigration and passenger lists have revealed a number of people bearing the name Doolan or a variant listed above:

Doolan Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Robert Doolan, who arrived in Maryland in 1674 [4]

Doolan Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

T Doolan, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 [4]
Thomas Doolan, aged 25, who arrived in New York in 1854 [4]
William Doolan, aged 38, who arrived in New York in 1854 [4]
Honor Doolan, aged 22, who arrived in New York in 1854 [4]
Richard Doolan, aged 22, who landed in New York in 1854 [4]

Doolan migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Doolan Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

John Doolan, aged 26, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Sea Horse" in 1833
Bridget Doolan, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1834
Mrs. Bridget Doolan, aged 68 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Naparina" departing from the port of Dublin, Ireland but died on Grosse Isle in August 1847 [5]
Miss Ellen Doolan, aged 12 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Westmoreland" departing from the port of Sligo, Ireland but died on Grosse Isle in August 1847 [5]
Mr. James Doolan, aged 30 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Marinus" departing from the port of Dublin, Ireland but died on Grosse Isle in August 1847 [5]
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Doolan migration to Australia +

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

Doolan Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Margaret Doolan, British convict from Britain, who was transported aboard the "Alexander" on November 4, 1815, settling in New South Wales, Australia [6]
Mr. Peter Doolan, (b. 1790), aged 30, Irish labourer who was convicted in Dublin, Ireland for 7 years for felony, transported aboard the "Dorothy" on 5th May 1820, arriving in New South Wales, Australia [7]
Mr. James Doolan, (Devlin, Doolin), (b. 1776), aged 56, Irish groom who was convicted in Antrim, Ireland for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "City of Edinburgh II" on 18th March 1832, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1850 [8]
Mr. Bryan Doolan, (William, Bernard), (b. 1817), aged 26, Irish house servant who was convicted in Westmeath, Ireland for 7 years for larceny, transported aboard the "Constant" on 9th May 1843, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) [9]
Mr. George Doolan, (b. 1827), aged 16, Irish labourer who was convicted in Dublin, Ireland for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Constant" on 9th May 1843, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) [9]
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Doolan 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:

Doolan Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Miss Georgina Doolan, (b. 1839), aged 25, British domestic servant travelling from Gravesend, UK aboard the ship "British Empire" arriving in Lyttelton, South Island, New Zealand on 6th September 1864 [10]

Contemporary Notables of the name Doolan (post 1700) +

John James "Jack" Doolan (1919-2002), American NFL football running back
Michael Joseph "Mickey" Doolan (1880-1951), American Major League Baseball player
Edwin Myer "Ed" Doolan MBE (1941-2018), Australian-born, naturalised British radio presenter for BBC
Ben Doolan (b. 1973), former Australian rules footballer
John Doolan (b. 1974), English footballer
Wendy Doolan (b. 1968), Australian professional LPGA golfer
Jack Doolan, English actor
Kris Doolan (b. 1986), Scottish footballer

Historic Events for the Doolan family +

HMS Hood

Mr. Francis Doolan (b. 1919), Scottish Stoker 2nd Class serving for the Royal Navy from Clelland, Lanarkshire, Scotland, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking [11]

HMS Repulse

Mr. Andrew Doolan, British Able Bodied Seaman, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and died in the sinking [12]

Citations +

MacLysaght, Edward, More Irish Families. Dublin: Irish Academic Press, 1982. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-0126-0)
MacLysaght, Edward, Irish Families Their Names, Arms and Origins 4th Edition. Dublin: Irish Academic, 1982. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2364-7)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 25)
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Alexander voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1815 with 12 passengers. Retrieved from Alexander voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1815 with 12 passengers
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 12th July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/dorothy
Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 11th February 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/city-of-edinburgh
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 9th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/constant
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm
HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html