Contents [hide]

Dolan History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Dolan 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, Dolan 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 Dolan family

The surname Dolan 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 Dolan family

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

Dolan 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. The following variations for the name Dolan were encountered in the archives: Dolan, Doland, Dooley, Dowling, Doolin, Doolan, O'Dooley, O'Dolan, O'Doolin, Dollan, Dolland, Dooland, Dowlling, Doolley and many more.

Early Notables of the Dolan family

Prominent amongst the family at this time was

Dolan of Leinster...
Thomas Dolan (1834-1914), was a very well known Irish-American capitalist...

Dolan Ranking

In the United States, the name Dolan is the 1,510^th most popular surname with an estimated 19,896 people with that name. 3 However, in the United Kingdom, the name Dolan is ranked the 918^th most popular surname with an estimated 7,499 people with that name. 4

Dolan migration to the United States +

In the 19th century, thousands of Irish left their English-occupied homeland for North America. Like most new world settlers, the Irish initially settled on the eastern shores of the continent but began to move westward with the promise of owning land. The height of this Irish migration came during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. With apparently nothing to lose, Irish people left on ships bound for North America and Australia. Unfortunately a great many of these passengers lost their lives - the only thing many had left - to disease, starvation, and accidents during the long and dangerous journey. Those who did safely arrive in "the land of opportunities" were often used for the hard labor of building railroads, coal mines, bridges, and canals. The Irish were critical to the quick development of the infrastructure of the United States and Canada. Passenger and immigration lists indicate that members of the Dolan family came to North America quite early:

Dolan Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Peter Dolan, who landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1745 5
Michael Dolan, who arrived in America in 1793 5

Dolan Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Martin Dolan, who arrived in Virginia in 1813 5
Hugh Dolan, aged 23, who landed in Missouri in 1843 5
Nicholas Dolan, aged 31, who landed in Missouri in 1844 5
Frances Dolan, who arrived in New York, NY in 1846 5
Walter Dolan, aged 36, who arrived in Missouri in 1847 5
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Dolan Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Charles H Dolan, who landed in Mississippi in 1903 5

Dolan migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Dolan Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Hannah Dolan, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1812
Ann Dolan, aged 19, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the ship "Britannia" from Sligo, Ireland
Bryan Dolan, aged 13, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the brig "Trafalgar" from Galway, Ireland
John Dolan, aged 20, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the brig "Trafalgar" from Galway, Ireland
Mary Dolan, aged 20, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1834 aboard the brig "Trafalgar" from Galway, Ireland
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Dolan migration to Australia +

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

Dolan Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John Dolan, (b. 1774), aged 46, Irish shepherd who was convicted in Roscommon, Ireland for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Dorothy" on 5th May 1820, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 6
Miss. Ann Dolan, British Convict who was convicted in Manchester, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Asia" on 9th March 1847, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 7
John Dolan, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Harry Lorrequer" in 1849 8
James Dolan, aged 21, who arrived in South Australia in 1849 aboard the ship "Harry Lorrequer" 8
Eleanor Dolan, aged 19, a servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1849 aboard the ship "Harry Lorrequer" 8
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Dolan 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:

Dolan Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Margaret Dolan, aged 27, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "London" in 1840
Miss Ann Dolan, (b. 1843), aged 16, English domestic servant from Durham travelling from London aboard the ship "Zealandia" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 14th November 1859 9
Miss Elizabeth Dolan, (b. 1837), aged 28, British domestic servant travelling from London aboard the ship "Eastern Empire" arriving in Lyttelton, Canterbury, New Zealand on 4th January 1865 10
David Dolan, aged 35, who arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand aboard the ship "Blairgowrie" in 1875
Bridget Dolan, aged 35, who arrived in Lyttelton, New Zealand aboard the ship "Blairgowrie" in 1875
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Dolan (post 1700) +

Daniel Lytle Dolan (1951-2022), American Catholic sedevacantist bishop from Detroit, Michigan
William C. Dolan, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Massachusetts, 1948
William Augustus Dolan (1883-1952), American politician, Member of New Jersey State Senate from Sussex County, 1937-39
Warren R. Dolan, American Republican politician, Candidate for Michigan State House of Representatives from Wayne County 2nd District, 1954
Thomas F. Dolan, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Illinois 13th District, 1950
Thomas D. Dolan, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate in primary for Michigan State Senate 12th District, 1966
T. Frank Dolan Jr., American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New York, 1960
T. E. Dolan, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Iowa, 1928
T. Frank Dolan, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New York, 1928
Robert J. Dolan, American politician, Mayor of Melrose, Massachusetts, 2007-11
... (Another 50 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Dolan family +

Empress of Ireland

Mr. Paul Dolan, British Trimmer from United Kingdom who worked aboard the Empress of Ireland (1914) and survived the sinking 11

Hindenburg LZ-129

Mr. Burtis J. Dolan (1890-1937), American Vice President for Perfume Importer from Chicago, Illinois, USA, who was a passenger on board the Hindenburg LZ-129 and died in the Airship Fire 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/
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 12th July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/dorothy
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th February 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1847
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) HARRY LORREQUER 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849HarryLorrequer.htm
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
Commemoration Empress of Ireland 2014. (Retrieved 2014, June 17) . Retrieved from http://www.empress2014.ca/seclangen/listepsc1.html
Hindenburg Disaster Passenger List | Airships.net. (Retrieved 2014, April 11) . Retrieved from http://www.airships.net/hindenburg/disaster/hindenburg-passenger-list/