Dowdalls History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• Ireland
• England

Etymology of Dowdalls

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 Dowdalls.

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 Dowdalls 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 Dowdalls 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 Dowdalls 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 Dowdalls family

Early History of the Dowdalls family

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

Dowdalls 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 Dowdalls include Dowdall, Dovedale, Dowdale, Dowdell, Dowdle and others.

Early Notables of the Dowdalls family

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)...
Another 45 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Dowdalls Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Dowdalls family

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 Dowdalls: William Dowdell who settled in New England in 1761; James Dowdall settled in Virginia in 1788; Charles, James, and William Dowdall, arrived in Philadelphia between 1840 and 1870.