The Dowling surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 16,238 people carried this name — #2,245 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 18,200 people counted. That is up 4% from 15,581 in 2000.

See Dowling on the map Look up another surname

Share

In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890

Ireland registered 109 births for the Dowling name in 1890.

They were registered in all four provinces, most of all in Leinster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 4,800 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Where they were born, 1890

Leinster 83
Munster 15
Ulster 6
Connacht 5

Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.

In Argentina’s national register

At least 94 people named Dowling live in Argentina.

RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in City of Buenos Aires.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

City of Buenos Aires 35
Buenos Aires Province 28
Santa Fe 16
Tucumán 15

RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.

In Switzerland’s population statistics

30 people named Dowling live in Switzerland.

They live in 3 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Geneva.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Geneva 13
Bern 9
Zurich 8

Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.

In the Nordic population registers

34 people named Dowling is counted in Sweden.

Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published.

Counted, by country

Sweden (2022) 34

Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown).

In Scotland’s registers today

Dowling was recorded 17 times in Scotland’s registers of births, marriages and deaths in 2025.

That made it the 1299th most common name in those registers, shared with others on the same count. In 1975, the first year of the series, the count was 15. Each birth counts the child’s surname, each marriage both partners’ and each death the surname of the person who died — a yearly count of registrations, not of the people who live in Scotland.

National Records of Scotland, «Most Common Surnames, 2025» (published 26 May 2026): every surname recorded 10 or more times in the 2025 registers, and the series from 1975 · different spellings are counted separately — © Crown copyright 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

In print

Dowling in American newspapers,
1918.

Newspaper page from Vernon County Censor carrying the name Dowling
Vernon County Censor 1918-04-24
Newspaper page from Vernon County Censor carrying the name Dowling
Vernon County Censor 1918-05-15
Newspaper page from Vernon County Censor carrying the name Dowling
Vernon County Censor 1918-05-01

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 135,123 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Dowling in Australian newspapers,
1810s–2000s.

113,044 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Dowling. The most, 17,518, date from the 1930s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in the Northern Territory, at 2.3 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 43,065
Victoria 24,438
Queensland 17,961
Tasmania 16,411
South Australia 6,873
Western Australia 3,138
ACT (Canberra) 611
Northern Territory 359

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Dowling.

Who carried it

People named Dowling,
with a public archive behind them.

  • James Dowling
    James Dowling 1787–1844 · politician
  • John Dowling
    John Dowling 1807–1878 · historian of religion
  • James Sheen Dowling
    James Sheen Dowling 1819–1902 · judge
  • Richard William Dowling
    Richard William Dowling 1837–1867 · military officer
  • Joseph J. Dowling
    Joseph J. Dowling 1848–1928 · actor

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 260 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Dowling,
in the records of 9 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States4,938 records

4,938 records of the Dowling name in the United States
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 1,918
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 1,164
  • Other U.S. records 1,856
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Clifford Franklin Dowling

    Born 1940; from Portland, Oregon. U.S. Navy, engineman; died in an accident 1971 in An Giang, South Vietnam. Buried at Willamette National Cemetery, Oregon.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Emma E. Dowling

    Born 1899 in New York. Enlisted 1943 in the Women's Army Corps at New York City; bookkeeper from Queens County. Veteran of World War II; died 1972, buried at Long Island National Cemetery, New York.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Brid Dowling

    Arrived at New York in 1885 aboard the Aurania from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 30; servant. From Wexford, Ireland.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 4,938 records for Dowling in the United States.

Counts: NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · City of Asheville (public domain, PDDL) · New York State, Open NY (police and firefighter memorial rolls). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia2,948 records

2,948 records of the Dowling name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 1,280
  • Tasmanian Names Index 601
  • Other Australian records 1,067
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Maria Dowling

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Hydery, sailing from Plymouth in 1832. Native of High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1839. Married 1839 in Launceston, Tasmania, aged 30.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record William Dowling

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Adelaide, sailing from London in 1849. Native of Dublin, Dublin. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1850. Married 1850 in Hobart, Tasmania, aged 26.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Frederick Dowling

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the David Lyon, sailing from London in 1830. Native of Deptford, Kent. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1847.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 2,948 records for Dowling in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain).

Canada331 records

331 records of the Dowling name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 261
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 21
  • Other Canadian records 49
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Civil record James Dowling

    Killed in the Halifax Explosion of 1917, aged 30.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Eutvallia Dowling

    Buried in 1962 at Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, Nova Scotia, aged 56.

    Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax.
  3. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Chester Dowling

    Buried in 2000 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 80.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.

Showing 3 of 331 records for Dowling in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0).

United Kingdom53 records

53 records of the Dowling name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 28
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 13
  • Stirling Council burial records 12
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record George C. Dowling

    Died 1992, aged 88; buried at Dunblane Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Charlotte Dowling

    Buried in 1829 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 51.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record H. Dowling

    Irish Guards. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 53 records for Dowling in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand43 records

43 records of the Dowling name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 37
  • Thames-Coromandel District cemetery records 3
  • Other New Zealand records 3
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Kathleen Edith Dowling

    Died 1990, aged 84; buried at Waimairi Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Harold Etherwyn Dowling

    Buried in 1964 at Totara Memorial Park Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato, aged 85.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Dorothy Patricia Dowling

    Born 1927, died 1999; ashes interred at Kaiapoi Anglican Cemetery, Canterbury.

    Waimakariri District Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 43 records for Dowling in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0) · Waimakariri District Council (CC BY 4.0) · Canterbury Maps (Environment Canterbury), Timaru and Mackenzie District Councils (CC BY 3.0 NZ). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Ireland5 records

5 records of the Dowling name in Ireland County Galway graveyard records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Catherine Dowling

    Died 1970; buried at Clonburn, Co. Galway.

    Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Mary Dowling

    Died 1960; buried at Dunmore, Co. Galway.

    Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 2 of 5 records for Dowling in Ireland.

Counts: Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Netherlands5 records

5 records of the Dowling name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 3
  • Dutch population registers 1
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 1
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Martin Dowling

    Married in 1924 in Rotterdam. Died 1933 in Zeist, aged 60.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0); Open Archives, Het Utrechts Archief (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 1 of 5 records for Dowling in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

France2 records

2 records of the Dowling name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Julia Irlande Andree Dowling

    Born 1932 in Mimizan (Landes); died 1985 in Pau (Pyrénées-Atlantiques).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 1 of 2 records for Dowling in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Belgium2 records

2 records of the Dowling name in Belgium Belgian civil registers (births, marriages, deaths)
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Sarah Dowling

    Married in 1871 in Moorsel; maidservant, born 1840 in Ballon, Ireland.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Aalst (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 1 of 2 records for Dowling in Belgium.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Dowling.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Dowling is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

See the Dowling volume
Scroll to Top