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Dowson Family History

Dowson Name Meaning

English (Durham and North Yorkshire):: patronymic from the Middle English personal name Dow a side form of Daw and a pet form of Ralph. Dow can be pronounced to rhyme with either hoe or how. The Durham surname alternates with Dawson from the 16th century onward. alternatively a patronymic from the Middle English personal name Douce (see Dowse ).

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Dopson, Dobson, Dotson, Gosson, Dawson, Pawson, Tomson, Bosson

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Dowson family from?

You can see how Dowson families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Dowson family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Dowson families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 101 Dowson families living in Ontario. This was about 54% of all the recorded Dowson's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Dowson families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Dowson surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Dowson ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Student were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Dowson. 46% of Dowson men worked as a Farmer and 30% of Dowson women worked as a Student. Some less common occupations for Americans named Dowson were Laborer and Farmer. .

View Census Data for Dowson | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1921

  • Farmer
    46%
  • Labourer
    8%
  • Machinist
    8%
  • Laborer
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Student
    30%
  • Clerk
    30%
  • Operator
    20%
  • Farmer
    20%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Dowson family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 42,000 census records available for the last name Dowson. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Dowson census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Dowson

Passenger Lists

There are 4,000 immigration records available for the last name Dowson. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Dowson immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 2,000 military records available for the last name Dowson. For the veterans among your Dowson ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Dowson military records

You've only scratched the surface of Dowson family history

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What is the average Dowson lifespan?

Between 1962 and 2004, in the United States, Dowson life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1988, and highest in 1992. The average life expectancy for Dowson in 1962 was 78, and 79 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Dowson

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