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Dolan Family History

Dolan Name Meaning

Irish: shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Dubhláin ‘descendant of Dubhshlán’ a personal name from dubh ‘black’ + slán ‘challenge’. In some cases also an American shortened form of Slovenian Dolanc or Dolanec: vernacular variants of a habitational name for someone from any of numerous villages named Dol ‘small valley’. Americanized form of French Daudelin .

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


Similar surnames: Folan, Solan, Doran, Dugan, Dolen, Nolan, Dolak, Gogan, Dorgan, Mohan

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Dolan family from?

You can see how Dolan families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Dolan family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Dolan families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 317 Dolan families living in Ontario. This was about 62% of all the recorded Dolan's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Dolan families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Dolan surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Dolan ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Dolan. 44% of Dolan men worked as a Farmer and 20% of Dolan women worked as a Housekeeper. Some less common occupations for Americans named Dolan were Student and Bookkeeper. .

View Census Data for Dolan | 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
    44%
  • Laborer
    10%
  • Labourer
    9%
  • Student
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Housekeeper
    20%
  • Stenographer
    15%
  • Nurse
    12%
  • Bookkeeper
    9%
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What Dolan family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 214,000 census records available for the last name Dolan. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Dolan census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Dolan

Passenger Lists

There are 45,000 immigration records available for the last name Dolan. 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.

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Draft Cards

There are 40,000 military records available for the last name Dolan. For the veterans among your Dolan ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Dolan lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Dolan life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1941, and highest in 2003. The average life expectancy for Dolan in 1941 was 32, and 75 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Dolan

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