History of your Surname
Get access to Dowds family records.Start a free trial

Dowds Family History

Dowds Name Meaning

Irish (Antrim) and Scottish: variant of Dowd 1 with post-medieval excrescent -s.

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


Similar surnames: Douds, Dowdy, Dowd, Dowda, Downs, Dodds, Dods, Dowdey, Dowey, Gowdy

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Dowds family from?

You can see how Dowds families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Dowds family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Dowds families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 4 Dowds families living in Ontario. This was 100% of all the recorded Dowds's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Dowds families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Dowds surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Dowds ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Engineer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Dowds. 100% of Dowds men worked as an Engineer and 100% of Dowds women worked as a Stenographer. .

View Census Data for Dowds | 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

  • Engineer
    100%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Stenographer
    100%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Dowds family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 4,000 census records available for the last name Dowds. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Dowds census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Dowds

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Dowds. 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 Dowds immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 1,000 military records available for the last name Dowds. For the veterans among your Dowds ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Dowds military records

You've only scratched the surface of Dowds family history

Discover More

What is the average Dowds lifespan?

Between 1956 and 2004, in the United States, Dowds life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1970, and highest in 1972. The average life expectancy for Dowds in 1956 was 50, and 78 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Dowds

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Dowds family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Dowds last name

Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial