Home › Irish Surnames › Dowling

Irish surname

Dowling: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Ó Dúnlaing · 'descendant of Dunlang' (an ancient personal name)

Woulfe (1923) gives Dowling as an anglicised form of Ó Dúnlaing, 'descendant of Dunlang'. He names a numerous Leinster family, at one time lords of Leix, and a family of Corca Laoighdhe in south-west Cork. In 1890 Dowling births were chiefly in Dublin, Kilkenny and Queen's County.

Shop Dowling crest giftsRead the history
Coat of arms associated with the Dowling surname
Irish formÓ Dúnlaing
Meaning'descendant of Dunlang' (an ancient personal name)
CountiesDublin, Kilkenny, Queen's County (Laois), Cork
Other spellings4
Welcome offer $10 off orders of $20 or more with code WELCOME10 One use per customer. Cannot be combined with other offers.

Dowling crest gifts

Clan Dowling Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap SN66 Dowling Coat Of Arms Irish Cap Dowling Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap$33.45Clan Odowling Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap BW14 Odowling Coat Of Arms Irish Cap Odowling Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest Classic Cap$33.45Clan Odowling Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapNR23 Classic Cap - Odowling Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Odowling Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap$42.45Clan Dowling Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic CapWP51 Classic Cap - Dowling Coat Of Arms St Patrick's Day Classic Cap Irish Cap Dowling Coat Of Arms - Irish Family Crest St Patrick's Day Classic Cap$42.45Dowling Irish coat of arms glass ornaments, heart and round, hanging on a Christmas treeDowling Coat of Arms – Irish Family Crest Glass Ornament$24.99Dowling Irish coat of arms acrylic ornament hanging on a Christmas treeDowling Coat of Arms – Irish Family Crest Ornament$19.99O'Dowling Irish coat of arms glass ornaments, heart and round, hanging on a Christmas treeO'Dowling Coat of Arms – Irish Family Crest Glass Ornament$24.99O'Dowling Irish coat of arms acrylic ornament hanging on a Christmas treeO'Dowling Coat of Arms – Irish Family Crest Ornament$19.99

Origin of the Dowling name

Woulfe: Ó Dúnlaing (pronounced Ó Dúllaing) was the name (1) of a numerous family in Leinster, 'who were at one time lords of Leix', and (2) of a family of Corca Laoighdhe in south-west Cork, still numerous in Cork and Kerry. He also prints (Dowling), in brackets, among the forms of Ó Dubhlainn and Ó Dubhláin.[1][2][3]

  1. 1591Thady Dowling advanced to the chancellorship of the see of Leighlin.[6]
  2. 1628Thady Dowling, annalist, is stated to have died at Leighlin.[6]
  3. 1849Dowling's Latin 'Annales Hiberniæ' edited for the Irish Archæological Society.[6]
  4. 1890109 Dowling births registered, chiefly in Dublin, Kilkenny and Queen's County.[4]

Where in Ireland

Co. DublinFirst Dowling county in 1890; half the Leinster entries were in Dublin.[4]
Co. KilkennyPrincipal Dowling county in 1890; 14 Dowling entries in the Kilkenny table.[4][5]
Co. Queen's County (Laois)Principal Dowling county in 1890; the Ó Dúnlaing family were at one time lords of Leix.[4][1][7]
Co. CorkÓ Dúnlaing family of Corca Laoighdhe in south-west Cork, still numerous in Cork and Kerry.[1]
Co. KerryWoulfe says the Corca Laoighdhe Ó Dúnlaing family is still numerous in Cork and Kerry.[1]

Notable people named Dowling

Thady Dowling1544–1628Ecclesiastic and annalist of an old Queen's County family; chancellor of Leighlin; compiled Latin 'Annals of Ireland' to 1600.[6]

Other spellings

O Dowling · Dowlin · Dooling · Doolin[1]

The Dowling coat of arms

The design shown is a coat of arms associated with the Dowling surname. In Irish and British heraldry a coat of arms is granted to one person and passes to their heirs; it does not belong to everyone who shares the surname. Many families still use the arms of their name as a symbol of their heritage.

Dowling surname: questions

What does the surname Dowling mean?

Woulfe gives Dowling as a form of Ó Dúnlaing, 'descendant of Dunlang', an ancient Irish personal name.[1]

Is Dowling an Irish name?

Yes. Woulfe lists Dowling as an anglicised form of Ó Dúnlaing, the name of a Leinster family once lords of Leix and of a south-west Cork family.[1]

Where in Ireland is the Dowling name from?

In 1890 Dowling births were chiefly in Dublin, Kilkenny and Queen's County, with half the Leinster entries in Dublin. Woulfe also names a family in south-west Cork, numerous in Cork and Kerry.[4][1]

Are Dowling and Doolin the same name?

Sometimes. Woulfe gives Doolin, Doolen and Doolan among the forms of Ó Dúnlaing, but says they can hardly be distinguished from the forms of Ó Dubhlainn, a Galway family of the Ui Maine.[1][2]

Sources

  1. Ó Dúnlaing — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/od/o-dunlaing.php
  2. Ó Dubhlainn — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/od/o-dubhlainn.php
  3. Ó Dubhláin — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/od/o-dubhlain.php
  4. Dowling — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/dowling.php
  5. Registration Province of Leinster (leading surnames by county, Births Index 1890) — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/leinster-names.php
  6. Dowling, Thady — Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900, vol. 15 (J. T. G.), Wikisource. en.wikisource.org/wiki/Dictionary_of_National_Biography,_1885-1900/...
  7. Laois (Co.) — Placenames Database of Ireland, logainm.ie. logainm.ie/en/100017

Note: Matheson's 1890 figures for a surname include its spelling varieties (Matheson, Table Explanation).