Dowden Family History

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Dowden Name Meaning

English: patronymic from an Old English personal name, Dogod (probably a derivative of dugan ‘to avail’, ‘to be of use’). In England the surname is chiefly found in Gloucestershire and Somerset.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press


Similar surnames: Bowden, Cowden, Howden, Downen, Rowden, Dower, Dryden, Olden, Ogden

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Dowden Ethnicity Estimate

What are the common regions with the Dowden name?

These results combine data from everyone in the AncestryDNA® database with the last name Dowden. The Ancestry® ethnicity regions shown are top five most common on average for these people.

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  • England & Wales

    58%

  • Ireland & Scotland

    19%

  • Germanic Europe

    6%

  • Norway

    2%

  • France

    2%

Your own DNA-based ethnicity estimate will differ from what you see here. To get your personalized ethnicity estimate, order an AncestryDNA® kit.order an AncestryDNA® kit.

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Dowden Family Origin

Where is the Dowden family from?

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1840
    1920
    You can see how Dowden families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Dowden family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Dowden families were found in the UK in 1891. In 1840 there were 14 Dowden families living in Indiana. This was about 29% of all the recorded Dowden's in the USA. Indiana had the highest population of Dowden families in 1840.
    Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Dowden surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

    View Census Data for Dowden

    Dowden Family Occupations

    What did your Dowden ancestors do for a living?

    In 1880, a less common occupation for the Dowden family was Keeping House. The most common Dowden occupation in the USA was Farmer. 35% of Dowden's were Farmers. Farmer, Laborer and Carpenter were the top 3 reported jobs worked by Dowden.

    View Census data for Dowden | Data not to scale

    • Farmer

      35%

    • Laborer

      7%

    • Carpenter

      5%

    • Keeping House

      5%

    Census records can tell you a lot of little known facts about your Dowden ancestors, such as occupation. Occupation can tell you about your ancestor's social and economic status.

    Dowden Historical Records

    What Dowden family records will you find?

    Census Record

    There are 31,000 census records available for the last name Dowden. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Dowdencensus records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

    Search 1940's US census records for Dowden

    Passenger List

    There are 2,000 immigration records available for the last name Dowden. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

    View all Dowden immigration records

    Draft Card

    There are 4,000 military records available for the last name Dowden. For the veterans among your Dowden ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

    View all Dowden military records

    You've only scratched the surface of Dowden family history.

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    Dowden Life Expectancy

    What is the average Dowden lifespan?

    Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Dowden life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 1988. The average life expectancy for Dowden in 1944 was 36, and 78 in 2004.

    View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Dowden

    An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Dowden ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

    Famous Dowden Family Ancestors

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