Explore the Family Name Dowdell
The meaning of Dowdell
English: habitational name from a lost Ovedale or Uvedale, which gave rise to the 14th-century surname de Uvedale alias de Ovedale, connected with the manor of D’Ovesdale in Litlington, Cambridgeshire, first recorded as ‘manor of Overdale otherwise Dowdale’ in 1408. The name may also occasionally arise from Dovedale in Derbyshire, ‘valley of the river Dove’, from the river name + Old Norse dalr ‘valley’.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Dowdell in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Dowdell saw a slight decrease in rank between 2000 and 2010, moving from 6,647 to 6,777, a change of -1.96%. However, the count of individuals with this surname increased by 6.1%, rising from 4,690 in 2000 to 4,976 in 2010. The proportion of people with the Dowdell surname per 100,000 also saw a minor decrease of -2.87% over the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #6,647 | #6,777 | -1.96% |
| Count | 4,690 | 4,976 | 6.1% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.74 | 1.69 | -2.87% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Dowdell
In terms of ethnic identity, the Dowdell surname is most prevalent within the Black community, as indicated by the data from the Decennial U.S. Census. The percentage of Dowdells identifying as Black increased slightly from 60.94% in 2000 to 62.36% in 2010. The White community saw a decrease in usage of the Dowdell surname, dropping 8.18% over the decade. Meanwhile, there were notable increases among individuals identifying as two or more races (47.50% increase) and those within the Hispanic community (42.16% increase). The Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian/Alaskan Native communities also saw increases of 14.29% and 36.84% respectively.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 60.94% | 62.36% | 2.33% |
| White | 35.57% | 32.66% | -8.18% |
| Two or More Races | 2% | 2.95% | 47.5% |
| Hispanic | 1.02% | 1.45% | 42.16% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.28% | 0.32% | 14.29% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.19% | 0.26% | 36.84% |