Explore the Family Name Dowse
The meaning of Dowse
English: nickname from Middle English douce, dowce ‘sweet, pleasant’ (Old French dolz, dous, later doux), or from the Middle English personal name Douce (borrowed from Old French Douce, Latin Dulcia, derived from Latin dulcis) with the same meaning. The name was sometimes used as a woman’s personal name and occasionally used for a man. The modern name is mostly pronounced to rhyme with house but sometimes with loose, as indicated by the variant Duce.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Dowse in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Dowse has seen a slight decrease in popularity over the decade from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, Dowse ranked 37,480th in popularity and this decreased to 40,082nd by 2010, showing a change of -6.94 percent. The count of people with this surname also saw a small dip of -2.15 percent, from 559 individuals in 2000 down to 547 in 2010. The proportion of this surname per 100,000 people also decreased by -9.52 percent, from 0.21 in 2000 to 0.19 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #37,480 | #40,082 | -6.94% |
| Count | 559 | 547 | -2.15% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.21 | 0.19 | -9.52% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Dowse
The ethnic identity associated with the surname Dowse has shown some interesting shifts between 2000 and 2010, according to the Decennial U.S. Census. Individuals identifying as White made up the majority of those with the surname, increasing slightly from 95.71 percent in 2000 to 96.16 percent in 2010. The percentage of Dowse individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander increased slightly from 0.89 percent to 0.91 percent. Interestingly, the proportion identifying as having two or more ethnicities dropped significantly from 1.43 percent in 2000 to 0.91 percent in 2010. The census showed new emergence of Hispanic representation, going from 0 percent in 2000 to 0.91 percent in 2010. However, the percentage identifying as Black dropped to 0 in 2010 from 1.25 percent in 2000, while American Indian and Alaskan Native representation remained at 0 percent.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 95.71% | 96.16% | 0.47% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.89% | 0.91% | 2.25% |
| Two or More Races | 1.43% | 0.91% | -36.36% |
| Hispanic | 0% | 0.91% | 0% |
| Black | 1.25% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |