Dowling is an

Irish surname A formal Irish name consists of a given name and a surname. In the Irish language, surnames are generally patronymic in etymology but are no longer literal patronyms as, for example, most Icelandic names still are. The form of a surname varies ac ...

. It is an anglicised form representing two unrelated clans: 1 – Ó Dúnlaing, noted as one of the seven

sept A sept is a division of a family, especially of a Scottish or Irish family. The term is used in both Scotland and Ireland, where it may be translated as ''sliocht'', meaning "progeny" or "seed", which may indicate the descendants of a person ( ...

s of

County Laois County Laois ( ; gle, Contae Laoise) is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Eastern and Midland Region and in the province of Leinster. It was known as Queen's County from 1556 to 1922. The modern county takes its name from Loígis, a medie ...

, the ancestral home called ''Fearann ua n-Dúnlaing'' (O'Dowling's Country).Dowling family information and background
The Irish form of the name is Ní Dhúnlaing (unmarried female), Ó Dúnlaing (male) or

ean Ean may refer to: People * Ean Campbell (1856–1921), Anglican bishop in the early 20th century * Ean Elliot Clevenger, multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, and songwriter * Ean Evans (1960–2009), bassist for Lynyrd Skynyrd from 2001 until his de ...

Uí Dhúnlaing (married female). 2 – Ó Dubhlainn, a minor family of

County Galway "Righteousness and Justice" , anthem = () , image_map = Island of Ireland location map Galway.svg , map_caption = Location in Ireland , area_footnotes = , area_total_km2 = ...

, represented by

Richard William Dowling Richard William "Dick" Dowling (baptized 14 January 1837 – 23 September 1867) was an Irish-born artillery officer of the Confederate States Army who achieved distinction as commander at the battle of Sabine Pass (1863), the most one-side ...

(1838–1867), American Confederate officer.

List of people surnamed Dowling

Alexandra Dowling Alexandra Dowling (born 1990), is an English actress best known for her lead role as Queen Anne in the BBC One historical action drama series '' The Musketeers'', which is based on the characters in ''The Three Musketeers'' by Alexandre Dumas. ...

(born 1990), English actress *

Ann Dowling Dame Ann Patricia Dowling (born 15 July 1952) is a British mechanical engineer who researches combustion, acoustics and vibration, focusing on efficient, low-emission combustion and reduced road vehicle and aircraft noise. Dowling is a Deput ...

(born 1952), British mechanical engineer *

Austin Dowling Daniel Austin Dowling (April 6, 1868 – November 29, 1930) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as the second archbishop of what was then the Archdiocese of Saint Paul in Minnesota from 1919 until his death. Dowling se ...

(1868–1930), American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church * Bairbre Dowling (1953–2016), Irish actress * Bartholomew Dowling (1823–1863) Irish poet *

Brian Dowling (disambiguation) Brian Dowling may refer to: * Brian Dowling (presenter) (born 1978), Irish television presenter * Brian Dowling (American football) (born 1947), American football player * Brian Dowling (hurler) Brian Martin Dowling (born 7 March 1983) is an I ...

, multiple people, including: **

Brian Dowling (presenter) Brian Patrick Robert Dowling (born 13 June 1978) is an Irish television presenter. He rose to fame after winning the second series of reality series '' Big Brother'', and went on to win ''Ultimate Big Brother'' in 2010. In 2007, he came third ...

(born 1978), Irish television presenter **

Brian Dowling (American football) Brian John Dowling (born April 1, 1947) is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League for the New England Patriots and Green Bay Packers. He also was a member of the Charlotte Hornets in the World Football League. He ...

(born 1947), American football player **

Brian Dowling (hurler) Brian Martin Dowling (born 7 March 1983) is an Irish hurler who played as a right corner-forward for the Kilkenny senior team. He is now the manager of the Kilkenny senior camogie team. Brother of former Kilkenny hurler Seán, Dowling joined ...

(born 1983), Irish hurler * Bridget Dowling (1891–1969), Irish sister-in-law of Adolf Hitler *

Camila Vallejo Dowling Camila Antonia Amaranta Vallejo Dowling (; born 28 April 1988) is a Communist Party of Chile, Chilean communist politician and former student leader who has been serving as Ministry General Secretariat of Government (Chile), Minister General Se ...

, (born 1988), Chilean deputy congresswoman *

Constance Dowling Constance Dowling (July 24, 1920 – October 28, 1969) was an American model turned actress of the 1940s and 1950s. Early life and career Born in New York City, Dowling was a model and chorus girl before moving to California in 1943. She had ...

(1920–1969), American model and actress * Dan Dowling (1906–1993), American cartoonist * Dereck Dowling (1914–2003), South African cricketer * Dick Dowling (born 1938), Irish politician *

Eddie Dowling Eddie Dowling (born Joseph Nelson Goucher; December 11, 1889Date and year of birth as per baptismal records of Precious Blood church, Woonsocket, Rhode Island, where Dowling was christened — February 18, 1976) was an American actor, director, ...

(1889–1976), American actor, director, and producer * Edward J. Dowling (born 1875, date of death unknown), New York politician *

Garry Dowling Garry William Dowling (7 November 1952 – 5 March 1983) was an Australian professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1970s and 1980s. Playing career He played eight seasons of club football and 113 first grade games for Canterbur ...

, Australian rugby league footballer of the 1970s and 1980s * Gerard Dowling (cricketer) (born 1964), Australian cricketer *

Graham Dowling Graham Thorne Dowling (born 4 March 1937) is a former New Zealand cricketer who played 39 Test matches and captained New Zealand in 19 of them. He led New Zealand to its first victory in a Test series, against Pakistan in November 1969. He wa ...

(born 1937), New Zealand cricketer of the 1960s and 1970s *

Greg Dowling Greg Dowling (born 15 January 1959) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s and 1990s. An Australian international and Queensland State of Origin representative prop forward, he played his club foot ...

(born 1959), Australian rugby league footballer of the 1980s and 1990s * Sir

James Dowling Sir James Dowling (25 November 1787 – 27 September 1844) was an English-born Australian jurist in New South Wales, Chief Justice of New South Wales 1837 – 1844. Early life James Dowling was born in London, England, the son of Vincent Dowlin ...

(1787–1844), English-born Australian jurist * Jane Dowling (1925–2023), British artist * Jerry Dowling, American cartoonist * Jim Dowling, Australian Catholic activist *

Joan Dowling Joan Dowling (6 January 1928 – 31 March 1954) was a British character actress. Life and career Dowling was the illegitimate daughter of Vera Dowling. A piece in ''The Laindon and District Times'', on 23 June 2015, written by her cousin Joh ...

(1928–1954), English character actress *

Joe Dowling Joe Dowling (born 27 September 1948) is an artistic director. He was artistic director for the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. He is known for his work as artistic director of the Abbey Theatre in Ireland and his produc ...

(born 1948), American theater director * John Dowling (disambiguation), multiple people * Jonathan Dowling, Irish-American quantum physicist *

Joseph Dowling Joseph Dowling (2 February 1922 – 31 May 2014) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician. An auctioneer before entering politics, Dowling was first elected to Dáil Éireann as a Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin South-West constitu ...

(1922–2014), Irish Fianna Fáil politician *

Kevin Dowling (disambiguation) Kevin Dowling may refer to: * Kevin Dowling (bishop) (born 1944), South African Roman Catholic bishop * Kevin Dowling (darts player) (born 1965), English darts player * Kevin Dowling (director) Kevin Dowling is an AmericanRyan, Desmond"In Sum, ...

, multiple people, including: **

Kevin Dowling (bishop) Kevin Patrick Dowling, C.SS.R., (born 14 February 1944) is a South African prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. A Redemptorist, he was the second Bishop of Rustenburg from 1991 to 2020. Biography Born in Pretoria, Dowling was ordained a priest ...

(born 1944), South African Roman Catholic bishop **

Kevin Dowling (darts player) Kevin Dowling (born 28 July 1965) is a former English professional darts player who currently competes in Professional Darts Corporation events. Career Dowling before he lose to Stephen Bunting Stephen Bunting (born 9 April 1985) is an ...

(born 1965), English darts player **

Kevin Dowling (director) Kevin Dowling is an AmericanRyan, Desmond"In Sum, He Was Just Right: Kevin Dowling Wasn't Hollywood's Choice To Direct 'The Sum Of Us.' But His Perseverance In The Face Of Prejudice Paid Off."''The Philadelphia Inquirer'', April 10, 1995. Quote: ...

, American film and television director and producer * Lesley Rae Dowling, South African singer * Levi H. Dowling (1844–1911), American preacher and author *

Otto Dowling Otto Carl Dowling (February 28, 1881 – April 14, 1946) was a United States Navy Captain, and the 25th Governor of American Samoa from April 17, 1934, to January 15, 1936. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1903. Dowling ...

(1881–1946), American Navy captain and Governor of American Samoa * Owen Dowling (1934-2008), Australian Anglican bishop *

Patrick J. Dowling Patrick Joseph A. Dowling, CBE FRS (born 1939) is an Irish engineer and educationalist. Early life He was born in Sandymount, Dublin and educated at University College Dublin, graduating in 1960 with a degree in civil engineering. Career H ...

(1939–2023), Irish engineer and educationalist * Phil Dowling (born 1967), New Zealand curler *

Richard Dowling (disambiguation) Richard Dowling or Dick Dowling may refer to: *Richard W. Dowling (1838–1867), commander at the Second Battle of Sabine Pass in the American Civil War *Dick Dowling Richard Dowling (born 12 December 1938) is an Irish former Fine Gael politic ...

, multiple people, including: **

Richard W. Dowling Richard William "Dick" Dowling (baptized 14 January 1837 – 23 September 1867) was an Irish-born artillery officer of the Confederate States Army who achieved distinction as commander at the battle of Sabine Pass (1863), the most one-side ...

(1838–1867), Confederate officer in American Civil War **

Richard Dowling (writer) Richard Dowling (3 June 1846 – 28 July 1898) was an Irish novelist. Dowling was born in southern Ireland in 1846. He worked with a group of Irish writers producing a paper called ''Zolius''. He moved to England and then wrote short stories for ...

(1846–1898), Irish novelist * Roy Dowling (1901–1969), Australian naval admiral * Seán Dowling (born 1978), Irish hurler * Shane Dowling (born 1954), Australian politician *

Terry Dowling Terence William (Terry) Dowling (born 21 March 1947), is an Australian writer and journalist. He writes primarily speculative fiction though he considers himself an "imagier" – one who imagines, a term which liberates his writing from the cons ...

(born 1947), Australian writer * Tom Dowling (disambiguation), multiple people *

Vera Strodl Dowling Vera Elsie Strodl Dowling (16 July 1918 – 11 January 2015) was a Danish pilot who gained fame in the Second World War as the only Scandinavian woman to fly for the RAF's Air Transport Auxiliary. Later, based in Alberta, Canada, she instructed pi ...

(1918–2015), Danish pilot * Victor J. Dowling (1866–1934), American judge and politician *

Vincent Dowling Vincent Gerard Dowling (7 September 1929 – 9 May 2013) was an Irish actor and director. Ireland Dowling was born in Dublin and educated at St Mary's College and Rathmines College of Commerce. He came to prominence in the 1950s for his role ...

(1929–2013), Irish actor and director *

William Dowling (disambiguation) William Dowling may refer to: *William Dowling (VC) (1825–1887), Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross * William C. Dowling (born 1944), American professor of English *William Dowling (politician) William Dowling may refer to: * William Dowling ...

, multiple people

References

* ''The Surnames of Ireland'',

Edward McLysaght Edgeworth Lysaght, later Edward Anthony Edgeworth Lysaght, and from 1920 Edward MacLysaght ( ga, Éamonn Mac Giolla Iasachta; 6 November 1887 – 4 March 1986) was a genealogist of twentieth century Ireland. His numerous books on Irish surnames ...

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

, 1978 * ''The Dowlings or Doolans of Carricknaughton,

Athlone Athlone (; ) is a town on the border of County Roscommon and County Westmeath, Ireland. It is located on the River Shannon near the southern shore of Lough Ree. It is the second most populous town in the Midlands Region with a population of ...

'', Eamonn Dowling, Journal of the Irish Family History Society, volume 25, pp. 93–96, 2009 * ''Gaelic Personal Names'', Ó Corráin, D. & Maguire, F.,

, 1980. Republished as ''Irish Names'', Dublin. Lilliput, 1990 * ''An Sloinnteoir Gaeilge & an tAinmneoir'', Ó Droighneáin, M. & Ó Murchú, M.A., Dublin, 1991. * ''Guild of One-Name Studies:- Dowling One-Name Study'' https://www.dowling.one-name.net {{DEFAULTSORT:Dowling (Surname) Surnames Anglicised Irish-language surnames Surnames of Irish origin